Martin Hackleman: Excerpt Preparation Beyond “Practice, Pray, Repeat”: Playing Together But Not at the Same Time

Thank you to Brett Hodge for recording the companion audio!

From the preface: Beyond the obvious requirements of playing with a palatable sound, good rhythm, good intonation, and without missing notes, what is it that makes demonstrations of excerpts in an audition good enough to get a player from the fetid pool of The First Round to the relatively cleaner arena of The Second Round, and hopefully beyond? The committee wants to hear a good all-round player who is communicating a thorough understanding of the pieces he or she is performing. The bottom line for them is: “Will this player make our live easier, or more difficult?” Practice is imperative, of course, but really understanding the material that you are working on before you pick up your instrument saves you time and lets you progress more quickly in the right direction. “Playing Together But Not at the Same Time” : When we collaboratively explore solo pieces with another player aiming to create a single line together, we become more sensitive. We are more active and reactive, more lithe, flexible, and creative. We also become a much better team player when we are constantly having to switch from leading to following and back. Of course, both players have the common goal of making one cohesive rendition of our piece, but we are accomplishing this with two streams of cooperating thought. We are learning from one another, which requires a great deal of concentration, awareness, and mental flexibility.