Re: simple answers


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Posted by Rod Mathews on November 04, 2003 at 12:22:20:

In Reply to: simple answers posted by flame tinder on November 04, 2003 at 00:46:22:

Here's an even simpler idea to consider.

Auditions are like going to Baskin-Robbins. They have 31 really tasty flavors of ice cream to choose from. If you go into Baskin-Robbins wanting chocolate ice cream, it doesn't matter how good their strawberry ice cream or vanilla ice cream is. You want chocolate, and that's what you are probably going to buy.

At a certain point in the process, usually in the semi-finals, auditions become similar to buying ice cream if you are on a committee. There were a number of experienced players at the National and New York auditions who could play all the excerpts properly, in tune, with the right style, with a great sound, etc. I know a lot of the folks who were in the semis in New York, and they are all clearly masters of the instrument or they wouldn't have found themselves in that select group. I propose that, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter how well they play if they aren't the "flavor" the orchestra is looking for.

The only thing that you can control is how well you play. If you attend the audition and play as well as you possibly can, you have done all you can do. Everything else is out of your hands. If you aren't what the committee is looking for, you won't get the job.

Seems pretty simple to me.

Rod Mathews
Principal Tuba
Santa Rosa Symphony


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