Thoughts on Auditions

[Billyears IV]

Had 7 auditions/trials over the last 2-3 years. Mix of originals and cover bands. Only 1 of those chose another player over me, I said no thanks to 1 of them, & the rest fizzled out due to the band’s vagueness/bullsh*t/lack of direction.

Each one has involved working on a chunk of material. The originals could be creative, the covers sometimes a pain to study note by note. So I’m putting in a fair amount of time to prepare for audition & follow ups.

I’ve had 2 sessions with the latest project. The first was OK, friendly chat afterwards, they seem pleased enough. The current bass player is doing a handover and was sat watching me – no pressure!

But the 2nd time was quite different. The band leader was kind of officious & standoffish and the rest didn’t say much to me. I felt like the stranger in the room – it was a freezing cold hall, & I couldn’t relax into it. Made a few slips but they also made their own mistakes (and they’ve been gigging the songs for ages). They are now ‘going to let me know’….

I’d got myself quite nervous about it all and came away pretty drained.

I just question why am I putting myself through this again & again?



Bottom line is I set my goal 3 yrs ago, to getting into a decent semi pro band, away from the amateur chaos. But then the amateur days were the most fun! We were naïve and had great laughs. But I then fell into role of 'band organiser' because no one else could be arsed. Sorting everything out, rather than concentrated on my playing, didnt get enough support.


I just feel a bit disillusioned with the ‘trying to join pro bands scenario’….I'm 62 now (although fit and young for my age), so feel if it doesn't click soon, it will be too late.

Auditions are just weird. You’re trying to focus on the music, atmosphere is somewhat ‘strained’. Then you’re also having to assess the others while they are assessing you – a lot of headspace?!! So many questions going on:

Can you be yourself easily in such situations?

Are you trying to (over) please?

Do you click after such a short time?

Do want to spend time with them?

Is the band solid? Will they last?



Anyone else relate? Feel free to share your experiences.

 

[Minimalist]

Auditions can be tough. I did several over the last 2 years or so and my approach is pretty simple. If I can't be myself, this band/project is not for me. I don't expect to find friends for life but somewhat of a connection. If the band is solid and will it last is harder to gauge for me.

I have enough stress in my day job and don't need that in my spare time. Even before the audition, I lay out that I will not put up with certain things/behavior and that I am looking for a relaxing and fun atmosphere. It helps to be specific and communicate what that means for me. My fun may not be your fun.

 

[Bringindafunk]

I went through a few auditions a couple of years ago when I decided to join a cover band (I've only ever played in original projects previously). Most of the covers were easy so while I only promised to learn 5 of them, I ended up learning 10 for each audition so we could really put each other through our paces. One band spent a lot of time arguing between the drummer and guitarist about one of the song arrangements and the guitarist was also a bit of a long talker so they were out. lol. Not going to deal with that when they should have known the song better than me.

The band I eventually joined had pretty good (not great) musicianship, a great singer and a really good vibe. While I'd like to play with the best musicians possible, I also don't want to deal with PITAs so I will usually choose vibes over musicianship if given the choice.

In the end it's worked out as even though the personnel has changed over the years, the vibes have been great. We play as much as I want and the musicianship has steadily climbed as we've changed out folks. Overall a great experience that I probably wouldn't have gotten if I hadn't been willing to take a bit of a leap of faith.

 

[Micha84]

Bottom line is I set my goal 3 yrs ago, to getting into a decent semi pro band

That might be your mistake right there. In my experience "semi pro" means "amateurs who decided to call themselves pro to feel good about themselves". I'd much rather play with hobbyists, have fun and be cool with the occasional hickups (not that I wouldn't be the cause of the eventual hickup myself once in a while) than play with self proclaimed wannabe pros that make the same mistakes as the amateurs while being incredibly self important and arrogant about it.

I'd say: relax. If you don't depend on the money a band would make you, don't forget the hang part of the gig triangle. If you don't feel comfortable at an audition (or with auditions being held at all), listen to your gut, wish them the best of luck and be on your way.

 

[waveman]

Bands can be funny. Maybe they have another bass player they found and prefer that person for whatever reason. I have stories, but not going to get too much into it, but I have been through the ringer with projects that could never find their way out of the nest and a failure in attempt to re-join a band I was in for almost a decade.

