College Auditions

by Kelsey
(MD, USA)

Hi There! I have college auditions coming up soon and I don't even know where to begin! I have yet to purchase any music. Can you recommend anything for me? I don't want to be that typical clarinetist that plays Mozart's Clarinet Concerto (no offense to Mozart :P). I have to prepare lyric and technical etudes and solo pieces with or without accompaniment. I also have to prepare scales and other technical things but I think I can handle that. I just do not know where to begin for audition pieces. Any recommendations? Also, any tips on improving sight readings skills?

FROM CLARINET-NOW.COM

Dear Kelsey,

Good luck with your auditions. This is a very exciting time for you. I do have some suggestions for you.

1. About scales, make sure you practice them daily and include arpeggios and thirds if you have a chance. A good book to have is the Albert Clarinet Scales.

2. An etude book you should have ready to go for auditions is the Rose 32 Etudes for Clarinet. It starts with a lyrical etude then a technical etude and trades off throughout the book. The lyrical etudes can really show off your musicianship.

3. A couple of solos that have both lyrical and technical sections are the Carl Maria von Weber Concertino and the Andre Messager Solo de Concours. Sorry to say this, but each of these pieces are just as popular for clarinetists to play for auditions as the Mozart Clarinet Concerto. However, now you have a few more choices than the Mozart. If you want more choices, it is well worth your money to buy both of these collections and clarinet solo music: The

16 (Sixteen) Grand Solos De Concert (Woodwind Solos & Ensemble/B-flat Clarinet Collection). Edited by Daniel Bonade. For clarinet and piano. Woodwind Solos & Ensembles - B-Flat Clarinet Collection. Southern Music. Classical. Grade 5. Set of performance parts. 109 pages. Southern Music Company #B109. Published by Southern Music Company (HL.3770185) (1) ...more info

(which has both the Weber Concertino and the Messager solo in it and the Masterworks for Clarinet and Piano
(with more Weber and the Brahms sonatas). If you do choose to continue with music, you will use all of this music to perform and teach your students.

4. Tips on improving sight-reading, just follow these links: Sight Reading.

5. Last major suggestion to you. Find a clarinet teacher and ask the same advice and have them listen to you audition before you audition live for a college clarinet professor. Here is some suggestions on finding a Private Clarinet Teacher.

Hope this helps. Let me know how the teacher search, college search, and auditions go. Thanks for writing Clarinet-Now.com.

Sincerely,
Chris