Recent content by Maurice Gravel

They won't make a decision until all the auditions are finished. I took one late in the tour in Boston and it didn't affect their decision to let me in.

Playing one bow style or the other probably used to mean your study options were limited, but times have changed. Practice as much as you can. How long is it going to take you to prepare your music to your satisfaction? Set goals for yourself and try to solve a problem every day with every...

You say you haven't had private lessons, but have you still been playing? That seems more relevant to me. Keep in mind the time requirement and play to your strengths. There's a lot of suggestions for Baroque music here, but personally I relate better to romantic music. Maybe there's a piece...

The bass does get stiffer when it isn't played but that's not going to stay a problem. As far as long tones, try to play with resonance and a big sound to open it up again. For your hands, do technique practice to regain your comfort. Play scales, arpeggios, and etudes to get familiar with the...

I would think that if you were to play The Elephant on your audition, that would be as good an orchestral excerpt as any, particularly because it is lyrical and melodic rather than technical. Really, everyone is absolutely correct in saying that you want to put your best playing in this...

+ 1 gabe! Didn't you play this on Ellen or the Rosie o'Donnel (sp?) show?

This piece is so beautiful, it always brings a tear to my eye when you get those nice crescendos.