The Audition Process: Anxiety Management and Coping Strategies (Juilliard Performance Guides)

The stress and anxiety which performers experience at auditions and concerts can be managed through the use of many and varied techniques, here explored in a comprehensive book by oboist-composer Stuart Dunkel. Written as a practical guide for immediate use, in language free of confusing psychological terminology, The Audition Process offers a compendium of approaches as presented by other musicians, psychologists, and athletes.

The principal problem areas that one must confront, before and during an audition, are presented in four wide-ranging topical sections.

I. The psychological adaptations to the stresses encountered. This includes understanding how the self operates, the pressures encountered, the indi vidual fears that must be addressed and the self-consciousness that precludes distraction.

II. The reality of the music business. This section encompasses methods of dealing with criticism, failure, jealousy, the realization that one's self-worth is no t directly related to how well one's work is accomplished.

III. Coping techniques and strategies. The focus here is on performance preparation, including understanding and managing feelings, utilizing self-talk, improving concentration, relaxing, using humor as an outlet for anxiety, adopting better nutritional habits, and the proper use of medications. IV. Successful outlooks and attitudes for auditioning. Here, Dunkel explores modes of confidence-building, suggestions for viewing an audition as a pos itive experience and how one's unique individuality can give strength and power to a performance.