6. Hire a (good) recording engineer……
The advantage of hiring a good recording engineer is that he or she will bring experience and higher-end equipment to the session. You also have the benefit of another person to give you immediate, objective feedback on your performance. The disadvantage is that you will have to pay another person. Of course, if you don't have your own equipment, and only plan on doing one or two sessions, an engineer might still be the more economical choice. An experienced engineer will also know where to place the microphones and how to get the best sound in the space. Make sure, however, that your engineer has experience recording the style of music that you play--an engineer used to recording pop music may not know how best to make a classical recording.

7. ……or assemble your own recording kit
If you are already making your own recordings, you probably have everything that you need already, but if not, you will need to assemble a recording kit. This can be anything from a handheld recorder (they sound surprisingly good, and are easy to use), to a full mobile recording studio. The choice depends on your budget and how involved you want your system to be, but for most classical recordings, a good-quality stereo pair of microphones is the most that is needed. I won't make any specific recommendations here, but you can always ask your teacher for advice. Other musicians, particularly those who have been successful with their recordings, can also have some good suggestions. Internet posts, however, are not particularly reliable (one person will describe a piece of equipment in glowing terms, while the next will say it's junk). You will also need to take the time to learn how to use your kit, not just how to operate the equipment but also how to place the microphones for optimum sound. I use a handheld recorder and a good pair of microphones, and the entire setup (except for the microphone stand) fits in a backpack, and yields excellent results for classical recordings. You will also need a computer program to adjust the volume, and cut off extra silence at the beginning and end of each track. Audacity is a free cross-platform audio editor that works well and is easy to use (www.audacityteam.org).

8. Last-minute preparations.
Make sure that you are well-rested on the day of the session. Don't try to cram a recording session into a busy day--you will only feel rushed and under extra pressure. Eat well and stay hydrated. Arrive at the recording location early and take the time to tune your instrument and warm up. It's also a good idea to play for a few minutes to get used to the space (and the instrument if you're a pianist).

9. Check your work as you record.
Using a good set of headphones, check to make sure that your recordings are sounding the way you want. You don't want to get home and realize that you can't use any of your takes! If you don't like the sound, adjust your position or your microphone placement (or try different microphones if available), or tell your engineer what you're looking for. Sometimes, the problem is in the performance, the instrument, or the acoustic; in this case, there might not be much that you can do at the session (but see #2, 3, 4, and 5!). When you find a sound that you like, document everything so that you can reproduce it more quickly for future sessions.

10. Do several takes of each piece.
Generally, I recommend three complete takes of each piece. That said, if you really mess up, you don't have to keep going to the end of the piece. Save your time and start over, especially if you're near the beginning. This will give you a choice of several performances; after the session, listen to all of them (perhaps with your teacher) and choose the best.

11. Pace yourself.
Don't try to power straight through a two-hour recording session. If you start to tire, take a break! Rest a few minutes before trying another take. If you need to record for more than an hour or so, consider doing two or more sessions rather than one long one. Yes, it will take longer, but trying to play tired is not a good idea, and you'll probably end up doing another session anyway.

12. Don't get hung up on perfection.
Of course, you don't want to make any mistakes, and a take with too many mistakes will probably be rejected, but a small mistake here or there is probably not the end of the world. A good audition recording will present you in your best light, and a musically compelling performance with a few technical flaws might be preferable to a technically perfect but boring performance. Remember that a professional recording is almost certainly made up of parts of several different takes, and the performer only had to get each section right once, and not all at the same time!

13. Assemble your recording, and send it in.
Most recordings now will be submitted electronically. Double-check to make sure that you're sending in the right tracks! Also make sure that your recordings are in the required format, and that they adhere to any applicable technical requirements. It's generally a good idea to leave a second or two of silence at the beginning, and several seconds at the end, of each piece. Don't make the silence too long at the beginning, as the listener will be waiting and wondering when the music will start! That said, when you are recording, leave five or ten extra seconds of silence at the beginning and end of the piece--this can always be cut off later, but can't be put back on.

14. Wait for the results.
It's nerve-wracking, but you have to……

You may notice that I didn't mention anything about editing or sound enhancement. This is because, for audition recordings, I don't like to edit, or apply any type of enhancement beyond noise reduction, volume adjustment, equalization, and peak limiting if necessary. My opinion is that an audition recording should represent your playing as accurately as possible, and editing or artificial enhancement can be deceptive. The requirements for many audition recordings often include a "must be a single unedited take" clause for just this reason. That said, if there's no such clause, it is considered permissible to edit, and you have to make that choice for yourself.

Do you have any further suggestions?  If so, please leave a comment below!

I haven't posted here in quite a long time--been pretty busy with teaching, accompanying, and my church job--but I finally had time to put this together!

Every music student needs to make audition recordings these days, and so I've put together some tips for making yours the best it can be. While these tips are specifically for audio recordings (without video), most of these tips can apply to video as well.

1. Start early.
Make sure you know all the requirements and deadlines several months ahead of time. Rushing around a couple of days before a deadline is definitely not the way to go! Book your recording space--and everyone else involved--early. And make sure your accompanist has the music early too. Talk to your teacher as well--he or she is your single best resource in helping you prepare!

2. Practice, practice, practice!
The single best way to improve your audition recordings is to improve your performance. Even with the best recording equipment, a lackluster performance will translate into a lackluster recording. Problems with intonation, dynamics, tone, and musicality cannot be properly fixed after the fact. And if you're making mistakes in practice, you'll almost certainly make the same mistakes in performance. Your teacher should be able to help you with these things (if not, it's time for a new teacher!). Also, make sure to spend adequate time rehearsing with your accompanist. While a good accompanist can give a good performance with minimal rehearsal, a little extra rehearsal time will make everyone feel more comfortable.

