How They Won #2 - with Jarrett May, Flute/Piccolo

May 22, 2025

We’re back with the next installment in our new blog series spotlighting recent orchestra audition winners!

This time, we’re talking all things piccolo. From preparation tactics to staying mentally sharp under pressure, this series is all about sharing real-life insight from musicians who’ve been in the hot seat and walked away with the job. Today Jarret May (flute/piccolo) is offering up some no-fluff wisdom for anyone braving the audition circuit.

Here's our interview with Jarrett:

What position did you recently win and in which orchestra?

Piccolo-The Phoenix Symphony 

How early did you start preparing for this specific audition? 

I practiced the list for 5 weeks and 5 days according to my notes. 

In the month leading up to the audition, what percentage of your practice time was spent on the audition music vs your other commitments?

Most of my practice time had been dedicated to audition preparation. I tried to minimize the amount of time I was spending preparing for freelance work.

In the week leading up to your successful audition, how many hours were you practicing each day?

I’d say I was consistently practicing 2-2.5 hours a day. Keep in mind I had a bartending job, taught flute lessons two days a week, and was a part of two regional orchestras, so practice time was limited. 

Around 3 days before the prelim I try to play a lot less because I know I will physically need the energy to get through the rounds, especially in my face. 

Which orchestra are you leaving?

I’ve spent one year out of my masters playing with the Florida Grand Opera and the Palm Beach Symphony in South Florida. 

What were the THREE most important things you did in the week before your audition win that you feel led to your success and why? 

1.) Trying to make sure I focused heavily on my fundamentals the week before. I find that if I feel very connected to the basics of playing, it gives me confidence behind the screen knowing my work is done and I’m in peak shape.

2.) Recording the list every night and listening the next morning with fresh ears, really trying to hear the score and what was going on rhythmically around the orchestra in each excerpt. Then I would practice what I heard. Most of the time just hearing the mistakes would automatically fix things in my coordination.

3.) For this audition I utilized a system of positive imagination with the excerpts, especially the week before. I took a small amount of time to go through and really hear what each excerpt would sound like with flawless rhythm, intonation, sound, articulation, exaggerated phrasing, vibrato, dynamics, note starts, note endings, etc… 

I even did this in my warmup room with each round of excerpts. By doing this, I found that my body naturally wanted to follow what I heard in my head and I felt much more calm and coordinated behind the screen.

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Our biggest congrats go out to Jarrett for his latest achievement. You can follow Jarrett on Instagram here where he generously gives even more tips!