Recital Reflections

It's been nearly a week since my recital, and I've been waiting for some down time to write this post. Be prepared for photos and videos!

(my mom, Kathy Kaiser, took the photo and I made the poster)

We'll start the weekend with my dress rehearsal. Because of scheduling difficulties, we had to hold our dress rehearsal the Thursday before the concert--October 20th. We rehearsed for over two hours. It was a good, slightly frustrating rehearsal. It gave Liz and I the chance to run all of our pieces in the recital hall while receiving coaching from Alison. It also gave us two hours to hang out and chat. It was fun!

Friday flew by. I practiced quite a bit, since I don't practice the day before or of the recital. I play my Telemann Fantasia in excerpts class, and it could have gone a lot better. It just didn't flow. After that class I was nervous about the Telemann, and spent another hour (at least) practicing it Friday evening. It made me feel better but I knew that would be my toughest piece on the recital. I ran all of my recital pieces that night and left the school of music. That night I went out with my friends and had a good time.

The next day, I woke up around 11am (I got at least 9 hours of sleep!) and got ready to go meet my parents and grandparents. They had driven in from Toledo that morning. They got there around 1:30, and we wandered around Athens for a while. We got dinner at Kiser's (the BEST BBQ in Athens!) and then drove around the city a little and got ice cream at Ashby's. After our ice cream we took my dad and grandparents back to the hotel. Then I took my mom through the back roads of Athens (hills in the dark are always interesting!) She took me back to my dorm and I went to bed.

The next morning I woke up at 9:30 and took a shower. I met my family (plus my cousins Sharon and George, who drove in that morning from Pittsburgh) at Bob Evans. I ate a HUGE breakfast. Normally I don't eat much (if anything) before a performance, but I just couldn't help myself. I was SOOO hungry. It turned out to be a good decision! I left at noon to get ready, and met my family at the School of Music at 1pm. I got warmed up, set the stage, made sure the video cameras worked (yes, we had two just in case!), and made sure Liz's and my parents were alright setting up the reception room (they were, I didn't do anything to help). Before I knew it it was 2 and time to start the recital!

Liz played first. She played the Reinecke Sonata, and it was great! The piece is quite long (about 20 minutes) so I had time to relax and get my head in the game. I listened to my piece on my iPod, took some deep breaths, and relaxed. It was a very calm 20 minutes.

My first piece on the recital was Rhonda Larson's The Boatman. 10 days before my recital (at my hearing) I decided to play this piece on the baroque flute instead on the crystal flute. The crystal flute is very hard to play, and just not predictable. Some days it sounded great--and sometimes it sounded like I had never played it before. The decision to play the piece on the baroque flute turned out to be a good one. I really love the sound it gave me, and was glad that the performance went so well. I really have no regrets on this one. After it finished I was elated. The recital was underway.

Next Liz played her Telemann Fantasia in G Minor, and I played my Telemann Fantasia in G Major. We played them back to back, with Liz going first. For me, this was my most nervewracking piece. I was so nervous that it was going to crash and burn. It didn't. It actually sounded great, definitely the best I've played it. Once that was over I was RELIEVED. Following the Telemann we had a short intermission.

Following the intermission, Liz played a movement from Mike Mower's Opus di Jazz. It sounded great! 

I finished off our solo section of the recital with Mucynski's Sonata for Flute and Piano. Walking on stage I felt great. I knew that this piece was well prepared and felt confidant. I just let myself have fun! 

(There is an audio/video sync error caused by a YouTube uploading error...)

We finished off the piece with Maya by Ian Clarke. What a great ending! It was flexible but felt good. I couldn't believe we were finished already!

After the recital we made our way down to the reception room and were welcomed by our guests. We ate some delicious cupcakes and cookies and drank apple cider. Here are some of my favorite photos from the reception:

Liz and I!

Liz and one of our accompanists, Yoonsook

Me with my grandparents

My parents and I

Yoonsook and I

Liz, Alison, and I

Alison and I

Liz and Alison

All and all, it was a great time! I seriously had a blast. I'm already thinking about next year for my junior recital. I've got so many ideas and I can't wait to throw them at you! Thanks for reading this REALLY LONG post, and hopefully my posts can become a little more frequent now that I've finished off my recital. Next up: Hallopalooza! 

Less then a week!!!

Hey everyone!

In less then a week (5 days from today) Elizabeth and I will be giving our recital.

On the program (or at least my part of the program) is the Mucyznski Flute Sonata, Telemann's Fantasia in G major, and The Boatman by Rhonda Larson (played on the baroque flute). It's been a crazy quarter of rehearsals, practices, and lessons. I'm so excited for this recital! 

I've recorded a few of my rehearsals, and I'll put this one up now. Any others will go up tomorrow.

enjoy! I'll be putting videos up from the recital next week!!!

It's been 10 days...

Since I wrote a post. I kept thinking I would write one after something else happened...clearly I've been a busy kid these past weeks!