3. Make sure your instrument is in proper working order.
If your instrument isn't working properly, you won't be able to give a good performance. For wind players, things like loose screws, leaky pads, or a finicky reed can cause trouble. String players need to make sure that their instruments are properly set up, and that their bow hair is in good condition with the right amount of rosin. If you are a pianist, the available instrument should be part of your choice of recording space (see #5). Whatever you play, a professional tune-up of your instrument will make sure that it's in top playing condition. If your instrument still does not perform adequately, it may be time for a new instrument.

4. Perform your repertoire before recording it.
Before you record anything, perform it in public, preferably several times. While you may be able to play a piece perfectly in practice, performance is entirely different, and the experience of playing a piece "on the spot" is very valuable. Live performance will also reveal any places where things don't quite work musically, or easy passages that suddenly become difficult when nerves kick in. Recording your performances will also give you a chance to hear exactly what happened and make any necessary adjustments. Even a smartphone recording will do, though a dedicated handheld recorder will yield better results, and might even result in a recording that you can use for an audition!

5. Find a good space to record.
Make sure that the place that you choose to record is quiet (free of traffic, HVAC, and other noises), and has a good acoustic. I have made some good recordings in my piano teaching studio, but it's less than ideal. Also make sure that no one will be making extraneous noises (like opening or closing doors) as you play. If you have an accompanist, make sure that you have a properly working, well-tuned piano (preferably a grand, even better if it's at least a 6-foot model) available for your use. Professional musicians will often keep a piano tuner/technician on standby for recording sessions, but you have to decide if it's worth the expense.

I haven't mentioned anything yet about recording equipment. This is because the quality of the performance, the acoustics of the room, and microphone placement are vastly more important than having a room full of high-end equipment. Stay tuned for Part 2, which includes some tips for equipment, and some tips for the day of the session.

On Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, I will be giving an organ recital at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Enola, PA.  The recital will be at 3:00pm in the Church.  I will be joined by my brother Gregory (violin) and Tetyana Pyatovolenko (cello).  The program includes chorale preludes by Buxtehude, Pachelbel, J.S. Bach, and Brahms, pieces for organ and solo instrument, a sonata da chiesa for violin, cello, and organ by Tomaso Albinoni, and Mendelssohn's Organ Sonata in f minor, Op. 65, no. 1.

A freewill offering will be taken for repairs and upgrades to the church's aging pipe organ.  Look for future posts about the organ at Our Lady of Lourdes!

This year's studio recital will be held on April 30 at 2pm in the Messiah Village Chapel (100 Mt. Allen Dr., Mechanicsburg, PA 17055).  I'm in "final preparation mode" right now, helping students get ready for the program.  Among the performers are seven students who will be making their studio-recital debuts.

The recital is free and open to the public.

Please come out to support the future of music!

I ran across this page this morning, and wanted to share.  I've been saying most of this for a long time.  More importantly, I actually USE the theory skills mentioned in the article, nearly every day.  Especially as a church organist, knowing how the hymns are put together allows me to improvise on, reharmonize, and otherwise make things a bit more interesting, or more supportive of the words.

http://www.lifehack.org/357032/3-reasons-why-music-theory-important-for-your-children?ref=gp

Been really busy the past few months, so haven't had time to post here.  The DSCH Trio's benefit concert at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church was a success: great music, great audience, and raising money for a great cause!  All donations have been earmarked for the church music program.  Thanks to everyone who came out for the concert, and to Msgr. King for allowing us the use of the church for the concert.  I'm hoping that we can perform again when the church is finished!

On July 25 at 7pm, the DSCH Trio (myself, my violinist brother Gregory, and our cellist friend Tetyana Pyatovolenko) will present a concert of piano trios by Haydn, Beethoven, and Shostakovich. The concert will take place at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Mechanicsburg, PA. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted to benefit the parish building project (more info can be found at www.steas.net).

The first piece on the program is Haydn's Piano Trio in A Major, Hob. XV:18. Like many of Haydn's forty-odd trios, it displays the composer's signature sense of humor: sometimes light, sometimes dark, but always a lot of fun to play and to hear. Lucy Miller Murray, in her recently-published book "Chamber Music: An Extensive Guide for Listeners," says that, "While virtuosic demands themselves are not intrinsically funny, Haydn seems to make them so in this remarkable Trio." As a listener, I agree.  As a performer.....it's still a lot of fun! The last movement, especially, is a real romp over the keyboard.

The second piece on the program is Beethoven's Piano Trio in D Major, Op. 70, no. 1, nicknamed "Ghost" because of certain passages in the second movement (listen and guess which ones!). While the second movement carries an undeniably tragic feeling, the first movement is strong, bright, and majestic, and the third movement brings the piece to a brilliant conclusion. Unlike many earlier composers, Beethoven uses all three instruments prominently, and each instrument is important to the musical texture, sometimes as a soloist, and sometimes as accompaniment.

The program will conclude with Shostakovich's Piano Trio no. 2 in e minor, Op. 67. This piece occupies a special place in the DSCH Trio's repertoire, being the first trio that the three of us played together. Written in 1944, this trio is an elegy to the victims of World War II concentration camps. The first movement is remarkable for its opening: the main theme stated alone by the cello, in harmonics (this opening is really hard, by the way!), giving a thin and pinched sound, and setting the mood for the rest of the movement. The second movement, a scherzo (which means "joke") is anything but funny. The third movement is a set of variations on a very slow eight-chord progression, repeated over and over in the piano, over which the violin and cello weave mournful melodic lines.

The third movement runs directly into the fourth, which, to me, is the one of the most frightening movements I've ever played. Here we are confronted with Jewish prisoners being forced to dig their own mass graves, then being forced to dance on the edge of those graves before being killed. We offer this piece in the spirit of "never again."