Teaching Moment for High School Teacher

Objective: Students will develop a personalized audition day plan that demonstrates preparation, professionalism, and effective time management skills necessary for successful collegiate music auditions.

Rationale: Preparing for a college audition requires more than musical excellence — it demands planning, organization, and professionalism. By learning how to structure the final 48 hours before an audition, students will build critical skills that set the tone for a confident, polished performance. This preparation not only supports their musical success but also leaves a positive impression on adjudicators and faculty, reflecting their commitment and maturity.

📚 Student Assignment:
Title: 48-Hour Audition Plan

Instructions:

1. Create a 48-Hour Plan:
   • Write an hour-by-hour schedule covering the two days leading up to your audition.
   • For each hour, include:
     • Logistics or Activity: (e.g., "10:00 AM: Review music; 11:00 AM: Pack audition attire.")
     • Self-Encouragement Note: (e.g., "Stay calm — you've prepared for this moment!")
2. Logistical Prep Checklist:
   • Include in your plan:
     • Travel details (departure time, hotel information if applicable).
     • Clothing and performance attire.
     • Paperwork and copies of music.
     • Scheduled rehearsal with accompanist.
     • Warm-up times.
     • A list of audition day essentials (instrument, accessories, snacks, water, ID).
3. Reflection:
   • Write a short paragraph (5–7 sentences) explaining:
     • Why is it important to have a detailed plan before an audition?
     • How does preparation impact your confidence and performance?

Submission: Submit your 48-hour schedule and reflection paragraph on __________________ [Date Due]. Be sure it's neatly organized and clearly shows thoughtful planning.

Rubric: "Audition Day Planning Excellence"

Grading Scale

Just Hours Before: How Not to Lose Your Mind at Your Kid's College Music Audition

Dear _________________________ Parents,

Congratulations!

You've survived beginner band concerts, late-night practice meltdowns, and the year they insisted they only needed one reed for all of marching season. And now — drumroll, please — we've arrived at the college audition.

This is it.

The moment when your teenager's future hangs delicately in the balance — and so does your blood pressure.

Before you break into a cold sweat or plan a full-blown tailgate party outside the audition hall, let me help. They've put together a guide over at Accoladi.com called: "Just Hours Before: A Step-by-Step Guide to Your College Music Audition." And trust me, it's worth a read, because here's what they've learned after years of watching these audition days up close:

Top Mistakes Parents Make:

• Believing "I'll just wing it" is a viable plan.
• Booking a hotel next to the airport because it was "cheaper." (Hope you like 5 a.m. plane noise.)
• Thinking "lucky socks" substitute for actual polished dress shoes.
• Offering a rousing pre-audition pep talk that somehow ends with "no pressure, but your whole future depends on this."

What Your Child Actually Needs:

• To arrive 3–4 hours early (yes, seriously — because no one plays well when they're sprinting across campus like it's the 100m final).
• Food. Real food. Not a celebratory donut. Not a "maybe this vending machine has sandwiches" situation. Fuel the brain.
• Music copies that don't look like they've been living in the bottom of a backpack since 2019.
• An accompanist they've actually rehearsed with — not a stranger they Venmoed from Craigslist an hour before.
• A calm parent. (Fake it if you have to — we all do.)

Your Job as a Parent:

• Drive them.
• Feed them.
• Smile.
• Nod encouragingly.
• Resist the urge to yell "You've got this, champ!" while fist-pumping as they walk into the audition room.

And after it's all over? Please, please don't interrogate them the second they step out of the room. Give it 10 minutes. Maybe a full iced coffee. Trust me — they'll tell you everything you didn't want to know soon enough.

If you want to get a real insider's view (and save yourself a few gray hairs), read the full article now on Accoladi.com.

Remember, they've worked for years to get here — and so have you. Whether they nail it or not, you're still the MVP who bought the reeds, paid for the lessons, and endured the "tuning" phase.

You deserve a standing ovation — and maybe a nap.

Your In-the-Trenches Music Director,

________________________________________ (Director's Name and Position)

_______________________________________________________ [School Name]