This week I've been SUPER busy! My sorority, Tau Beta Sigma, is canvassing for Passion Works Studio this week. They lost over a million dollars in funding and they are hosting a cake auction and fight as a fundraiser. We've been all of the city of Athens this week, and it's been a lot of fun! (SN: If you are the owner of a business around Athens, OH and would like to donate a cake, please email me! Leave me a comment with your email and I'll send you one!!!) To learn more about Passion Works Studio and their AMAZING program, please visit Passion Work's Website!

I also had a theory midterm this week, my private teacher returned from Argentina, and a sight singing lab. I've been spending way too much time in the library. But it's Friday, and I've made it through the bulk of my week. As long as I can get through the next few hours I'll be okay. Tomorrow my mom is coming to visit and taking photos of my friend Elizabeth Klein and I for our recital posters! I'll put some online when I have them (and if it's alright with Liz).

I've also had some pretty "adult" moments this week. Last week I noticed my power steering fluid was leaking fast, and had to call a mechanic. I took it in on Monday, and was shocked to hear that I needed a whole new steering rack and a pressure hose. Other people with a '99 minivan might not be so shocked, but I had just had the power steering rack replaced. Within the past 6 months. Not a happy camper.

After a little digging around (though my parents did most of the digging around...) we found out that my part was under warranty, and I could get a new one for free. That brought my almost $700 bill down to about $340. Much better.

I think the reason I was so stressed about the cost of the part was that I wasn't going to be able to buy my new headjoint if I had to put $700 into my car. I was planning on ordering it that Monday, but ended up waiting until Tuesday when we found out the part was covered under warranty and my parents offered to pay for the remaining cost. Because of that, my new headjoint came yesterday and I love it! I ended up with a Powell 9k Aurumite venti cut. And it is fantastic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__m4LNPhuts

I also got a chance to rehearse in the Recital Hall yesterday, which was great for trying out the headjoint, as well as checking in on my recital pieces. I was specifically concerned about Rhonda Larson's The Boatman. I'm playing it on a hall crystal flute and I was afraid it wouldn't have the same projection as my regular flute and that I would have problems with it in the hall. I was wrong. It sounded good. I still have some refining to do, but it's sounded good so far.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36m2SfUEQLg

Last night I attended a workshop on the Power Lung, held by Joan Sparks of Flute Pro Shop. It was really interesting. I've grown up with teachers who believed very strongly in the "Finger Breath", a technique used by Keith Underwood. The Power Lung is kind of a more advanced version of the finger breath. I really liked it. It's a machine that you breathe through, but it adds resistance to your inhale and exhale. It's used by athletes, musicians, and even in hospitals as a respiratory therapy tool. It's a really interesting device! Something that will probably be on my Christmas list!

Today is a new day...

Hi everyone!
Today is a new day and it's going surprising well. First, I got 11 hours of sleep last night. I don't normally do this--normally I try to get at least 8. But yesterday i just didn't feel good all day. Trying to practice seemed like a chore and I just couldn't seem to concentrate of anything for an extended period of time. It was raining and gross and I was tired. So, I slept. What a concept.

 In other news, my Miguel Arista head joint (once my prized possession), is officially in Belgium. For those of you who aren't in on this conversation, let me explain. When I was in 10th grade, my flute teacher suggested a new head joint to extend the amount of time I had before having to buy a new flute. He convinced my parents and I, and we purchased a Miguel Arista head joint straight from Miguel, made especially for me. I was ecstatic. I loved that head joint.

Fast forward a few years. Before college audition season, we had finally saved enough money for my Altus flute. I purchased this flute, and continued to use the Miguel Arista headjoint. I used it through my college auditions and into the first few weeks of college. But I wasn't getting the sound I wanted anymore. It started to lack a full upper octave. My embouchure was changing and it was noticeable. Since I still owned the Altus headjoint, I decided to try it out for a week. The change in sound was astounding. The upper register was full, the lower register was big, and everything in between was great. I started to use the Altus headjoint full time.

Fast forward a few months. While I love the sound I'm getting on the Altus headjoint, I know that there are more colors and timbres available to me through another headjoint. I decide I'd like to hear myself on gold. Since I live about an hour away from Flute World I decide to drag my best friend along (another flutist) and head up there to try out some headjoints. The process was surprisingly painless. I gave Karen my flute, told her my price range and that I wanted to hear myself on gold, and she brought in a half-a-dozen headjoints. They were all different makers, different cuts, different materials. I thought "What did I get myself into?" and started trying them out. The first one I tried I hated. Absolutely hated. Maybe this would be easier then I thought.

I tried the rest of them, and instantly fell in love with one. This headjoint, a Powell Aurumite 9K Venti cut, was perfect. It had the fullest low octave I've ever heard, the quickest response I've even felt, and was right in my price range. I decided I had driven an hour up there, and I shouldn't stop yet. I tried another half-a-dozen, and still wasn't wowed by any of them like I had been with the Powell. None came anywhere close.

