Last year, Byron Valentine (of Zydeco and Fred J. Miller fame) posted his thoughts about what you should think about going into auditions, and this year I wanted to put my thoughts on paper (virtually...so to speak!).
With Stonewall Independent auditions only a week away (September 21!), here are my top five tips to get yourself in the right mindset for any audition.
These are on top of the basics like (a) bring your own equipment in case it's needed, (b) wear form-fitting dark clothes (unless told otherwise, (c) have your hair neatly pulled back so you don't mess with it at all, (d) stay hydrated....etc.
1. Fake it Till You Make it
As I posted before, Stonewall's number one rule is "Fake it Till You Make it." Oftentimes, the instructor is looking for you to perform well, and just make things work. They know that you'll have a very short amount of time to figure out the choreography and they're not looking for perfection. They're looking for someone to perform it no matter how well (or how little) they know the choreography. To help yourself LEARN how to perform, check out my blog here.
2. Crave Corrections
My favorite auditioners are those who come to us and ask "what else can I fix?" or "how can I do xyz move?" Better yet, we love it when auditioners use each other to figure out what they are doing wrong! It warms my heart when someone goes up to a vet and asks them to watch them do the work and then ASK for the feedback. If you go into the conversation requesting the feedback, your more willing to hear what someone has to say. However, if you get a correction without asking for it, just say "okay" or "thank you" (love the Broad Run HS girls that say thank you!). Then, try your darndest to figure out how to fix it! Just like on the judges sheets, recovery is important. If you can take that correction and do something with it, the staff will notice you. More importantly, they will be excited to work with you throughout the season.
3. Embrace a Beginners Mindset
"In a beginners mind, there are many possibilities. In an expert's mind, there are few." ~Shunryu Suzuki
When you enter the audition space, remind yourself of this quote. Anything is possible if you recognize that within this audition, you are a beginner. That's not a bad thing. You just don't know exactly what it is the instructors will give you in terms of choreography. You may not know the instructors or veterans yet. Even the veterans are entering a space where they are learning. They won't be given choreography they've seen before, just like the rookies! If you embrace that fact, it will both allow you to have confidence and the openness to absorb everything you can.
4. Don't be Married to "Your" Technique
Students who audition for a new guard sometimes don't realize that every instructor or team has their own version of technique on everything. If you take the opportunity to be in a beginner's mindset, you will also open yourself to new technique as well. This new guard may toss differently. They may hold their arms in second differently (like we do...we use Horton modern technique for this arm position, which isn't typical in color guard). They may do a lot of body wraps (again...we do this!) and you may not be used to that. Even as a vet, you can use the opportunity to FIX your technique. Assume there may be a bad habit that you have. Use the auditions to fix those technique habits because it's a time to learn, not to be perfect.
5. Try Something New
As I've mentioned, auditions are a time for instructors to try out some new things. At Stonewall Independent, we often try some crazy tosses, just to see what happens. It's important for those auditioning to try something new even if it's scary or different. That doesn't just apply to a single piece of choreography, but maybe there's a weapons audition and you've never spun weapon. If you're interested, tell the instructor on the side that you haven't spun before but you'd really like to give it a shot. That way they know you're knew at this AND you get a chance to try something fun and different! Maybe you don't make the weapon line, but the instructors will see that you're willing to try new things. Plus, there's value in spinning a different piece of equipment and learning bits and pieces that you can take and apply elsewhere. For example, in high school I learned how to catch solid on rifle, and that improved my solid catching on flag!
What other recommendations or thoughts do you have for those who are auditioning this month?
No comments:
Post a Comment