Welcome!
Why do we want to join an orchestra and subject ourselves to a process that seems to have very little to do with passion and emotion, and everything to do with competition, fear of failure, and comparing technical precision and error rates? Because music is a language of emotion. For me at least, the most personal moments in making music are always tied to sharing those emotions—playing together as part of a larger organism, where the result is truly greater than the sum of its parts. It is simply the best job in the world!
The catch: before we can become part of that whole, we first have to prove that we belong and demonstrate what we can contribute to the collective. Unfortunately, in nearly 500 years of orchestral tradition, no one has found a better way to assess this than the audition. Sure, there are exceptions—trial projects or orchestras formed by friends—but in almost every organization, there comes a point where an individual's ability must be judged as objectively as possible in a personal "job interview."
The problem for us as musicians is that we know it is not our musical feeling or our social skills being tested, but purely our technique and mastery of the instrument. This triggers the feeling of being judged and heightens the awareness of being watched. Voilà: stress, fight-or-flight, and stage fright setting in. Suddenly, we can no longer access our trained skills because the brain’s emotional center overrides logical thinking and blocks the fine motor control of our muscles.
Unless we manage to learn from past mistakes, build genuine self-confidence, reduce stage fright, and transform stress into positive excitement.
The goal of PASS is not to teach a specific playing style or interpretation, nor to force you to adapt to the musical style of a particular orchestra. Instead, it is about exploring practice methods—both mental and physical—that allow you to deliver your trained performance even under intense pressure.
Regrettably, both during my own studies and in my work as a university professor, I noticed that the focus is often purely on achieving results, earning exam points, or completing a "minimum repertoire." Nobody really talks about how to become a musician, how to express yourself, or how to adapt technique to the music rather than forcing the music to fit the teacher's technique.
At PASS, it is all about:
Finding your personal strengths and being able to show them under pressure.
Developing pathways to automate the left hand, allowing you to focus entirely on the bow—and therefore, the music itself.
Embracing as many mistakes as possible during preparation, so they can be corrected and avoided on the day of the audition.
Mental and physical preparation, where nutrition and fitness also play a crucial role for that decisive moment.
One final piece of advice: Many of the concepts we practice and discuss require a mindset shift in how you play and practice. This takes time! Please reach out two to three months before an audition rather than just two weeks prior—that is simply too short to create lasting change and get to the root of things.
Hope to see you soon at "training"!
Warmly,
Maximilian Lohse