While waiting for another round of headjoints, Flute World's owner, Shaul Ben-Meir came into my trial room. We chatted for a few minutes, discussing the headjoints I was trying. I told him I had fallen in love with the Powell. He handed me a used Drelinger and asked me to try it. I did, and knew I didn't like it. Then I played the Powell. Shaul agreed that the Powell really stood out from the bunch. My mind was basically set. I would sell my Arista and purchase the Powell.

The lucky thing about Miguel Arista headjoints is that they are hard to find. They are literally made by one man, in his garage/shop, and he only is able to produce a few dozen a year. It took me over a year to get some headjoints in to try. The waiting list in Europe is even longer. When I decided to sell my headjoint, I immediately posted an ad on a group "Flutes for Sale" on FaceBook. Within hours I had a buyer interested. He lived in Belgium, and wanted the headjoint. The fact that a man thousands of miles away was willing to pay hundreds of dollars for a headjoint he had never played really speaks to the reputation of Miguel Arista. After a few days of negotiation (and a few days getting price quotes for shipping) my headjoint was sold. After his money cleared in my bank, I shipped the headjoint out to Belgium.

The ability to ship items amazes me. I dropped my headjoint off around noon last Friday (September 16th). Today, the headjoint is being delivered. I feel so relieved that the headjoint is being delivered today. That means I can stop worrying about it's safety--I was nervous it would get lost! It also means I can start thinking about buying my Powell (which is on reserve for me at Flute World).

That was a longer story then I planned! If you've actually gotten this far, congrats. It was quite a read. And to reward you, here's a list of the trip my headjoint has taken...

Began:

• Athens, Ohio
• Columbus, Ohio
• Memphis, Tennesee
• Paris, France
• Machelen, Belgium
• Wilrijk, Belgium
• and finally, Berchem, Belgium

I tried to give you guys a map, but google maps and mapquest don't cover Belgium :( Sorry guys!!!

Shimmering Silver Audition/Masterclass reflections

Hey guys!
It's been a little while since I've written a post--this week was crazy! I had my first sight singing test of the quarter on Wednesday, and was so relieved that I aced it! I also had a lot of rehearsals, and two auditions for OU's flute quartet, Shimmering Silver,

My first audition was on Wednesday. That was the day I had my sight singing test (at 8am that morning), and also the day of my jazz combo rehearsal (7-9pm). Needless to say, I was kind of tired by the time my audition rolled around (12:30). Also, my best friend in the studio had just gone before me, and I was nervous to see how I would compare. I may have been nervous before we began, but once we started I felt at ease. Playing in chamber groups instantly puts me in my element. I felt calm and excited for the music we were playing (I was sight reading). But it was fun. I walked out of the room feeling alright--I had done my best.

After flute choir, Alison announced the results of the first round of auditions. Liz (my friend) had made it in, and I was one of two girls asked to re-audition for the final spot. I wasn't really planning on doing two auditions, but I was ok with it. I was glad to be asked back. The auditions were on Friday, and 2:30, and would take about 20 minutes.

Going into the audition on Friday, I felt good. The audition went smoothly, as planned, and nothing crazy happened. I felt in my element. I remained calm and was able to play with elegance and poise. The results would be sent via text message before large ensemble rehearsals (3pm). I got the text around 3:05, which announced that I had made it in! I was sooo excited to be performing in a group like Shimmering Silver, and felt like this was my year. Everything is going my way. Hopefully that continues for the rest of the year...

Today we had a masterclass with OU alum Ana Laura Gonzalez. It is always an honor to be asked to play for visiting artists, and I felt prepared. I played movement 4 of the Rouse Flute Concerto (Scherzo). It went alright--technically it could have been a lot better, but everything was ok. One of her first comments to me was that I needed to lighten up, be less serious, have more fun. This is something I've always had a problem with portraying in my playing. I'm known for being a "calm" musician. I don't show a lot of emotion, things are just nice and relaxed. Even outside of my playing, people describe me as "serious", "focused"...rarely does someone say that I'm giggly or light-hearted. With this movement, I can't be relaxed. I need to have FUN, show emotions, SELL IT. She worked on a lot of other things with me, but that was what really stuck. How do I make myself be less serious? That's something I'm going to have to work on this week. Prepare yourselves for a less serious Katelyn when I write my next post.

Large Ensemble Audition Results!!!

Large Ensemble results were posted Friday morning. Here are my standings:

I'm very pleased with my standings! I've been placed in two ensembles, which means I now have rehearsal every day. I can deal with that :) The only expectation I had for myself was to make Wind Symphony, so making Wind Symphony and Orchestra means I surpassed my expectation. That's all I can ask from myself. 

I'm still trying to figure out what happened in my audition. Like I said in "Audition Reflections", I had trouble focusing. I'm finding this problem to happen more regularly in classes and even when I'm talking with friends. A friend of mine suggested meditation each day. I think I'll start trying that out, especially before performances. 

Combo placements will be up this Monday, and I'm auditioning for Shimmering Silver (the flute quartet) on Wednesday. That will be my last audition for the quarter (for school, at least...). 

Heading out to the football game! Expect another post tonight to continue with my "College Search" series.

Gearing up for my recital...

