Ever applied for a job or audition and felt you were totally unprepared?

Many years ago, I was recommended to audition for a West End Theatre Show. It was South African and called ‘Umoja – The Spirit of Togetherness’. 

Their drummer had a health issue, and they had tried several drummers, but it wasn’t working out. The music was tricky and the show was in trouble because it featured a lot of dancing!

When I arrived for the audition on a Friday morning at the New London Theatre, they were trying out another drummer. I could hear he wasn’t cutting it. Then it was my turn. I played through one piece of music. The keyboard player who was the Musical Director asked me if I could start that night.

I said, yes, I can.

I asked for the drum charts? There weren’t any. So, I grabbed my pad and pencil from my bag and started transcribing.

14 Songs!

I’d never seen the show or heard the music. After I had all my charts in place we ran through each song fully once to make sure everything was fine. And that was it.

I played that night and after the first half of the show I turned to climb down the stairs of the raised stage we were playing on. The whole cast was at the bottom of the stairs and clapped and cheered as I climbed down. It was an emotional experience and one which I treasure.  

Why did I get the gig?

• I knew I had the experience to handle the music
• But more importantly, I went prepared

Had I not been able to chart out the music, there is no way I would have remembered 14 songs.

So, the moral of the story is: if you’re tasked with something and want to minimise the chance of failure. Be prepared! Expect the unexpected, because you never know what might be thrown at you.

Georg Voros is a musician and performance specialist with 45+ years of top-level experience and author of two books on performance. He delivers high-impact workshops on productivity and flow, and offers tailored mentoring packages to support personal growth and achievement. Learn more at www.vorosperformance.co.uk

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Photo: The Umoja Band backstage