orchestral audition preparation | Brendan Fitzgerald deep-dive

Join Brendan Fitzgerald, Assistant Principal Double Bass for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, as he shares his comprehensive approach to preparing for and succeeding in orchestra auditions. From practicing at half tempo and balancing practice with a full-time job, to managing nerves with beta blockers, Brendan covers all aspects of his preparation process. Learn how to handle the audition day, manage your workload, and ensure your best performance under pressure. Don’t miss his key takeaways for musicians looking to secure a professional orchestra position. Check out Brendan’s past podcast appearance here - https://contrabassconversations.com/2... As well as his appearance on Ryan Beach’s podcast - https://thatsnotspit.com/2020/05/13/b... Brendan's SLSO page - https://slso.org/person/brendan-fitzg... 00:00 Intro 00:37 Balancing Workload and Audition Preparation 01:11 Typical Week in a Symphony Orchestra 03:20 The Importance of Taking Breaks 06:34 Developing a Successful Audition Process 07:48 Refining the Audition Preparation System 13:54 The Power of Slow Practice 27:41 Managing Practice Time Effectively 31:30 Audition Preparation Techniques 32:25 Using Metronome and Drone 36:17 Beta Blockers and Audition Day 46:31 Mock Auditions and Feedback 52:05 Travel and Logistics for Auditions 57:21 Warm-Up and Performance Tips 01:01:22 Final Thoughts and Barbecue Recommendations all things double bass - https://doublebasshq.com double bass merch - https://shop.doublebasshq.com/merch double bass sheet music - https://shop.doublebasshq.com intro song by Eric Hochberg - https://erichochberg.com