So this quarter I'm sharing a recital with my friend, Elizabeth Klein (a fellow flutist) so this week I've been finalizing repertoire, determining a date, and running through our duet a few times. Here's what I'm playing:

Christopher Rouse, Flute Concerto:

Movement 4: Scherzo and Movement 5: Anhran

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CqvZ3Vs7Qg
(from 16:53 on)

Robert Muczynski, Flute Sonata

Movement 1, Allegro Deciso
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4wUtc45Ya0&feature=related

Movement 2, Scherzo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_IE2WwKiaE&feature=related

Movement 3, Andante
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x7WK1jIrUs&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Movement 4, Allegro Con Moto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ukumnn3hBoA&feature=BFa&list=UL3x7WK1jIrUs&lf=mfu_in_order

And lastly....

Rhonda Larson, The Boatman (on crystal flute)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ybaYNLoTWY

Together, Liz and I are playing Maya by Ian Clarke.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa2MKCA9Kfk


I'm still a little overwhelmed by the amount of work to be done, and the length of time I have to do it. But I'll make it work, like always. I'm super excited to play the recital!!!

Audition Reflections...

So, since the purpose of this blog is to help me reflect and write down my feelings about practice sessions, I decided to do so about my auditions.

Tuesday I auditioned for Large Ensembles here at Ohio University. We had two pieces to play--the first movement of Hindemith's Symphony in Bb (flute 1), and Strauss' Overture to Die Fledermaus (flute 1 and piccolo). At OU, we are expected to learn the entire work, and then excerpts are picked at the audition for us to play. I've been rehearsing the pieces for a few weeks, and had a few run through sessions since I've arrived on campus. While I didn't feel like the pieces were perfect, I did feel at least comfortable with them.

Nerves can really affect your playing. Since coming to college I've been seen as the "relaxed", "laid-back", "easy-going" flutist. I don't get upset on a regular basis, and emotions outside of the music I'm playing rarely creep into my performance. I thought I had conquered any nerve "problems" I had and felt confident that I could walk into my audition with focus and nail it.

But I did something that surprised me when I walked onto stage at my audition. I felt nervous. I couldn't seem to get my mind to calm down and focus on the music in front of me and I didn't like it. I suddenly didn't feel secure, didn't feel confident. My first few excerpts seemed to fly by. I didn't sound like myself. I was stumbling over notes, my technique was uneven and frantic, and I just didn't feel comfortable. For someone who is calm most of the time, this was a new sensation.

After the first few excerpts, I had to mentally talk myself down off the cliff, so to speak. I had to control my nerves. I wasn't going to let it get the better of me. Before I played the next piece (the Hindemith) I took a few deep breaths, and told myself to focus. I almost yelled at myself, standing on a stage behind a screen. "Stop this. Don't ruin it for yourself. You don't have bad auditions. You know this music. Calm down. Focus." After my own personal pep-talk, I dove into the Hindemith. The first excerpt was the hardest, and I knew I wouldn't play it perfectly. But I still managed to get through it and maintain some bit of dignity. I felt myself relax. My sound was becoming normal, my technique was becoming even. I could still pull this around.

I knew that I had not shown the focus and cleanness that I was used to being praised for on the first piece. In order to maintain my respect and not be written off, I needed to keep my nerves in check and finish the Hindemith cleanly, play my piccolo excerpt well, and then really ace the sight reading. I was prepared to do that. The rest of the Hindemith went by quickly, without any huge mistakes. I was able to show some sense of musicality, to enjoy what I was doing. I was back in the game.

Next up was the piccolo excerpt, which went by without a hitch. Now the proud owner of a new Burkhart piccolo, I was able to trust the instrument to give me the sound I wanted. I just had to supply the technique, especially for the fast excerpt that had been selected. I sang it in my head for a moment, collected my thoughts, took a big breath, and went. It sounded how I had planned, how I had heard it on the recordings. I was glad to be done with excerpts.

I only had one more thing to finish before I could walk out of my audition and decompress for the night; Sight Reading. I glanced at it, and was surprised to see that it looked easy. Then I did my normal sight-reading thing--I started to overthink it. Why would they select something that wasn't technically difficult? Simple rhythms, clean melody, slight dynamics, nothing crazy. "Focus, Katelyn." I had to remind myself to pay attention. To stop freaking out. My nerves had already gotten the better of the Strauss, and I had to play the sight reading well. Then I realised--it wasn't some big test, some big trick, it really was just what was written on the page. I had spent my summer practicing the basics just for this moment. And I did. I played the sight reading like my life depended on it. I just had fun. Playing for enjoyment, not to be critiqued. I almost forgot that this was an audition and that I was being judged based on everything I did. It was my first break through during an audition. I've never managed to pull myself together so quickly and focus so intently on one thing in my life.

I walked out of the Recital Hall happy with my performance. While it wasn't my best, and I need to figure out how my nerves got the better of me, I was proud of what I had left out on the stage. It felt good to be done. And I was completely EXHAUSTED. I went back to my room and watched NetFlix, ate popcorn, and did NOTHING productive. And doing nothing never felt quite as relaxing.

