Auditions can be scary. There’s much on the line, but don’t freak out! Your mission is basically threefold: choosing and preparing your audition repertoire; communicating musically with the panel; and subsequently deciding what teacher and school to join for your upcoming college experience. Here are a few tips on getting through the process with success!

Choose & Prepare Your Repertoire

“Your choice of repertoire could serve to make your audition a memorable one, especially if you play a lesser-known work,” says Lawrence Lesser, professor of cello and chamber music, Walter W. Naumburg Chair in Music, and president emeritus of the New England Conservatory. Selecting your repertoire is important—your choices define who you are to the panel. Look for pieces you like and that are off the beaten path. Though you’ll have to consider required pieces, there may be some room for substitution. Consider works contrasting in style, interpretation, and technical difficulty, making the audition program diverse and unusual. Be creative within the limits provided.

Preparation is indispensable. Start working on repertoire when you have enough time to fully prepare it. Don’t procrastinate. And make sure that you can play your chosen repertoire—playing a less complex piece beautifully is better than performing a more difficult one poorly. Remember that you’re applying to be a student. The pieces you choose should represent your current level of performance and study. Be honest with yourself and the panel.

Practice performing in front of a live audience. Multiple performances not only help you achieve a focused state of mind, but also provide you with the necessary level of comfort to enjoy the audition process.

Communicate Musically with the Panel

“The student that distinguishes himself or herself from the other students is the one that has the balance of technique, musical concepts, and personality to communicate with his or her instrument,” says Christopher Rex, cello chair of the Robert McDuffie School for Strings at Mercer University. The panel will examine technical skills, understanding and interpretation of the music, and verbal and nonverbal skills. Moreover, the panel may assess how “teachable” you may be, and how motivated you are to learn. Altogether, the panel will be looking for a combination of your talent and potential. Your job is to show them who you are. Nerves are good and almost necessary—just don’t let them overpower you.

Prepare to perform any portion of the pieces that you have selected, as the panel may ask you to play different sections of a piece, not necessarily from the beginning. Be courteous, smile, act like you’re very glad to be there and really enjoying it. Don’t be alarmed if panel members don’t hear all you have prepared—they have a schedule to keep, and stopping you midway does not mean they don’t like you. You can also learn from the panel’s reactions, since its members may provide feedback as you perform.

Nerves are good and almost necessary—just don’t let them overpower you. You may want to experiment with methods of relaxation that you have used before performances in the past, including meditation, deep breathing, and exercise. Ask your teachers and fellow musicians what works for them.

In reality, the audition may be less critical to your potential teacher than the lessons you may have had with him beforehand. Though your prospective teacher may act as your advocate on the panel, don’t slack off because of it! The goal is to impress the entire panel. Perform your best.

Pick the Right School & Teacher

The acceptance letters arrive some weeks later. Now you’ve got a decision to make. There are many factors to consider: teacher, location, scholarship . . . it’s a big choice.

The choice of teacher is the most important part of your decision. Make sure you learn as much about the teacher as you can. Choose a one who will be good for you, who will help you overcome weaknesses in your playing. Your ideal choice should be a teacher from whom you will learn a lot, and with whom you can have a good working relationship.

Another factor to consider is the nature of the school. Decide whether you want a fused educational approach (a university that offers a combined curriculum), a full immersion in music (a conservatory), or both (dual-major at a conservatory and university).

There are more trivial considerations than the teacher and the nature of the school, but some of them can still be very important. Consider the school itself, as well as its location. Think about scholarships and financial need. Hopefully you have some money saved away, but even then, you may find that you need additional assistance. Apply for scholarships and use them to supplement any financial aid your prospective school might have already offered to you. Your choice of school should be up to you and, ideally, not dictated exclusively by financial factors. But be prepared for that possibility.

“A student must strike the balance between following the heart and being realistic and practical,” says David Geber, cello and chamber-music professor and dean of the faculty for instrumental performance at the Manhattan School of Music.

There are many factors to consider, but in the end, you should decide. This is your life, and it should be lived as you want to live it. Be realistic and practical: examine objectively the research and prep work you’ve done, and seek out the most beneficial learning scenario for you without compromising your goals and dreams.

Good luck!

This is the third and final installment in a series about selecting a music school. To read the other stories in the series, visit Strings’ online archives at AllThingsStrings.com. Cellist Gabriel Cabezas will be attending the Curtis Institute of Music to study with Artist Faculty Carter Brey of the New York Philharmonic.