008 - 4 ways to get better audition comments

getting audition comments is incredibly frustrating.

you’ll get an email from the personnel manager and it’ll say something like:

Hi ___, 

A judge from your audition committee gave you this feedback:

“some good things. voted no”

I hope that is helpful for you.

ok dude, great. now WHAT am i supposed to do with that?!

audition comments are hard to get. when you do receive them, they’re cryptic. they’re too short. a lot of musicians i’ve talked to have given up even trying to get audition comments.

but it’s essential to know how the committee heard your playing. you have to know exactly what to fix to earn more yes votes. 

if you feel frustrated, it’s probably because you’re going about it all wrong. you kiiiiiind of have to work the system a little bit. 

i’ve been through it all. i’ve gone through the audition circuit myself, and at this point i’ve worked with hundreds of musicians on their audition preparation over the past decade.

so in today’s episode i’m sharing my 4 best methods to get better audition comments. 

to learn the 5-step audition preparation process i used to win my met opera audition, download the audition cheat sheet at robknopper.com/auditioncheatsheet

from the episode:

• video: comparing microphones (self-recording gear guide): https://youtu.be/ysiaIdw0RBE
• video: how to improve your time for auditions: https://youtu.be/3lT8jbagJQI
• blog: the productive, healthy way to analyze audition comments: https://www.robknopper.com/blog/2019/11/4/the-productive-healthy-way-to-analyze-audition-comments
  

Editing by Delia Black

Theme Music: Log Cabin Blues by George Hamilton Green, performed by Rob Knopper (xylophone) and Howard Watkins (piano). Editing and mixing by Brandon Johnson.