College Search, Part 2

Applications


After you've narrowed down your top choices in schools, it's time to submit applications. The application process is one of the hardest parts of the college search. Applications take a lot of time and a lot of thought to do them correctly. My top 5 tips for filling out fantastic applications:

1) Give yourself time to fill them out. Applying at the last minute will only stress you out more.
2) Check application deadlines right away. The worst position you can put yourself into is applying late because you didn't know the deadline!
3) If you're applying online, make sure you don't revert to "chat speak". The admission's officer doesn't want to see short hand or smiley faces.
4) If you have to submit an essay online as part of your application make certain you have the essay proof-read by teachers, friends, and family. Most applications are save-able, so do this to avoid strange little mistakes that can creep into essays.
5) College Apps are very intensive. Give yourself at least an hour to fill them out, if not more. The shortest it ever took me to fill out an app was in the range of 45 minutes.

There are a few things you should know while filling out applications. First off, know that some colleges use what is called the Common App. This is an application that you can fill out and send to several schools, verses filling out many applications. Most schools will have additional questions to fill out, so don't expect to just send off your common app and not have to do anything extra when applying.

Next, you should realise that your application is usually the first time an admissions officer will see you on paper. You must force yourself to be professional. Check your grammar especially. If you don't look like the best candidate on paper, make sure to really watch the level of professionalism.

After submitting your applications, you should receive some type of confirmation number/code/etc.. WRITE THIS DOWN! As well as what time and date the application was submitted. And while you have your calendar out, mark the date 4 weeks after submitting the application. When this date approaches, give the office of admissions a call (if you haven't already gotten an answer). Use this script if you're a nervous phone user:

YOU: Hello, my name is [insert name here] and I'm calling to follow up on my application. I just wanted to make sure you've received it and answer any other questions you might have in regards to it.

They may ask you for the confirmation number, and they will probably transfer you to the right person. You may have to repeat this script a few times. Stay professional and courteous--they haven't heard you say this 5 times. The point isn't to ACTUALLY answer any questions or ACTUALLY get an answer. The point is to put your application on the top of the pile, in front of the people that matter.

Remember to stay patient while applying for schools! AND remember to use your resources when it comes to applications and essays. Your English teachers will be willing to read your applications and essays and help you out.

College Search, Part 1

Hi everyone!
Last week I spent time at my old high school, working as an extra hand for the band director and giving flute lessons and sectionals through out the week. A few teachers asked me to come talk to their senior classes, about the college search, financial aid, and dorm life. After giving those few speeches I realised I'd like to write the information down in this blog, to help students who stumble on the blog as well as parents and teachers.

This will be written in several sections, chronologically. So, with further adieu...

The College Search


The first thing every student should do prior to applying for schools is search for them. Some people already know where they want to go; maybe a parent or friend went to a certain school; other people have no idea. Whatever your situation, you should still spend a good chunk of time checking out colleges. The quickest way to get an idea of where you want to go is to attend a college fair. This is usually held in the fall, and often includes break out sessions where parents and students can speak with admissions officers, financial aid officers, etc., privately. I personally attended two college fairs, one general college fair held at a local college each year, and one music college fair at Oberlin. Both were SUPER useful. The general college fair helped me eliminate some big state schools, and also find out which ones had the programs I was looking for. The music college fair helped me narrow down those schools and get useful program information, such as how many students are admitted into my major, do they have a cut (or retention) program, etc. etc.. College fairs are a great first place to look.

Let's assume you've attended a few college fairs, collected a lot of free stuff, and now have a list of WAY too many schools you might be interested in. What's next? Make a spreadsheet of the schools, listing out important information such as: location, number of students enrolled, tuition costs, room/board costs, if they have your expected major, percentage of students who recieve financial aid, as well as some questions they may be important to you: do they have a large Hispanic population, do they have churches on campus, etc.. Think about what you want in a college, and put those questions and answers down on paper. It's hard to keep track of that much information without some type of organization. I think my spreadsheet at this stage listed almost 30 schools. It's okay to have a large number, since you're going to be narrowing it down from here.

A List of Questions to Ask About Colleges
Here is just a brief list of the questions I asked when at this point in my college search.

1) Name
2) Location (and how many miles away from home)
3) Tuition
4) Room/Board Costs
5) Do they offer flute performance?
6) Do they offer a jazz major or minor?
7) Who is the flute instructor?
8) Would I study with him/her right away, or would I start with a graduate student?
9) Do they have a cut program?
10) How many students at the university? In the freshman class? In the School of Music? In my music classes?
11) Is there specialized living on campus (fine arts dorms, honors dorms, etc. etc.)?
12) Are there any learning communities I would be interested in?
13) How large is the campus?
14) Do I need/Am I allowed a car on campus, and if so, how much is parking?
15) Can I see myself at this school?

