Audition Pieces - MusicianWages.com

This topic has 3 voices, contains 5 replies, and was last updated by David J. Hahn 202 days ago.

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October 23, 2011 at 5:03 pm #6872
RobertJ	<p>I have an audition coming up at Florida’s Busch Gardens as a pianist. They want a few prepared, short (~1 minute) songs. What would you all suggest? Do most of you have "go-to" short pieces for situations like this? I was thinking maybe a Gershwin prelude? Fast and flashy, right? I guess they just want to see some technical abilities that the musicians have. Maybe one of those preludes (no. 2 or no. 3) and then maybe a jazz standard with a little improv? Does that sound like something one of you would like to hear if you were auditioning a keyboardist for a show? As always, I’m really thankful for the community’s help and input! </p>
October 26, 2011 at 4:29 am #7915
David J. Hahn	Maybe not Prelude #2 (that’s the slow one, right?). Flashy is probably best. It’s hard to tell with these gigs, though – do you know what the position is that you’re auditioning for? What kind of music will you be playing?
October 26, 2011 at 5:05 am #7916
Brent Frederick	I used to hire musicians for a sister park in the BG family… and the best advice I can give you is to play something technical, but also show that you understand contemporary music. I can’t say there’s any market for classical music there. Reading chords is usually a necessity as is improvisation – so I’d definitely have a standard ready to go – an uptempo. A lot of their shows are clicked now, so show solid rhythmic prowess. The other important thing for a gig like this is personality – musical and otherwise. Even if you’re sitting behind the keys, you’ve gotta be a pleasant person with a good demeanor who can also interact with guests. Not saying you need to stress about looking like a model, but definitely think about how you present yourself. It didn’t matter how well somebody played – if they were boring to watch or a drag of a person, I wouldn’t bring them back. Also curious what the gig is – the musical opportunities have shifted quite a bit since I was there (read: dwindled and have been dumbed down). Good luck.
October 26, 2011 at 5:12 am #7917
RobertJ	Oh yea I meant Prelude no. 1 or 3. No. 2 is the slow one. Really pretty, but not something I’d play for an audition. One of the shows is a 50s and 60s doo-wop type of rock style. They do seasons shows as well, like a gospel-y Christmas show. It would be more for a keys position rather than music director, but maybe I’m wrong. For the doo-wop show in particular, the musicians play along to some kind of track. It’s piano, guitar, bass, and drums. Then they have some kind of tracks with strings, horns, and the works. I guess it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than hiring a horn section :/
October 26, 2011 at 5:34 am #7918
Brent Frederick	Sounds about right. We didn’t have music directors in the traditional sense when I was there – there was a “band captain” who would do daily notes/maintenance, but that’s about it. There were two of us who were music directors for the whole place.
October 28, 2011 at 3:59 am #7923
David J. Hahn	Nice – my man BF to the rescue. How do you like that – a former Busch Gardens MD to answer the question! I love the internet. Thanks Brent!