By Alia Blackburn
Chosen out of a pool of more than 200 musicians from around the world, a Ball State professor now will play oboe for the Lexington Philharmonic.
Along with Aryn Sweeney, eight others were selected to join the orchestra, which is known across the region.
Sweeney has played oboe since she was in middle school.
“I thought it was a real long shot when I went to go audition,” Sweeney said. “I was really just going to see what would happen, I did not really think further along than that.”
Auditions were advertised for the Lexington Philharmonic internationally. The applicant pool ranged from musicians far and wide from states in the U.S. to as far as Australia. The nine members will occupy the wind, brass and strings sections.
Kelly Whelan, general manager for the Lexington Philharmonic, said the applicants have to come prepared with difficult repertoires for their instrument.
The applicants go through a first round in which they perform a blind audition, where the committee does not know who they are. Those that pass will move on to the second and third rounds, until the committee selects the new members.
Going into the audition, Sweeney said she kept a positive attitude, which she felt took the pressure off her audition.
“I went in not expecting too much,” Sweeney said. “It wasn’t a situation where someone walks in needing the job. I was already secure with my own life, career and family.”
Sweeney mentioned the audition opportunity to her students, encouraging them to try out themselves.
“Most of my students were very familiar with the audition pieces, and I really wanted them to do it, so I kept pushing them to sign up and go for it,” Sweeney said.
Practicing what you preach is a motto Sweeney said she lives by when it comes to her students. If her students were going to audition, Sweeney thought she should join them as well.
“I did it for my students, and I thought it would help me become a better teacher for them,” Sweeney said. “I got to learn the material more and was able to give them all this advice for auditioning. I want to make sure I am a good role model for them.”
Sweeney encourages her students to go after any opportunities that are given to them.
“You have to take advantage of everything that comes your way,” she said. “You may not end up in the place you expected, but you will learn so much along the way.”
Whelan said Sweeney has been a “wonderful addition” to the Lexington Philharmonic.
“Clearly, [she] was very capable, she showed leadership ability, but she was the best candidate of all those that auditioned that day,” Whelan said.