Narrowing Down the List


So now that you've made this wonderful list, it's time to narrow it down. For me, the first to go were schools without my major. Second, schools without a jazz program (since I knew I wanted to either double major or minor in jazz). That probably cut my list down to 20 or so. I then cut schools I couldn't see myself at, and schools that were less then 100 miles away from home, since I wanted to go "away" for college. Now my list was dwindling down to 15 or so. When my list was down to 15, I made three new lists to put the colleges on: "Reach Schools", "Challenge Schools", and "In Schools". The lists are just what they sounds like---Reach Schools are schools that I would love to go to, but had fierce competition and would probably not get into, Challenge Schools are schools I would have to work at to get into, but had a good chance, and In Schools were my backup schools, schools that I was positive I would get into. I divided my schools into these three lists, and realised that I had a lot of reach schools, a few challenge schools, and NO in schools. I decided to pick a few schools to put onto my "In Schools" list. I chose local colleges that, worst case, I could attend for a year and then transfer. Once these lists were made, I started cutting schools. On my reach schools list, I had schools like Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College, Eastman University, Curtis Institute, Julliard, SUNY Potsdam, etc. etc.. BIG music schools. I started chisling down the list based on how many students they took, and cost of tuition and living.

I kept two schools from each category on my list.Starting with reach schools, I took out the schools I felt were WAY out of my reach. These included Curtis, Eastman, and Manhattan. Next I took out the schools I REALLY couldn't afford such as SUNY Potsdam. Then I had my list of two reach schools. Mannes and Julliard. I did the same thing for challenge schools, and ended up keeping Ohio University and CCM. Lastly, I took care of my in schools, opting to only keep the University of Toledo on the list. Finally, after a few months of research, I had my top 5 schools list.

10 Things You Should Know Before Becoming a Music Major

There were a lot of things I didn't know before I started college, and now that it's the beginning of a new year and high school seniors are trying to figure things out, I wanted to post a list of 10 Things You Should Know Before Becoming a Music Major.

10. Get used to people not understanding your major now. Family, friends, roommates, teachers...at least one person in your life will question your choice in majors. If you're determined enough, you can deal with it. If it really bothers you that much, you might consider switching majors.

9. Being a music major is more then just playing in band. If all you did to prepare yourself in high school was play in the band, you should start getting ready now. You'll have to practice solos independently or with a teacher, scales, etudes...all things to make you a better musician. You also should start studying music theory and sight singing and dictation. If your high school offers a theory class, take it. If you don't have a private teacher and money allows for it, get one. Your senior year is crunch time to prepare for auditions.

8. Auditions. Any music major can tell you horror stories about them. Start preparing early. Like, now.

7. Being a music major is hard work. If you aren't dedicated, you're not going to succeed. Consider a different major.

6. Talk to your band teacher if you're considering going into music education. They can tell you about the course load, student teaching, etc.. Band directors are great resources, they've gone through college. Use them!

5. If you're thinking about music performance, you should be studying with a private teacher, even if it's just for your senior year. If money doesn't allow for it, talk to your band director about getting some coaching from him.

4. Music majors have to juggle a lot of credits and a lot of different classes. Realise that you will be taking a heavier course load then your peers, and that you might have to opt out of some social experiences.

3. Get used to practicing now. As a performance major, I'm expected to practice at least 3 hours a day. Music ed majors have a less strict requirement, but you should still practice every day while in school, on top of classes, ensembles, and friends. Sometimes you'll have to make hard decisions between practicing and other things, like hanging out with friends, watching movies, and even sleeping. Remember, you're going to school to be a musician. Music has to be your number one priority.

2. Being accepted into a program doesn't mean you get to slack off. A C- is failing in a music class, so you have to stay on top of your academics. Remember that you'll have to audition again for seating in ensembles, and jury at the end of the quarter. The work never stops while you're in school, and probably not in your professional life either. Get used to it now.

1. The most important thing to consider is who your applied lessons teach will be. Will you be studying with a graduate student or the professor at the university? Are there multiple teachers for your instrument? Who will you study with? If you have time, it is very helpful to take a private lesson with the teacher. Many will try to let you get a private lesson in on audition day. Email the teacher and try to set something up. If you don't like the teacher, you're not going to get a good education.

Good luck to everyone who is preparing for college auditions this year and trying to figure out what they want to do for the rest of their lives! It's a hard time, but it's worth it.

My Week at Band Camp

The past few weeks I've been pretty absent from my blog. I've been super busy, doing a lot of practicing and working. This work included one week as the Flute Staff Member at a band camp for Oak Hill High School. 

I should start off by explaining that I have never marched. I went to an arts school from 6-12 and we didn't have a sports program, and we definitely didn't have a marching band. When I got to college I had no urge to march for the Marching 110 (The Greatest Band in the Land!), nor did I have the free time required to be a member of this ensemble. I also do not play an instrument that the 110 marches, and didn't feel like learning a new instrument.

