There are a number of reasons to conduct auditions. Some of these include screening potential members for an ensemble, awarding scholarships, picking who plays a solo or even placing students in classes and private instructors.
Since there are hundreds of people who will have to be judged at these auditions, it can get a bit tiring and sometimes, overwhelming for the judges involved.
Still it is vital that you make an excellent choice as this can have repercussions later on that might be difficult to deal with.
So, here are 3 tips to consider when hosting an audition:
1: The Ideal Candidate
Before the auditions begin, ensure that you know what you are looking for in an ideal candidate. Simply put, what should the person be able to do. You will have to test the individual for a number of aspects including sight reading, ear training, improvisation and their knowledge of scales and so on and so forth.
2: Use a Scoring System
First, you determine what criteria you consider important to select a person among those who are auditioning. Then score them according to their importance so as to add up to a total for each participant. In some cases, you might have a few people with the same score. Have a column for ‘Stars’ which is an indicator of special talent. A comments section should also be useful.
3: More Than One Judge
The ideal number is three judges instead of having just one person who does the auditioning. After each audition, you can review notes and scores so as to agree on an overall score. Another advantage with a few more judges is that they can pick up on mistakes that you might not be able to.