It can be mentally and emotionally taxing, but at the end of the day keeping positive attitude and keep trying is what works. Sometimes we try too hard, sometimes not enough. I got so fed up with it all at one point and didn't touch an instrument or even go in my music room for months. I basically decided to take a year off music completely unless some out of the blue opportunity presented itself. Well, I didn't last a year...it was about 5 months. So I started diddling on bass and guitar again, and randomly checked craigslist one day and saw this ad for bass player. Promised gigs etc... seen that whole story before and really was just looking for an opportunity to play with other humans again regardless if I got the gig. So I go and audition, and I have been in this band for a little over a couple of years. The right opportunity came out of thin air. And that;s how it happens sometimes.

Also, you never know when something will hit you from left field and possibly derail a good established band. But that also presents opportunities, but you have to be known to fill spots like that sometimes. So getting to know some of the folks that are in bands like you want to be in is a good start. All I know is you just have to keep trying until it happens, and also be in acceptance that you may never fully realize you goal even if you are that good yourself for whatever reason.

 

[friskinator]

At this stage in my life, I will not deal with “amateur chaos.” I’d rather not play at all than deal with that. Unless it’s a situation where someone referred me, I’m done looking for gigs where the band members are internet strangers.

 

[JRA]

Can you be yourself easily in such situations?

sure, of course....what's the alternative?

Are you trying to (over) please?

no. 'getting along' is different than "trying to please."

Do you click after such a short time?

every situation is different, but if everyone is a real musician, with a real musician's agenda = it's easy to "click."

Do want to spend time with them?

depends, but if everyone is exercising that "musician's agenda" thing = the time spent is always easier. making friends from the experiences is a bonus when it happens.

Is the band solid? Will they last?

i've almost always been in "solid" bands, with solid musicians/personnel. but i'm afraid nothing lasts forever --- and moving on is just an opportunity to renew and refresh.

I'm 62 now (although fit and young for my age), so feel if it doesn't click soon, it will be too late.

too late for what? i'm having a difficult time trying to figure out your POV/angst.

 

[bassicmike]

Bands can be funny. Maybe they have another bass player they found and prefer that person for whatever reason. I have stories, but not going to get too much into it, but I have been through the ringer with projects that could never find their way out of the nest and a failure in attempt to re-join a band I was in for almost a decade.

It can be mentally and emotionally taxing, but at the end of the day keeping positive attitude and keep trying is what works. Sometimes we try too hard, sometimes not enough. I got so fed up with it all at one point and didn't touch an instrument or even go in my music room for months. I basically decided to take a year off music completely unless some out of the blue opportunity presented itself. Well, I didn't last a year...it was about 5 months. So I started diddling on bass and guitar again, and randomly checked craigslist one day and saw this ad for bass player. Promised gigs etc... seen that whole story before and really was just looking for an opportunity to play with other humans again regardless if I got the gig. So I go and audition, and I have been in this band for a little over a couple of years. The right opportunity came out of thin air. And that;s how it happens sometimes.

Also, you never know when something will hit you from left field and possibly derail a good established band. But that also presents opportunities, but you have to be known to fill spots like that sometimes. So getting to know some of the folks that are in bands like you want to be in is a good start. All I know is you just have to keep trying until it happens, and also be in acceptance that you may never fully realize you goal even if you are that good yourself for whatever reason.

My story is similar.

Pretty good blues band imploded, so I just took a break for a while. Turned into about a year.
Checking Craigslist one day I see an ad from a band looking for a bassist. A band playing Bollywood music. Way outta left field. But I had done a one-off project band of this music a few years before, so I thought to myself 'could be fun, let's check it out'.
NINE years later, we're still at it. The music is fun, the people are great, and we've made some money.
Maybe being open to something different is the way to go. You never know.

 

[pcake]

we've had at least a few people on TB who joined a pro band - weddings, events, etc, and were able to to work their full-time job, too.

i'm not entirely sure what "semi-pro" means. i've been in bands that paid, a couple that paid pretty well, but none were my full-time job. still, getting paid to play by people who expect at least a band that delivers good entertainment and consistent quality - wouldn't that be a professional band even if not full-time?

i've also been in several amateur bands where everyone showed up on time, fully practiced with fully working gear, there was little drama, no weird personality quirks, but we didn't tend to get paid much for shows, which tended to be in bars or clubs.

when all else fails, you could form your own band full of people with the same goals as you have. just define those goals clearly to yourself and your potential bandmates, then stick with them.

 

[DaveParker39]

Yeah, auditions are weird. It does take time to gel.

