The first thing to remember when auditioning future band mates is that your preparation and organization of this jamming session sets the tone and expectation of your band’s professionalism. If you want your band to take practices, auditions, and meetings seriously, you must be organized and prepared. The overarching rule of thumb through the forming of a new band is to treat it like a business.
When you have narrowed down potential candidates to 2 or 3 musicians, it is time to organize the auditions. Together with your band, determine whether or not to audition each candidate on a separate day or schedule specific hours for each musician. If you have the time, set each audition for a different day. This will allow the candidate enough time to get comfortable and allow you some extra creativity and flex time to get a good feel of the potential band mate.
When planning a band audition, you must first consider the purpose of the audition. You should already have a feel for the personality of the individual and be confident in his or her alignment with the goals of the band. You are auditioning the musician to verify that there is a certain level of skill necessary, watch the interactions with the rest of the band mates, and get a feel for the value add this musician holds.
There is no right or wrong format for a band audition because each band may have different goals in mind with different musical styles. If you need a guitarist that can shred, he or she better have a solo prepared. If you need a bassist that can simply follow direction, personality may be a more important factor to consider. The key, as I mentioned earlier, is to be prepared.
Preparation for an audition begins with setting expectations. The musicians should know what to expect and how to prepare. Provide some pre-work instructions which may include learning a specific song, writing a solo, or practicing a specific skill such as high tempo drumming, or bass slapping rhythm. Let the candidate know what to bring, where to go, what time to be there, and how long to expect to play. (Note: if you have 4 or 5 hours, tell the candidate that the audition will be about 30 minutes but if time allows, could go longer and to make sure their time is flexible. This way, if things go sour you can end the audition professionally.)
Start promptly. Ensure that you are ready to jump right into the first step of the audition punctually. This will set the tone for the rest of audition and inform the musician that you are not there to waste time. At the beginning, have the band play a pre-determined warm up song to allow the musician to play along and loosen up. The candidate will likely be nervous and although you do not want Stage Fright Steve in your band, you want to be able judge the musician within his or her comfort zone.
After the band is warmed up a little, take some time to have the rest of the band ask a few questions about the musician’s background and qualifications. Watch the way the candidate interacts with your team and look for similarities and differences in responses from the interview you had previously.
Transitioning back to the music, have the musician perform the material they prepared for the audition. Theoretically, if the musician is taking this process seriously, this should be played flawlessly. If there are obvious short comings, call him or her out of the lack of preparation or challenge they are facing. If preparation is the problem, that should be a red flag to any band looking to make music for a living. If skill is the challenge, seek to understand the methods and processes the musician took in learning the material.
Remove the spotlight briefly and lead your band through another simple song where you can monitor the candidate’s confidence, comfort, and creativity. An important note to pick up on is a musician’s ability to improve and just jam.
A final test in a band audition should center on practice methods and discipline. Ask the musician to discuss and demonstrate how he or she practices to improve at an instrument. A band practice, in theory, is a business meeting where prepared professionals collaborate their ideas and personal successes. Each individual band mate should have the ability to learn and grow both individually and as part of the team.
Close off the audition by playing one last prepared song. Take advantage of a good audition to continue jamming. Thank the musician for his or her time and define what the follow up will be. Hold a band meeting to discuss the performance and gather each band member’s thoughts on the audition. Collect that feedback for the future follow conversation. |
