I never ever ever ever ever ever want to play a single note of Quantz's Flute Concerto in G ever again. Maybe that's because I've played it, oh, I don't know, about 793,000 times in three months. I'd also prefer not to have to spend five hours on a Saturday morning with a hundred perfectionist flutists for a little while.
Don't you just love district auditions?
If you're unfamiliar with the process, the whole premise of District Band auditions is this:
You are tested on your ability to perform/interpret two movements of a piece (one passage is technical, one lyrical) and major and chromatic scales.
District 7 Band is split into the lower and upper counties because of its size. Each has its own festival in late January/early February. I, living in York County, try out for the lower District 7 band. Last year I was sixth out of about 115ish flutes (they take 16 for the band).
This past Saturday, auditions were held at Dallastown, and I danced my usual thought jig of "AHH! I didn't play my chromatic scale as well as I normally do on the third octave! AH! My lyrical section had crappy tone! AH! My double tonguing for the technical passage was spittly! I'm not going to make it!" I happen to be one of those annoying flute perfectionists.
Part of the experience of trying out for District Band on flute is waiting in line. Obviously, with more than one hundred flutists, there will be some characters mixed in. Somehow I always manage to be in line behind that one flutist who insists on playing her piece obnoxiously loudly in the hallway (which isn't allowed) and frets to everyone that will listen that she will do horribly, searching for appeasement.
If you're lucky like I was, she'll even drop her flute with a cringe-inducing clatter and huff dramatically, citing this as the reason she scored a 54 out of 100. The cherry on this sundae was her "I hate my life! This is the worst day ever!" tirade. Ah, flutists.
My District Auditions Experience summary -- I made district band, third chair with a score of 91.15, and missed making district orchestra (top two flutes get to go to district orchestra as well) by one tenth of a point. "I hate my life!" Juuuust kidding.
As a former District and Regional band and orchestra nerd (upper District 7 -- I went to Cumberland Valley) I feel compelled to comment on your post.
You brought back memories I forgot I had. The hours of practice. The same damn piece over and over and over and over. Never quite perfect. For me it was Mozart's Concerto in G. I think I can still play it from memory today.
And the sitting in the hallway waiting your turn is definitely worse than the audition itself. I DO NOT MISS the drama of flute players. Might have been why I ultimately switched from being a flute performance major in college.
We'll have to chat more... and congrats on the Third chair!!!! That rocks!
Thanks! I'm so excited for the festival.
I had to memorize the Mozart Concerto in G for a competition before, and I'll agree that it's annoyingly memorable. Last year's district piece was so much better, Enesco's Cantabile et Presto. I love French music.
But anyway, yay flutists! (At least the un-annoying kind.)
Ah! Districts! Choir is just as bad. You watch what you eat for a week so you don't "ruin your vocal chords." Not to mention, this year they changed all the tempos on the audition CDs at the last minute.
Congrats! Making Districts is really an accomplishment.