{"id":1190,"date":"2021-02-03T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-03T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/?p=1190"},"modified":"2021-02-19T20:38:04","modified_gmt":"2021-02-20T02:38:04","slug":"advanced-students-audition-preparation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/es\/2021\/02\/03\/advanced-students-audition-preparation\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing Advanced Students for Auditions, with Violinist Valerie Sullivan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"235\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Valsolo-300x235.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2077\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Valsolo-300x235.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Valsolo-768x602.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Valsolo-24x19.jpg 24w, https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Valsolo-36x28.jpg 36w, https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Valsolo-48x38.jpg 48w, https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Valsolo.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>A few months ago, I had the privilege of interviewing my own high school violin teacher, my aunt Valerie Sullivan, on this topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the course of her career, Valerie has served as a violin professor, strings sectionals coach for the youth symphony, orchestral musician, soloist, chamber musician, and private violin teacher. She has helped dozens of students prepare for chair auditions, college auditions, juries, and concerto competitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Advanced Violin \ud83c\udfbbStudio Teaching Interview \ud83c\udf99\ufe0f - Valerie Sullivan\" width=\"525\" height=\"295\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Y3LZDmd5L-g?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Interview:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Valerie, how did you start the violin?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>It\u2019s interesting because I\u2019m part of a large family, the oldest of ten. I started piano when I was about five. Because we had an old violin from one of my dad\u2019s relatives, a country violinist, my parents wanted me to learn. I was pretty cooperative, so I agreed<\/em>. <em>Afterwards, I taught several of my siblings to play, including your mother. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"420\" height=\"201\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/oldviolin-e1611980139541.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2082\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/oldviolin-e1611980139541.jpg 420w, https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/oldviolin-e1611980139541-300x144.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/oldviolin-e1611980139541-24x11.jpg 24w, https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/oldviolin-e1611980139541-36x17.jpg 36w, https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/oldviolin-e1611980139541-48x23.jpg 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" \/><figcaption>My ancestor&#8217;s violin, which still hangs here in my Grandma&#8217;s house<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Can you tell us about your involvement as a coach for the Youth Symphony?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>It\u2019s a wonderful program that has evolved over time. I\u2019ve been the first violin section coach for over forty years. Growing up, I participated in the Youth Symphony program, as well as my husband, who played French horn. At that time, we didn\u2019t have coaches. I was on the ground floor when they began the coaching program, which has been a wonderful addition. Now we have a first violin coach, second violin coach, viola coach, cello coach, winds coach, brass coach, etc. We coaches help with the details of the instrument because we play it ourselves.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>We reserve one hour out of the three-hour rehearsal for coaching. I give them fingerings, bowings, discuss style, and work on the really hard passages many of them can\u2019t figure out on their own. I also think it\u2019s important that our private students have group playing experience. They learn things like tremolo that they don\u2019t need for most solo literature.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/quartet-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2083\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/quartet-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/quartet-18x24.jpg 18w, https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/quartet-27x36.jpg 27w, https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/quartet-36x48.jpg 36w, https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/quartet.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption>Valerie (right) with 3 of her sisters, including my mother (front)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>What was it like to teach a collegiate studio in addition to your private studio?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>It was a tricky balance. I felt a tremendous responsibility to both my private students and the collegiate students. The latter theoretically would be at a more advanced level. I needed to make them ready to face the music world. I was also able to recruit several of my private students to the college if they were a good fit.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>In my studio, I want everyone to do their very best and reach the highest level possible, taking into consideration every student\u2019s different circumstances. With my advanced students, I offer a lot of additional lessons and extra time, for those who are interested. Frequently there isn\u2019t enough time in a one-hour lesson to do everything we want to accomplish. We often need two lessons a week in order to work on technique, like \u00e9tudes and scales, as well as Bach. Then in the next lesson we tackle more technique and focus on another piece, like a concerto or sonata. This system works really well. By breaking the lessons into two sessions, the students learn much more quickly.