I have the things I look out for. Efficiency of practice/sessions. Feedback that isn't taken personally. Intelligence when it comes to booking. Drummer (seriously, drummer is a big deal for me, I'm working with him more than anyone else)

If the goals aren't aligned, specifically as it relates to practice commitment and pay, it's not a great fit.

If someone wants you to be a "fully pro" bassist in their band, they can show you a contract.

 

[DaveParker39]

we've had at least a few people on TB who joined a pro band - weddings, events, etc, and were able to to work their full-time job, too.

i'm not entirely sure what "semi-pro" means. i've been in bands that paid, a couple that paid pretty well, but none were my full-time job. still, getting paid to play by people who expect at least a band that delivers good entertainment and consistent quality - wouldn't that be a professional band even if not full-time?

i've also been in several amateur bands where everyone showed up on time, fully practiced with fully working gear, there was little drama, no weird personality quirks, but we didn't tend to get paid much for shows, which tended to be in bars or clubs.

when all else fails, you could form your own band full of people with the same goals as you have. just define those goals clearly to yourself and your potential bandmates, then stick with them.

Semi-pro means so many things, honestly I Think it ends up being "level of commitment" for some people. For me it means "I make enough to be taxed on making music".

 

[Wasnex]

I have no interest in dealing with the typical BS. I was a military musician for many years. It had it's on type of interpersonal BS, but we were organized and generally performed at a very high-level.

I also played in what I call a corporate band for a few years. My skill set aligned pretty well with this particular band. They had a book and you could either read off the page or play from memory. The band did mostly wedding receptions and corporate get togethers. The gigs were typically in hotel or event center ball rooms, and the flow of our performances was almost identical to what I did in military cover bands.

The only time we rehearsed was if the show involved playing some sort of special arrangement. For example on one gig I was asked to play bowed upright in a small chamber ensemble. I got paid extra and the band leader rented an upright because I did not own one. Rehearsals were paid at 1/2 scale.

This was in the early 2000s. I think I was generally paid $75 for background jazz trio gigs, up to three hours longs. The other type of service we provided followed the jazz trio portion of the evening with dance music. I believe I got about $150 for up to four hours total. If the gig went over four hours, we got another $25 or so.

I was about the C call as my military responsibilities came first. Eventually I fell out of the rotation because I had to turn down too many gigs.

I had blast as military bandsman for about 15 years. But eventually I started to become frustrated. My solution was to cross train into audio. I had a blast for a couple more years before promoting out of performing roles.

I currently play bass for 5-7 hours every week. I probably retain about 70-80% of my skill and proficiency. So I am confident I could still do the job. After cross training to audio around 2008, I did occasional gigs on bass. My observation is it was fun for about 5 minutes and the started to feel more like work. I still have no interest in being a performing musician again, and let's be honest most musicians are lucky to break even. Probably the only type of band I would consider being in would be some sort of big band.

 

[bassicmike]

"Semi-pro" to me means a band that works. A lot. At a minimum, gigs every weekend.

 

[DanAdams]

Only one question: Was it fun?
By your description it all sounds decisively NOT FUN.
If it aint satisfying anything, it aint worth doing, and probably shouldn't even be considered 'music'.

 

[groovepump]

I have no interest in dealing with the typical BS. I was a military musician for many years. It had it's on type of interpersonal BS, but we were organized and generally performed at a very high-level.

I also played in what I call a corporate band for a few years. My skill set aligned pretty well with this particular band. They had a book and you could either read off the page or play from memory. The band did mostly wedding receptions and corporate get togethers. The gigs were typically in hotel or event center ball rooms, and the flow of our performances was almost identical to what I did in military cover bands.

The only time we rehearsed was if the show involved playing some sort of special arrangement. For example on one gig I was asked to play bowed upright in a small chamber ensemble. I got paid extra and the band leader rented an upright because I did not own one. Rehearsals were paid at 1/2 scale.

This was in the early 2000s. I think I was generally paid $75 for background jazz trio gigs, up to three hours longs. The other type of service we provided followed the jazz trio portion of the evening with dance music. I believe I got about $150 for up to four hours total. If the gig went over four hours, we got another $25 or so.

I was about the C call as my military responsibilities came first. Eventually I fell out of the rotation because I had to turn down too many gigs.

I had blast as military bandsman for about 15 years. But eventually I started to become frustrated. My solution was to cross train into audio. I had a blast for a couple more years before promoting out of performing roles.

