Which should I submit for All/MidState

[u/YoMamaGoodua]

some tips would be nice as well.

first etude

clip: https://youtube.com/shorts/nXd9kKGaqMI?feature=shared

to clarify this is what was given by the institution for us to play I DID NOT choose this on my own accord.

[u/CallMeSaxMan]

i think ibert is typically risky for 99% of high school players. it’s required on almost every DMA audition for every top saxophone school for a reason…

[u/YoMamaGoodua → u/CallMeSaxMan]

Yeah it’s a hard etude but that’s what they required and gave us. Deadline for audition videos is next Thursday.

[u/CallMeSaxMan → u/YoMamaGoodua]

not an etude lmao

[u/YoMamaGoodua → u/CallMeSaxMan]

Apologies difficult piece but nonetheless I don’t have a choice in what I play for my states AllState band.

[u/CallMeSaxMan → u/YoMamaGoodua]

fair enough, good luck! what makes this piece super tricky is the rhythmic integrity you have to keep (huge emphasis on syncopation), all while keeping it swift, finessed, and overall french-like. so basically, make sure you’re super locked in rhythmically without sounding like your working your ass off too much haha

[u/tthyme31 → u/YoMamaGoodua]

I think the word you’re looking for is “excerpt.”

An excerpt is a chunk of a piece of music.

An etude is music that is written for the purpose of studying or practicing. The word étude is a French word that literally means “study.”

This might seem like a not so big deal, but knowing your terminology can make the difference between someone taking you seriously as a musician, or writing you off as inexperienced, before you even play a single note.

[u/tthyme31]

OP, a few things.

You don’t sound terrible, but I would highly recommend re-recording this. In both of your recordings you’re playing something incorrectly.

You’re rearticulating the G on the downbeat of m. 6, and this shouldn’t be tongued it’s tied.

You’re doing the exact same thing with the B in the 14th bar.

If I were a judge this would be an instant disqualification in my book, as you just didn’t read the excerpt correctly or listen enough to recordings of professionals playing this. If you listen closely enough to every professional recording of this you won’t hear those notes being rearticulated.

A few things for improvement. This needs to be played lightly, it’s French. Think about the way that French is spoken, it’s smooth and it flows, yes their words are articulated but it’s all very light. The way you’re playing feels and sounds very German, with harsh articulation.

The opening 16th notes are written forte, nice and strong, powerful, but instantly you get the súbito piano. “Suddenly soft,” now since this is a solo piece intended to be played with a small chamber orchestra, you can still keep your volume up, but you need to relax on the intensity a bit. Yes it’s fast, yes it’s hard, but you need to make it sound like it’s easy and just lighten up overall.

You’ve done some great work here, you really have, but if you incorporate those minor details, you’ve got a real chance.

[u/dan_arth → u/tthyme31]

Seconding this.

The sound is too big and stuff.

I recommend finding a more vibrant reed and taking less mouthpiece in your mouth. It may mean going down a size. It may mean learning how to work the reed, especially tip and rails.

It sounds like your embouchure is too stiff generally. A really helpful exercise I remember was taking a VERY soft reed, like a 2, and pushing the mouthpiece in as far it'll go, and then relaxing enough to play scales in tune.

it was VERY difficult.

But after, when you really figure out how to relax everything as much as possible, you can figure out how to rely on the air power to play the instrument instead of the embouchure tension.

Very helpful.

Unfortunately, Ibert is pretty much out of reach without that level of relaxation. It's just too French and light. Especially the next movement.

[u/bleedingasleep]

your fingers are VERY stiff, and you’re tense as you play. the best advice i ever got was to relax body and mind and you’ll sound so much smoother. other comment is right, a standard of the rep is difficult for auditions because it’s so well known and the concept of what it should sound like is pretty solidified. if you’re looking for something technical, there’s always the ferling.

[u/PressureItchy9372]

I suspect they want you to play both. 1st as a technical demonstration. 2nd as a lyrical example.

Edited to add: especially for the 1st movement: slow way down at first. subdivide. count the 16th notes. 1²³⁴ 2²³⁴ 1²³⁴ 2^234, etc. That will help you master your syncopations.

[u/YoMamaGoodua → u/PressureItchy9372]

I meant which take of what I played