Just received my audition date, Tuesday 7th march, which is only 13 days away...

I've not even decided on my pieces yet as we're playing a lot of different things right now....and to make it worse on Friday 3rd March I'm moving house, and that weekend is going to be hectic.

I need to stop panicking....

13 days isn't a long time though! Short notice or what?!

A slightly panicking Hulk

Good luck young Lank!

Where are you auditioning to? RSAMD?

Good luck!

Car Expert

Yeah, the RSAMD.

Scary!

Can I have your autograph for when you're famous??

Famous? I wish...but you can still have my autograph

Good luck, that's really exciting!

At least being keeping busy and moving house won't give you time to feel nervous!

Good luck - one of my pupils is now there - she started in September last year and is really enjoying it. (Actually maybe I should really say 'ex-pupil' as I'm obviously no longer teaching her now she's there!!)

Good luck Hulk! *sprays good luck mist* Eat a banana before the audition!

Good luck Hulk.

you'll be fine! a bit of nerves often makes a good performance, and undecided on the pieces suggests they aren't all old and tired
sure you will do fantastic, best of luck with it and enjoy yourself lots and lots and let us know how you got on

Good luck. Hope it goes well. Let us know how you get on!

Good luck! I'm still waiting for my RWCMD junior department audition.

hey .. im new on this

Just saw that you had a RSAMD junior academy audition ... im going for junior academy too ! First instrument - Flute .. and hoping to do Voice as a second study ! What instrument are you auditioning on ? I've not had my audition date yet but im not prepared at all ! I've not even chosen the second piece im playing ! lol hoping its in may or april lol

Good luck. Hope all goes well.

First Instrument is clarinet...not decided on either of my pieces! I doubt that you'll get an audition date for April or May as it said on my letter that April is the latest anyone will find out if they're accepted or not!


Hulk

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ... I had a friend who auditioned last year and his audition wasnt until the end of april so i was hoping mine was later on ... eeeeeeeeek i've not even had my audition form in yet ! I'm goiing to be practising non-stop for the next month now lol .. so what grade are you on clarinet ?

Juliee

Well, I've passed Grade 5....but I'm more Grade 6, just haven't sat the exam...and every now and then I venture off into a Grade 7 piece....but Grade 6 I would say.

What grade are you on Voice?

Hulk

Well , I've never had regular singing lessons ... so i've never realli done any grades in voice . I've had plenty of experience in choirs etc .... I'm hoping that they'll see i've got potential in voice as I've had no lessons and have a pretty good voice ..... I think i prefer playing my flute though and i'm proabably better at flute too

Julie

Well potential is what they look for and they'll be quite few people auditioning who haven't sat any grades either.

Hulk

yup indeed .. I've never sat any flute exams either .. the theory side of exams has always let me down though if i was to get into academy i'd have to start sitting grade exams lol have you decided on your audition pieces yet ?

Good luck Richard. You'll be fine.

All the best, Richard! 13 days is a bit short but could you not do any 2 contrasting grade 5 pieces that you have ALREADY learnt?

My girl is also doing auditions for junior conservatory and the Director advised her to do 2 contrasting pieces that she has already learnt, found EASY and enjoyed! Hence my above advice to you. He told her not to play HARD pieces reasonably but play easy pieces VERY WELL! She is, accordingly, aiming for a grade 5 polished performance with 2 contrasting pieces, NOT a do-able grade 6 pass/merit technical performance.

Julie, no need to panic. You don't have to sit for exams at all to get into junior conservatory.

The general idea is, they look for "musical potential" provided you also have in addition some basic playing standard. Don't know about the basic std elsewhere but I guess, that's probably the same as in London which is grade 5 distinction at/by 11 yrs old. You must ask your flute teacher what your playing standard is, as that's the best person to judge.

They also expect a teacher's strong recommendation so if your teacher is not fully in support, then it won't work!

You must put your form in first!

How come you haven't ask your teacher for his/her advice re. audition pieces?

Well , it was my flute teacher who recomended me to audition . I've decided on my pieces now i think ... Syrinx by Debussy and Bach Sonata - BWV 1020 in G minor . I'm fourteen and i'm roughly grade 7/8 on flute ... so hopefully they'll see some potential in me

I see where you're coming from Tess....but I've not played my grade 5 pieces in quite a while, and I've been learning a few different pieces for quite a while. We're deciding on final pieces this Tuesday at my lesson.

I have a feeling that you will do well, Richard. Grade 6 pieces will be great! Just remember the RAM's JA director tip to pick the 2 contrasting ones you find both easy and enjoyable.

Keep us posted!

Cheers,
Tess

It sounds like you have potential

Thankyouu nikki flute !!!! I'm worried that the audition panel will ask me for scales though . I just don't seem to be able to remember them . I've only started learning them recently though for the audition . Any tips on ways of memorising them easily ?

I could ask my friend, she is 16 and just passed her diploma, but I think she is in the junior academy.

Julie, just a suggestion in case it helps?

My daughter's teacher has been an adjudicator and sometimes judges auditions for strings and wind. I think he only taught her the hardest three scales? He once told her that sometimes they let you pick which scales to play in auditions. That's why she's only learning the 3 very hard ones? Maybe you can ask your teacher abt this?

Tess .. thanks for the tip!! I have my next lesson on thursday so I'll ask my teacher then . What were the 3 scales your daughter had to learn ?

Sorry, Julie, she's only in year 4 and a 5th grader violinist and not so advanced as you. So your scales are MUCH harder! But good luck! I hope you'll get it.

