#topmusicians

By Professor Sound

Recently, we selected the inaugural members of RSG Elite, our new audition-only band program. Read on to learn about why auditions are important, how RSG Elite’s audition went, and what’s in store for the selected musicians.

The RSG Elite Audition Process

RSG Elite consists of up to three singers and two guitarists, a bassist, a keyboard player, a drummer, and an optional percussionist. Five players were selected from nearly a dozen extremely talented music students who auditioned. The audition itself consisted of learning two advanced songs from the ever-popular 1980s library – “Barracuda” by Heart and “Two Tickets to Paradise” by Eddie Money – as well as a solo piece selected by the musician to demonstrate their best work to date.

But what the candidates didn’t know was that we also planned to test how quickly each student can learn a new piece.

Why Auditions Are So Important

“I wanted to keep everyone on their toes,” said Doug Bond, RSG’s Director of Operations, in reference to the surprise piece he sprung on the students. When the musicians arrived for the audition, Bond said they had 10 minutes to learn the chorus of “Centerfold” by J. Geils Band. Students quickly jumped into action, scrambling to move into lesson rooms and pull up tabs, videos, and other online material to learn the song quickly. Then, they jumped straight into rehearsal. 

Bond explains the importance of auditions further, saying “every music school provides instruction and music lessons, but only the great ones cater to students yearning for a chance to prove themselves and demonstrate confidence. It’s that self-confidence coming through careful practice that will serve as the most important life skill we can teach at Ready Set Gig.”

What’s In Store for RSG Elite

With the audition process over and the band members selected, RSG Elite Band players will spend the next 20 weeks focusing on advanced play techniques as they learn very challenging cover songs. They will also learn the basics of studio production and recording, with opportunities for original songwriting exercises for the kids to work together. Another component of RSG Elite is learning more about online promotion by reviewing how bands use social media and online venues to promote their work, through Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Patreon, and other sites. Musicians will also learn more about audition-only opportunities as they prepare for highly selective programs in Las Vegas and elsewhere, such as the House of Blues Music Forward Foundation’s Bringing Down the House program, Global Battle of the Bands, and Las Vegas Academy. Finally, RSG Elite players will serve as ambassadors for the school, through live performance and as community volunteers.