I currently play bass for 5-7 hours every week. I probably retain about 70-80% of my skill and proficiency. So I am confident I could still do the job. After cross training to audio around 2008, I did occasional gigs on bass. My observation is it was fun for about 5 minutes and the started to feel more like work. I still have no interest in being a performing musician again, and let's be honest most musicians are lucky to break even. Probably the only type of band I would consider being in would be some sort of big band.

Amen to the "big band" !!!

 

[LuckyScott]

I feel that the chemistry of the people in the band is the most important.
After that, band goals. Do they gig and how are they willing to accomplish that goal.
(I’m willing to help, but no longer want to be the only one)
Are they fun , but still serious enough to get stuff done.
I will learn about 8 songs, no more. That’s enough for them to gauge my playing. Usually I know 5 or 6
If it’s not fun it won’t get any better.

 

[pepj]

Playing with units is all about musical chemistry for me. Personalities and fun defintely required too.

Standoffish-ness is not conducive at all.
What would be the attraction of that.
I'd be thinking the band had more problems than a new bass player...unless you were totally not what they want as soon as you walked in. Thats on them for lack of pre audition process.

Before I meet up, I have a pretty good idea of what I'm walking into because we talked on the phone etc..and we may have swapped videos or something.
I do some background for sure. As much as possible so as not to be a waste of time.

However...the elephant in the room is age compatibility..

 

[Five or Six]

As a BL, no audition goes on without apprehension for both sides. The goal for the band hosting the audition is yes, a replacement for whatever reason. Plus, the replacement being better than what is being replaced. That puts pressure on the band that auditioners never feel. So, there is a stress level on both sides.

When a band is booked, this alone creates a whole different ball game. Bands tend to just grab whatever comes along fairly quick in that situation. That is usually a mistake. Eventually their process will start again in short order. Someone with no stage experience is a gamble for a gigging band!

The band had better have it's together to even host auditions. They are being (or should be) scrutinized by the auditioner and vise versa. It's expected that the auditioner will be prepared and the band better be to! To screw up songs and argue will be a no go for any good musician. Auditioners should be made to feel welcome and with a clean atmosphere. A conversation before a note is played is important. Find out what goals and expectations are first by both parties. That alone is most important. If the five songs given for an audition aren't complete, the band says no. If the band is a train wreck, the auditioner says no. So, pressure is on both sides of any audition. If you audition just be prepared.

 

[MuseChaser]

I think the last audition I played was back in undergraduate school in the late 70s as a violin major; seating and ensemble auditions, juries and "levels," etc. I guess one could classify some of the pre-recital approval experiences I did for the grad degree in performance a few years later as some kind of audition. Other than that, my entire professional career has been audition-free including the professional orchestral stuff I've done (no major orchestras, like the NY Phil, etc., which would of course require an audition, but still paid, union organizations....Vermont Symphony, Syracuse Symphony, The Orchestra of Northern New York, etc...) "classical" collaborative piano, show work on violin, viola, and keyboard, and jazz piano, bass, and trumpet has all been word of mouth. Build a reputation as an accomplished versatile player and strong reader, play a lot of freelance gigs, do a good job, and be nice and grateful to everyone. The phone will continue to ring, and eventually you can get to the point where you only need to take the gigs you want to take.
I'd never audition for a band. If a band is interested in me and is unfamiliar with my playing, they can come to one of my gigs and listen. I have attended the odd rehearsal over the years to see if a given band or project was something I was interested in...sort of me auditioning the band, rather than the other way around. The Latin quartet I play in currency grew out of that type of trial... we're all good friends and accomplished players, but from very different backgrounds and thought it'd be fun to see if we could create something out of a hardcore jazz player (me), an experienced and enthusiastic afro-cuban percussionist, and a great funk/R&B bassist with incredible chops and ears. We added another bophead (sax/flute) about a year after the original trio formed to end up with the current quartet. It's a great group, we have a lot of fun, and have developed a nice following.
There's a couple other similar stories that ended up with some wonderful long running groups and projects. The idea of answering an ad for a musician and auditioning for strangers is foreign to me, other than seeking a position in an top tier orchestra.

 

[Tom Winter]

I think moving from "basement/garage" to getting 4 hours worth of covers, Gigging, is the hardest thing for cover bands. It took me a very long time to find a group of people that could. So I never took it for granted, even when the venue or anything else sucked. If you can even get to that stage, paying gigs, wherever, congratulations, your a pro. You earned that!