Klarinet Archive - Posting 000631.txt from 1996/09

From: "Daniel A. Paprocki" <dap@-----.US>
Subj: Re: ICA Young Artist Competition - Age?
Date: Mon, 30 Sep 1996 13:00:46 -0400

David,
Please explain why 26 is the magic age? So the competitors can be
professional musicians but not over 26? Isn't this called age
discrimination? I can understand limiting a competition to non
professionals, or high school students, but by age. I know some of the
other competitions like Geneva set the age limit at 29 or 31 or some stupid
arbitrary number that is very subjective (Dan L. defend me) and have alway
wondered how they dream this limit up.
Wouldn't you like going to a job interview or an audition and be
eliminated based on your age? What would you do?
I once brought this up to a Buffet rep as to why there is an age
limit but not a professional limit (open to all non-full time musicians)
and he had no answer. There are no age restrictions in real world
orchestra auditions so why have them in competitions, unless you have some
OBJECTIVE proof that musical talent stops at 26 years of age (31 if your in
Geneva).

Dan (Yes, I'm older than 26)

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Daniel A. Paprocki
Instructor of Clarinet
Malone College
dap@-----.us

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