Continuing on my unnecessarily long description of my trip to Chicago, we woke up on the day of the audition and went down to eat a continental breakfast. After taking Kathleen's advice, which was advised by Caroline I guess, I forced down a banana. I hate bananas. The texture creeps me out. I knew it might be a pretty good day when I was able to enjoy my breakfast to the song Mr. Heat Miser, a ridiculous and annoying Christmas carol.
We packed up our stuff, checked out, and headed to the Chicago Academy of the Arts. We got there about an hour before my warm up time, and I was extremely nervous. The banana hadn't kicked in I guess. Walking into the lobby area, I was greeted by two very friendly and extremely talkative, loud girls that were checking people in. I proceeded to sit in a chair trying to warm my hands, stop them from shaking, and dodge small talk from the check in girls. I'm not a multitasker.
The girl brought me to the warm-up room when it was time and gave me the sheet music that I was going to read in the audition. Since I had only been reading on guitar for two months, I ripped open my case and began studying the pieces like there was a magic word behind them that, if said, would get you into Berklee automatically.........I didn't find it. The first line was easy and the second wasn't bad. The third was tough so I studied it more and figured it out a little, and I took one look at the forth and said pass. After a very short fifteen minutes, the girl got me and brought me to a seat outside the audition room. Here I was forced to warm up to the sounds of the kid who was wearing baggy jeans, a Jimi Hendrix t-shirt, and Chuck Taylor's. I insult his attire because he made me feel like I just picked up the guitar yesterday. I wasn't so confident anymore.
The kid was done and a middle aged lady opened the door and told me she'd be with me in a minute. By this time I was really no longer nervous. Somehow I had calmed down. Maybe it was the banana. So I walked in, and the lady was unbelievably friendly. It wasn't like I had expected it. It was like having a conversation and not an audition. Although there was a very quite man on writing on a laptop and in the back, and that was a little intimidating. So after conversing about my history with guitar, I performed my piece, "Song for George" by Eric Johnson. Having played it flawlessly twenty or thirty times, every wrong note was like a punch in the face. I only made two or three though so I was still standing. The tone of my guitar wasn't as satisfactory as I would've liked due to the unfamiliar amp, but that's expected. The lady then asked me to sight read, and I'd give myself a five out of ten on that, but again that was expected. I then did some call and response exercises with her which I believe I aced, and then I improvised on some blues, which I felt satisfied with.
All of a sudden the interview was over and I was in the lobby again waiting for my interview. After fifteen minutes of waiting, I was called in by an young man with an Irish accent. I wish I had an Irish accent. It was awesome. I at least wish I could say "Good man" after people give me awesome answers to questions. The interview went better than I could have expected and I walked out of the school about two and a half hours later with a small strand of confidence.
Thank you to everyone who helped me and wished me luck and were concerned!!!!!!! It really helped!!!
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