So, getting this gig as a staff member at a marching band camp was new, different, and exciting. I didn't know what to expect, since I've never attended band camp as a camper and have never worked one as staff. The drive there was nerve-wracking--first off, I had to leave at 10AM, since I live 250 miles away from the camp. The ride there was long, and I was nervous to see what awaited me at camp. The camp grounds were small, and there were no pictures online. The camps I had attended as a child were incredibly rustic, with showers that never got hot, no air-conditioning, and a lot of mosquitoes. I never slept in a cabin or lodge, always in a platform tent with a cot and a bathroom a few hundred feet away. While this sleeping situation was fine when I was 7 I was really hoping for a bathroom within a few feet of my bed. Don't take me wrong---I like camping and being outdoors. BUT I also enjoy a comfy bed and a warm shower once in a while.

Arriving at the camp I was glad to see I wasn't the first staff member to arrive. The campers weren't there either--they were taking a bus from the school, about an hour and a half away. I switched out of my flip flops and into tennis shoes, got out of my mini-van and walked over to introduce myself to the other staff, who I learned also attended OU and marched in the 110. Within a few minutes we were talking easily, and more staff began to arrive. I felt good knowing that everyone seemed to be friendly, and we sat waiting for the campers to arrive.

The students arrived with an instrument bus, three school buses, and a trailer being pulled by a pick up truck. Talk about intimidating! Watching all of these kids, some only a year younger then myself, get off of the buses and form their cliques I felt like I was back in high school again, only this time I was the lonely kid who didn't have friends. The band director called us over, introduced himself, and we got our first task: oversee move in and make sure the kids didn't fight over beds. This seemed easy enough. We entered the dorm, a large building with 2 rooms for the boys and 2 rooms for the girls, plus a bathroom with showers in each room. There was also a large lobby where the students were expected to keep their instruments, and a kitchen for the staff's use. The dorm had air conditioning and seemed pretty clean, so I was a happy camper. I picked to stay in the back dorm with one other staff member and 20 some girls. 

Move in was uneventful. The older girls took care of the younger ones, and we really didn't have any problems. Next on the agenda was dinner, which was ok, and then marching rehearsal. This was the first of several marching rehearsals, and after a few minutes I caught on and was able to help, fix mistakes, and read drill charts. I was grateful that I had watched the 110 perform a few dozen times. It was still day 1, and I was having fun.

That night we had sectionals. It was my first time meeting the 4 girls I would be mentoring for the next week. We had a good time. We got to know each other a little bit, worked out a few sections of music, and I learned what they needed help with. It was my first chance since entering college to work with a group of students for more then an hour or two, and I was glad to give it a whirl. Throughout the course of the week we worked hard, learned how to tune, learned new fingerings, and worked up the music for three half-time shows. By Friday I was very proud of the work my girls had accomplished.

The rest of the week went by in no time. Highlights included our sectional time, the water balloon fights, and giving my nightly speech to the girls in my dorm (which they later dubbed my flight attendant speech). It was an amazing learning experience for me and I'm so glad I signed on to do it. The pay was terrible, and I ended up with sun poisoning, but it was a great time that I wouldn't trade for the world.

Talk about a rough start...

Hi again!
You may have noticed the huge gap between my last post and this one. For someone who promised to post a video once a week and blog at least once as well, I've been slacking big time. For good reason (maybe).

For those who want to know, it is HARD to record in my house. The only place where I can get some peace and quiet (away from my 3, VERY loud, parrots) is upstairs in my parent's bedroom. However, since this is an attic, it is very warm in the Ohio summer. By very warm, I mean 85+ degrees on a daily basis.

Until it cools down, I'll continue to try to blog a few times a week.

Sorry for the short post, but it's late and I'm tired! I'll try to blog tomorrow, for sure.

How do I structure my auditions binder?

I had a few friends ask me how I've set up my auditions binder, so I thought I'd just walk everyone through what I include in my (constantly-growing) auditions binder.

What is it, exactly?
I realise I haven't really explained what this binder is yet, so let me start there. Musicians who plan on auditioning for an orchestra at some point in their lives have to play excerpts from standard orchestral music. My audition binder is basically a compilation of everything I need for an audition, all put in one place.

The organization
I've put all of my excerpts, solos, and lists into a binder. I have several tabbed page dividers--Lists, Flute Solos, Picc. Solos, Flute Excerpts, Piccolo Excerpts, and Sight Reading. This basically covers my basis as far as an audition is concerned. It's rare to see piccolo solos on an audition list, but I've thrown in a few etudes and the Vivaldi Concerto just in case.

Lists
When I say "lists" I am referring to audition repertoire lists. You can find these on the internet by doing a google search for auditions. Most auditions postings include a list of what you are expected to play at the audition--some even  include sheet music. I've searched the internet and pulled up several of these lists for the larger orchestras--Boston Symphony, New York Philharmonic, etc. I've then printed them off and put them into my binder. I use these lists as a reference point for what excerpts I should be working on. There are other sources, such as audition repertoire books and the like, but I've decided using the actual lists given to auditioners is a better option.
Included on these lists is solo repertoire for flute and piccolo (some break this down into preliminaries, round 1, round 2, finals, etc.). The lists also include what excerpts will be asked at the audition for flute and piccolo, as well as if sight reading will be asked. Pay close attention to special instructions, such as if the solos and excerpts must be memorized and be sure to find out the orchestras tuning (440, 441, and 442 are popular).

