student perspective


The Third Time’s the Charm Anne Proescholdt, WCME Arts Management & Media Relations Intern


As soon as I ap- proached the stage, I stepped out of my shoes. Heels, combined wi th nerves and a five- foot-eleven stature, seemed perilous. I took as much time as I wanted to alternate


between cleansing breaths and long tones. It was pure luck, but somehow it seemed fitting that my third and final WSMA High School State Honors Band audition in February 2007 should take place on an auditorium stage. At any other audi- tion, it would have intimidated me. But I was relieved to forgo the usual cramped classroom in favor of the acoustics my trombone craved.


As a musician who struggles with mental interference, it was the closest I had ever been to being “in the zone.” I was nervous as usual, yes, but surprisingly calm – I could have been in my living room with only my severely agitated cats for an audi- ence. Maybe it was because I had nothing left to lose. Little did I know at the time, I had everything to gain – not only because that particular audition finally got me into Honors – but also because I had enough nerve to face the challenge yet again.


Looking back on my struggle to make it into Honors, I realize that I would not have appreciated the experience as fully without hiccups along the way. In my teen- age mind, I had already earned a spot in Honors simply because of the hardwork- ing musician I was. But I was completely missing the point of the program: it is an honor to audition – the journey is the destination.


Developing Skills


By viewing the Honors audition experi- ence simply as a nerve-wrackingly rigor- ous means to an end, I was blind to the invaluable benefits of auditioning. Not


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only was the undertaking a healthy op- portunity to practice performing, it was a challenging mind exercise. (Although I am now a college senior and have had many auditions since high school, I have yet to come across one as demanding as those for Honors.) As a student who hungered for more, my high school band director supplemented my music education by en- couraging me to audition. In doing so, he exposed me to nuances of trombone solo playing that I never would have gotten otherwise within the marching, concert, or jazz band settings.


Honors auditions are different from typi- cal Solo & Ensemble events in that they push students further by emphasizing the importance of strong fundamentals. Before Honors, I had never purpose- fully and religiously practiced double


and triple tonguing, two-octave scales, or sight-reading, because I did not see how I could directly benefit from adding these elements to my practice routine. After my first Honors audition, I formed the habit of warming up with these exercises in daily practice sessions. I know that I would not have made as much progress in my collegiate music studies without this habit in place.


Strengthening Confidence of Fond du Lac


Music Department offering the following degrees: BA --Music


with emphasis in Performance Jazz Studies


Liturgical Music BS -- Music Administration


Contact Dr. David Thompson (920) 923-8108


david.thompson@marianuniversity.edu 45 S. National Ave., Fond du Lac, WI 54935


There is something to be said for the test- ing of one’s confidence within an environ- ment of support. That second part is key. My parents and teachers believed in me even when I did not. It was how I knew that I had the potential to succeed, but even more importantly, it was how I knew that I had the strength to flounder and overcome. Even though I refused to believe that they had a valid point at the time, these special adults in my life implored me to see value in giving something my all regardless of the outcome. Because ups and downs are a natural part of life, thank goodness that they did – even if I am just now realizing that they are on to something.


This belief in myself within the context of disappointment was an important com- ponent to my persistence. I doubt that I would have kept working to improve as a musician with the same intensity if I had been accepted into Honors after either of my first two auditions. I probably would have worked hard, but only in a more comfortable and less rewarding sense.


I realize that it may seem easy for me to deliver this feel-good “wisdom” having participated in Honors versus not at all. Not every student who auditions three times will have the opportunity to do so. I do not pretend to hypothesize that I would have the same impressions if I had not participated. But I know that I never would have regretted auditioning, because it gave me something tangible to remind me that I was brave for making myself vulnerable


April 2012


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