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You specialize in working with advanced students. How do you prepare them for college auditions and concerto competitions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Again, it takes a lot more time to make sure these students are fully prepared. Some auditions are more strenuous than others. I\u2019ll often play their part on the piano to reinforce ear training and good pitch. Next, I record students in order for them to hear how they sound. They say things like, \u201cI didn\u2019t know I was doing that,\u201d \u201cI didn\u2019t know I was rushing\u201d or \u201cI was out of tune.\u201d&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The next step in the process involves mock auditions and practice recitals, especially for concerto competitions. Most of my students perform 6-8 times with their piano accompanist in different venues to prepare for the final audition. This helps them to see their strengths and weaknesses so that they can work on these areas in advance. As a result, the competition itself is not so nerve-racking because they\u2019ve been performing the piece for so long. You have to practice nerves in addition to notes.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"675\" height=\"627\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Valcy-e1611953567424.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2079\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Valcy-e1611953567424.jpg 675w, https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Valcy-e1611953567424-300x279.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Valcy-e1611953567424-24x22.jpg 24w, https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Valcy-e1611953567424-36x33.jpg 36w, https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Valcy-e1611953567424-48x45.jpg 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 675px) 100vw, 675px\" \/><figcaption>Valerie Sullivan with my four sister&#8217;s and me at my sister&#8217;s senior concerto performance. Valerie taught all of us the concertos that we performed as soloists with the Youth Symphony.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>How do you prepare yourself for auditions, solos with the orchestra, and recitals?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Similar to my students, I work a lot on the piece to make sure it\u2019s in tune. I also delve into phrasing so I don\u2019t sound mechanical. It\u2019s important that I practice with my accompanist as much as possible, because I don\u2019t do well if we just practice once or twice. Even when I\u2019m playing with an orchestra, I still practice with my pianist and play for nursing homes and other venues before the performance with the orchestra so that I\u2019m really comfortable with the work. This way, even if it\u2019s not my best performance, it\u2019s still a <\/em>good<em> performance. It takes a lot of work, but it\u2019s worth it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you have any final words of advice for violin teachers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Being a teacher is a very noble profession. Regarding students\u2019 playing, they definitely need to work on technique. You have to listen to it in the lesson, or else they won\u2019t practice. Scales and arpeggios build the foundation of our playing. Once you have built the foundation, you can do anything.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I believe it is important to have recitals and goals. Without goals, none of us work as hard. It\u2019s more work but it\u2019s worth it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>My students are like a family. We critique each other for our mock auditions, but they are supposed to be kind, too. They learn a lot from collaborating and talking with each other. They\u2019ll say funny things like, \u201cI know I don\u2019t do this very well either,\u201d but they notice when it happens.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Lastly, love your students. Remember that each one is different. We have to be stricter with some to get them to practice, whereas others start crying if you don\u2019t use a more gentle approach. You want to build a rapport where they believe in you, care about you in return, and want to work hard. We influence students in so many ways besides just music. Sometimes they won\u2019t listen to their parents, but they might listen to us. As a result, it\u2019s important we build our relationship with them. I care about my students dearly, like my own children.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As vaccine distribution becomes more widespread, hopefully musicians will soon delve back into some of their regular routines, and for many, these includes auditions! <\/p>\n<p>A few months ago, I had the privilege of interviewing my own high school violin teacher, my aunt Valerie Sullivan, on this topic. <\/p>\n<p>Check out her tips of the trade!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2077,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[81,6,98,90],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artist-interviews","category-music-education","category-music-genes","category-violin-studio-101"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"es","enabled_languages":["en","es","fr","de","it","br"],"languages":{"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":true},"es":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"fr":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"de":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"it":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"br":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false}}},"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1190"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1190\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2346,"href":"https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1190\/revisions\/2346"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2077"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rescotcreative.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}