Tell me what’s the worst part of a conducting job, and tell me why it’s auditions.
It can be ensemble auditions or solo auditions – any situation in which I’m expected to make decisions via audition.
I don’t have anything but the best interests of the students who audition, and I wish for them the best possible outcomes. That doesn’t stop me from having to make tough decisions, having to say no to people who desperately want something I can give.
Almost as bad, many students assume, or at least suspect, malicious intent. Every choir director I know has compassion for every student they meet; still, I have heard over and over of choir teachers “playing favorites” or who “just don’t like me.” For a compassionate profession, this is a lot of heaviness.
I have a few tools to make it a little bit easier.
- For bigger auditions, I try to write personal notes for anyone who is not selected. I focus on areas of success and actionable ideas for growth.
- I communicate compassion and empathy before, during, and after the auditions as thoroughly as I can.
- I make use of teammates and record auditions whenever possible.
- I let students know that I dislike auditions just as much as they do.
In the end, auditions are just something to weather – for people on both sides of the table.