My Audition Journey
Imagine yourself sitting in your car. The audition that you’ve been preparing for months didn’t go well. Whether you didn’t advance past the first round or made it all the way to the finals, the result feels the same—disappointing. In that moment, you may ask yourself, “What now?” Believe me, I’ve been there. My goal with this article is to help you overcome that initial frustration and create strategies for your next audition.
My name is Daniel Chiva Sanz, and for the past two years, I’ve been taking auditions across the US and Spain. When I first started, I thought I was competing against the other bassists, but with time, I realized that my real competition was myself. I like to compare auditions to track and field events like pole vaulting or javelin throwing. It doesn’t matter what others do; what matters is what you can present—your own personal best. You can’t control how far someone else jumps or throws; similarly, you can’t control how others play. But you can control what you play, and that’s your playing standard.
I define playing standard as the way you perform when you’re in your comfort zone, without external pressures—when you’re showing the best version of yourself. In this article, I’ll offer strategies for processing the results of an audition. Reflecting on what happened is just as important as the preparation because it will guide your next steps. It’s important to be realistic without being too hard on yourself. Take notes of what you felt immediately after the audition, but don’t draw conclusions until a few days have passed. Clear your mind, and then ask yourself the most crucial question: Did I play to my standard?
“I DIDN’T Play to My Standard”
When you first start taking auditions, the main issue often is that you aren’t able to perform to your standard. This can happen in any round. You might play well in the early rounds and then fall short in the later ones. A common reason for this is sudden mistakes, which are different from recurring mistakes. Sudden mistakes happen unexpectedly, often in sections where you feel confident. Recurring mistakes, on the other hand, are usually due to a lack of preparation or technical issues.
One way to prepare for sudden mistakes is to develop the ability to recover from them. Don’t stop when you make a mistake during practice run-throughs. Some audition committees will value how well you recover from an obvious error, seeing it as a sign of resilience.
Sudden mistakes can also lead to losing focus, which was a challenge for me in my first auditions. A mistake would trigger instant self-doubt, and I’d lose focus on the music, leading to more errors. To combat this, I recommend creating “save points” in the excerpts, like in a video game. Breaking the audition repertoire into smaller, manageable moments can help you stay motivated and focused. That way, if you make a mistake, you’ve trained yourself to reset and continue.
Other factors can also cause you to lose focus, like environmental changes—the temperature in the room, a sudden noise, or the feel of a new space. These are out of your control, so it’s essential to train yourself to play to your standard without needing 100% focus. You can practice this by multitasking: have someone talk or make noises around you. The goal is to be able to perform even if your mind starts to wander.
Another major issue that can prevent you from performing to your standard is performance anxiety. Many resources cover anxiety in concerts, but auditions present unique challenges. The anxiety might start before you even arrive at the audition—during the trip, or in a bad hotel. Planning ahead can help avoid these stressors. Once you’re at the audition location, listening to others practice may trigger anxiety too. In these moments, remember that you’re only competing against yourself. Consider using headphones, play long notes or scales without getting tired, or step outside to clear your mind.
Sometimes, you may also be asked to play earlier than expected. This can throw off your routine and heighten anxiety. In these situations, it’s important to communicate your needs clearly, especially when they are making you play before your scheduled time. If you need ten minutes to get ready, take it. Mock auditions are another way to manage performance anxiety. While they’re easier to arrange while you are in school, social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram can provide a similar sense of pressure, knowing that someone might be watching.
“I DID Play to My Standard”
There have been many times when I felt like I delivered my best performance, yet I didn’t advance past the first round or didn’t get the job in the finals. This creates a different kind of frustration because you did what you set out to do—but it wasn’t enough. When this happens, it’s important to reflect on what went right so you can replicate it in future auditions. Consider not just the audition itself but your overall preparation and mindset. What kept you motivated? What routines worked?
Especially in the later rounds of an audition, the decision may come down to factors beyond technique, intonation, or rhythm—such as the orchestra’s preferences for sound and style. These are things you can’t control. The only thing you can control is delivering the best version of yourself.
Returning to the track and field analogy, if you set a personal best in competition but someone else’s best is just slightly better, you can still lose. In that case, the only option is to raise your playing standard. The question becomes: What can I do to improve?
Raising Your Playing Standard
Improving your standard takes time, dedication, and patience. It doesn’t just mean spending more hours practicing excerpts or concertos—it means revisiting the fundamentals of your technique. You need to become like a mechanic restoring an antique car. Take it apart, inspect each piece, and carefully put it back together. This detailed exploration of both left—and right-hand technique is crucial.
Realizing I needed to improve my standards led me to write The School of Patience, a method for working on intonation. While focusing on fundamentals might not seem as musically appealing as learning new concertos, it’s essential. No matter where you are in your career, there’s always more to learn by investing time in refining your technique.
Check out The School of Patience, Daniel’s intonation development system
I hope that you can relate to some of the scenarios presented in this article and that you find the recommendations helpful. You may realize that there isn’t a simple answer for processing audition results—more often, it’s a combination of the different scenarios mentioned here, along with many others. This article is an invitation to keep working toward the goal of winning an audition. It’s important to learn from every experience and create a specific strategy moving forward, but giving up is never an option.
Throughout this article, I’ve focused on the musical aspects of processing audition results. However, it’s equally important to surround yourself with people who support you—family, friends, colleagues, mentors, and others. Auditions can take a personal toll, affecting your motivation and overall mood. That’s why it’s crucial to listen to the people you trust and let them help, even when you feel like you don’t need it.
