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.
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