For your information:

- How do I pay for services?

You can pay by check, cash or credit card. A 50% deposit is due upon scheduling. Please see PRICING for more information and to pay with a credit card. If paying by check please send your payment payable to:

 

My Arts Auditions

P.O. Box 21654

Winston-Salem, NC 27120-1654

- How do I schedule a session?

Please see CONTACT

- How do I reschedule?

Once a session is booked and the required 50% deposit made, there will be a $25 fee to reschedule within 7 days of the session. If rescheduling occurs within 24 hours of a scheduled session a $100 charge willl apply.

- What if I cancel?

If cancellation occurs within 24 hours of a scheduled session, the required 50% deposit will be lost. It is possible to reschedule without losing your deposit.

- What is the final product?

You will be furnished with 2 copies of your session on DVD or CD professionally printed with your name, title and session description. More elaborate packaging and extra copies are available upon request. For headshots we provide 1 print of your selected headshot. See PRICING for costs and more information.

- Deadline and Delivery.

Before any agreement is made, we must know the deadline. We are generally capable of rapid turnaround for standard auditions. We must be supplied with all the completed paperwork. If desired, My Arts Auditions will FedEx your submission. Next day delivery is available.

- Where will this take place?

You may choose to have your recording/video shoot take place anywhere. It is your responsibility to secure permission and reserve time at your desired location. My Arts Auditions will charge for whatever time is agreed upon. We own a state of the art recording studio with an excellent piano that is available. Spot Recording Studio is a hospitable facility with coffee, tea and snacks generally available.

- How do I get to the recording studio?

If needed we will pick you up. Spot Recording Studio is located in downtown Winston-Salem, minutes away from UNCSA.

- What do I wear?

It depends on the audition. Black is professional and shows up well. Headshots are more involved and should be discussed beforehand. Stylists are available to assist.

- How do I prepare?

Before coming in, write down everything you are supposed to say in the right order. Bring a copy for us. It will help in the editing process. Know exactly what you are performing. Most auditions are very specific. They serve to quickly evaluate such skills as intonation, stylistic knowledge, timing, musicality and overall technique. It is better to err on the side of brevity. Within a piece, get to the point immediately. Submissions are quickly tossed aside if deemed unfocused or not instantly captivating.

- What if I go overtime?

This should not happen. In booking time with us we will discuss what you want to accomplish and determine a reasonable time. Recording an audition should require enough time to arrive at the location, get comfortable, recite announcements and play two or three times through the pieces. In an audition you should know the material well enough to play it perfectly in a couple takes. If you wish to go overtime you will be charged accordingly.

- What if I want to make changes or redo something?

Our goal is to exceed your expectations the first time. A session should be scheduled in ample time for you to review the finished audition package. With all the details in place before your session, there should be no problems. If we do something incorrectly, we will certainly make the proper adjustments. If you are not satisfied with your performance, you may record again at your expense.

- What about the production quality?

My Arts Auditions uses excellent microphones such as Neumanns, Earthworks, Geffels, AKG, etc. We record using DigiDesign PRO TOOLS. Our video is all shot in High Definition and edited on Final Cut Pro. We light the area where you will be playing, and can light the entire studio as well. We typically run a stereo line off the board into the camera for easy, accurate editing; this way there are no sync issues.

There is a difference between an audition recording and a fully produced recording. On an audition recording, unless otherwise specified, the audition committee is interested in hearing the clearest, purest representation of the musician. It is important to capture a sound with minimal coloration from microphones and effects. It can be a real disadvantage to submit a highly produced recording. We may use a very transparent compression and reverb to help accentuate the overall sound but nothing to conceal the reality of your playing.

- Instrument and Ensemble support?

We have access to a large pool of excellent piano accompanists and other instrumentalists capable of performing many musical styles. We will gladly make recommendations and supply contact information.

 

 

*Do you have another question that we did not cover? Please CONTACT us and we will discuss it with you.