Don't stress....
When I got my Junior Department audition date I recieved the letter on the tuesday telling me that the audition was on the Saturday. I was petrified. It wasn't anywhere near as bad as I thought it would be and they were really nice to me.
Play pieces you are comfortable with because these people can see through nerves and want to see your potential! I'm sure it will be fine! Good luck!

Finally decided on my pieces:

Tartini Concertino - 2nd Movement
Beautifully Blue from Ebony and Ivory.

That's a load off my mind, no need to practise 4 or 5 different pieces now.

7 days to go

Hulk

Good luck! Still waiting for my junior department audition date!

Same here !! I've not had my audition date yet either .. oh well that probably means my audition is at the end of march or the start of april ... so that's good .. the more time to prepare the better

Good Luck for your auditions

Julie

I get e-mails telling us we will get our audition dates "soon" which auditions will be held within the 1st two weeks of April. This is beginning to concern me as we want to register for an Easter music course (4 days at the beginning of April) but we hesitate to enrol due to this uncertainty? We want to do the auditions asap (without deferring at all) as they are inextricably linked to financial assistance! But I've chased and still haven't got any dates! I could still go ahead with the music course but it'd be so unfair say, to pay for 4 days when 2 of these, we MAY be down at JG or RCM.

eeeeek ... I've just had my RSAMD Junior Academy audition date through ... it's on the 16th or March ... i have a NYCOS audition that day too !!! ahhhh :'(

Julie x

Good luck! I'm still waiting, its been a big pain because I have to set about 1 1/2 days aside for it as its in Wales and I'm in Sussex (moving to Wales in August) and there's so many days that I've had to state that can't do because of exams and stuff.

All the best, Julie!

PS
Forget about audition dates! I have registered VN for Stringwise!!! If they get back to me on clashing dates, well, the audition dates will have to CHANGE!

Good Luck Everyone !!!!!! The NYCOS audition isn't until night so it's actually allright What's Stringwise ?

I applied to the RCM junior academy on 1st March. Got a letter today saying audition date is 23rd March.
They want "2 short contrasting piano pieces plus a short piece on any other instrument." There will also be piano sight-reading plus aural tests (yuck), then a "short chat".
I've applied for piano as first instrument and violin as second.
Has anyone here done the RCM audition (for the Saturday junior department)?
Anything I should watch out for?
Will there be 1 person or lots?
They supply an accompanist - will they be able to play a grade 4 violin piano part without any rehearsal?
Are there lots of kids applying for only a few places?

Well .. I reckon that your audition for RCm junior academy and my audition for RSAMD junior academy will probably be quite similar . Yes the pianist will be able to play a grade 4 piano part easily . For me there is one specialist in my first instrument and the head of junior academy who will also be at my audition . I've been told to learn scales but the aural tests are quite important too . Yes there will be a lot of people applying for a limited amount of spaces the panel will look for musical potential .

Don't know if that will be much help

Julie x

Good luck to everyone!!!

Keeping my fingers crossed for all of you!

Hi Looby,
Don't panic. Just do your own thing, I'm sure the accompanist will be able to play/accompany grade 8/even diploma pieces easily. They are very good indeed and very experienced in "instant" sight-reading. I've heard the 2 usual ones play.

The annoying thing is, we only applied to RCMJD bec my girl's teacher happened to teach there and she happens to like him a lot and he encouraged her. Personally we don't like their program for under 12s but still, we applied, in January, was then told that the auditions will be in late March and yet, we still haven't got the date!

Looby, I saw your signatures and wonder - you can't be playing grade 2 piano and violin, can you, seriously? The "playing level" (not exams taken) they are asking for is AT LEAST grade 5 distinction for the 11 yr olds or maybe, playing (not exams taken, as again, musical "potential" is the real issue here) grade 4 pieces for the little ones who are 8 to 10. How old are you, Looby?

Tess
EDIT - Stringwise is a 4-day 6 hours a day fun holiday music course for string players in North London. It must have been started by Sheila Nelson since according to the flyer, she is one of the 2 directors.

Good luck for Tuesday, Richard!

Hope the move went well. Got your pc up and running yet ???

Hi Tess
I'm nearly 8.I have done grade 3 piano , I got a distinction, and I am doing grade 4 violin and recorder in a few weeks.I will take grade 4 piano in the summer.
I hope you get a letter soon.
Thank you for all the advice. I am not nervous, but my mummy will be.

Looby, I saw your signatures and wonder - you can't be playing grade 2 piano and violin, can you, seriously? The "playing level" (not exams taken) they are asking for is AT LEAST grade 5 distinction for the 11 yr olds or maybe, playing (not exams taken, as again, musical "potential" is the real issue here) grade 4 pieces for the little ones who are 8 to 10. How old are you, Looby?
[/quote]
Hi Tess
I'm nearly 8.I have done grade 3 piano , I got a distinction, and I am doing grade 4 violin and recorder in a few weeks.I will take grade 4 piano in the summer.
I hope you get a letter soon.
Thank you for all the advice. I am not nervous, but my mummy will be.
[/quote]

Yes, Looby, I had thought as much! I had guessed you had to be 8 and playing grade 4 pieces or nearly 8! You'll do fine, Looby, as I've met quite a few kids at RCM JD who got in there at 8 years old by playing two grade 4 pieces very well! It's potential they are after, not really achievement - that's why no one will insist on a grade 5 distinction per se and further, lots of kids who actually achieved that level failed to get in.

And ,by the way, my daughter's teacher attends/judges auditions as well and I gather from him that auditions are very friendly affairs. Tell your mum[i] that and she'll stop being nervous for you. [/i]

All the BEST for tomorrow, Richard!

All the best Hulk! I know you'll do fine!