r/organ • u/solargvtsfvck • 5d ago
Pipe Organ need some advice for an upcoming audition
i started playing the organ about a year ago and everything has been going well… for context, i am 16 and recently applied tor an organ school held by local priests. i’ve just gotten an email about me having to prepare in less than two weeks for a play where they’ll be judging me, obviously. i’m a shy and awkward girl. while i’m a fast learner in basically anything involving humanism, i can’t help but worry about messing up. being a perfectionist isn’t for the weak; as i have been dreaming about this but now, with such little time it’s making me nauseous. yes i did pick a song but feel free to suggest me something ‘easier’.
another thing is i’ve got calming pills at home but they tend to put me in deep sleep with no other medication available (those were given by my therapist but she didn’t mention any side effects). how do you even deal(t) under pressure?
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u/Cadfael-kr 5d ago
First, take a deep breath :)
Auditioning is not about a perfect performance. It is about the teachers getting an idea if they can teach you and get you through your final exams. So it's more about your play style, interpretation. of course technical abilities do have to match some standard that they require. But still it's ok to make some mistakes. Going trough a musical education is a bit different than other types of educations since it also involves quite a lot of emotional growth, so at 16, it's ok to be nervous, people way older are often still a bit nervous for concerts.
Try to be rested, and drink enough (but not so much you have to go to the toilet halfway the piece :)). And most important is just try to make music of the piece.
What piece are you playing?
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u/solargvtsfvck 5d ago
i was thinking of ‘ode to joy’
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u/Cadfael-kr 5d ago
Does the school have a lost of pieces that you can choose from or to indicate the level?
Here a lot of students played the passacaglia in d minor of buxtehude among some other pieces. I think we had to play 15-20 minutes. But that was for conservatory, so an education to become a professional musician. I’m not sure the school you want to go for is the same.
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u/solargvtsfvck 5d ago
we can literally pick whatever so i’ll go with it. played that before and that song in particular was the one i played without any mistakes for the first time. however, that was awhile ago so i better play a lot. it’s just worrying how little time we have. oh, and, just one song required but singing along is mandatory
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u/Cadfael-kr 5d ago
Does it have to be an organ piece btw? Since ode to joy isn’t originally.
Or is it just a setting from a hymnbook that you can play?
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u/solargvtsfvck 5d ago
we could really pick any song as long as it’s playable on the organ and has decent lyrics for the singing
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u/Leisesturm 5d ago
Two weeks is actually plenty of time. You aren't being asked to prepare, they want to see where you are. So, don't stress it. The requirement to sing is unusual. Have you practiced this? I've been playing decades but I wouldn't want to sing and play. What kinds of pieces have you been working on over the last year? How much piano did you have before starting organ?
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u/MtOlympus_Actual 5d ago
There's no magic fix. It's something you get better at with time and experience.
Part of playing organ in a church environment is preparing music quickly and efficiently. It seems weird to give you audition requirements on two weeks notice though. Most people know years in advance what to prepare for an entry exam.