Today's guest is Ian Hallas, the newest member of the double bass section of the Lyric Opera of Chicago.  Ian successfully auditioned for Lyric in January of 2016 and joins a section with former Contrabass Conversations guests Greg Sarchet and Andrew Anderson.  Ian studied with Paul Ellison at Rice University and David Allen Moore at the University of Southern California.  Ian also happens to be a former student of mine! We talk through the audition process for Lyric (number of rounds, the audition list, what he played in particular rounds), his routine in the days, weeks, and months approaching an audition, his previous auditions taken, books that have shaped his audition preparation, and advice for people embarking upon the audition trail.  Enjoy!