Flute Solos
This tab is pretty self explanatory. I have a few etudes located under this tab, mostly used to warm up at an audition. Then I have the Mozart Concerti in G major and D major, the most popular flute solo asked in an audition. I have also put in the Bach Partita in A Minor for solo flute, after seeing movements of it asked on a few lists.

Piccolo Solos
Another self explanatory tab. I've put in a few etudes I have used to warm up on picc, as well as the Vivaldi Piccolo Concerto. This is the only solo I've seen on audition lists for piccolo.

Flute/Piccolo Excerpts
After I learn an excerpt found on my audition lists, I place it under the appropriate tab in my binder. Several excerpts have multiple copies, including copies of the orchestral score and full part. This is important, as an auditioner you should know what the orchestra is doing under the excerpt you are playing. Even though you play alone in an audition you need to convince the audition committee that you are knowledgeable on the music.

Sight Reading
Many orchestras list sight reading on the audition list. Generally this is music from a standard orchestral piece. I've been collecting first and second flute parts off of IMSLP. If you are a musician and you are not familiar with IMSLP, you should definitely check it out. Go to http://imslp.org/, then Petrucci music library and look around. This website allows pieces to be uploaded as long as they are no longer under copyright (the law states that 70 years past the death of the composer a composition becomes public domain).

I realise this post was gigantic, so congrats to you if you made it through this whole thing. An audition binder is a work in progress, and since mine is so new it involves a lot of work to put it together. I hope that within a few years I will have conquered the excerpts on my lists, and will be able to go to an audition with little stress. My goal is to be able to reintroduce excerpts into my daily practice a few weeks before an audition and avoid a crash practice session.

What to expect for next week's video

Hey guys!
So I didn't make a video this week. I've been trying to figure out how I want to structure everything and I think I've finally come up with a plan. I want to use this summer to really work on orchestral excerpts and get a start on the music I'll be playing at my recital in the fall. I will record one excerpt a week on piccolo and one excerpt a week on flute. I'll begin with the New York Philharmonic 2nd flute audition list, and will work on Bolero by Ravel for flute and Ma Mere l'oye, Suite by Ravel for piccolo.

I'm still going to post a video this week. This video is from my senior year of high school, and was my final audition for our school's end of the year talent competition. It's not my best work by any means, but watching it reminds me what I've come from. Going to an arts school meant talent competitions were not to be taken lightly, the competition was fierce!

Enjoy your weekends!

Why the HECK am I doing this?

Hi readers!

The thought of writing a blog is so strange to me, but I'm doing this to get my feelings out there, let my friends and family know how things are going, and to keep myself accountable for some new things I'm doing with my life.

Who am I?

I'm Katelyn Kaiser. I'm 19 years old, and will be entering my sophomore year at Ohio University in Athens, OH (GO BOBCATS!). I'm a musician. My main instrument of choice is flute, and it is my life. I also play piccolo and  love it. I'm studying flute performance and am minoring in jazz studies and business. I want to do big things with my life.

People always ask me what I'm going to do with a degree in flute performance. It pissed me off at first, like, why are you questioning me? But now I'm used to answering this question, because it is a weird major. What do I want to do with my life?

My biggest dream in life is playing as a studio musician for a large production company. Studio musician's are responsible for all of the heartbreaking music you hear when Andy goes to college, the uplifting music when Nemo is reunited with his dad, etc.. Studio musicians are mostly used by animation companies a la Pixar or Disney. Who doesn't want to live their life working for Pixar?

Studio musician jobs are hard to come by. It's almost impossible, actually. Think about it. How many large animation studios are there? This is the list that wikipedia gives me: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_animation_studios

There are probably 2 or 3 flutists (realistically) working for these companies. And some of them hire by project, not for long term jobs. I would gauge my chance as 1 in a million. But a girl can dream, right?

So, what's my backup plan? Symphony musician. These jobs are still hard to come by but getting one means benefits, insurance, and a steady pay check. Most symphony jobs are through the union, which means it is safer then a non-union musician job. I would be happy playing in a symphony with some teaching jobs on the side to supplement my income. Perfectly content. 

I'd also be fine with teaching at a university or college, but after getting symphony experience. I want to be able to help my students prepare for a realistic career, something I don't think I can do without the work experience of a symphony job. Or studio job. Whichever.

What am I hoping to do with this blog?

At the beginning of this post I told you that I wanted to keep myself accountable for things. What things? This is my vow to post a practice video AT LEAST 1x a week. It isn't that hard seeing as I practice everyday anyway. I want the record of my progress. Whether a piece is complete or not, I'm going to record. 

I want to force myself to push my limits and boundaries. I have a habit of taking things safe. I'm boring. I need to push myself through this blog. I want to document my collegiate years and help people understand what a flute performance major does and how it all works. 

Alright readers, I'm going to stop rambling. I'm sure I'll have many more posts to tell you about myself and what I'm doing with my life.