Klarinet Archive - Posting 001230.txt from 1998/04

From: dap@-----. Paprocki)
Subj: Re: The right to audition
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1998 09:44:10 -0400

If a job (any job not just music) is advertised in the paper is the company
obligated to interview everyone that applies and do they? No and No.

Fantasy.
Some players think they are good enuff for a major orchestra.
They've played principal in the U of What's It orchestra, won a
competition, and they always get praise when performing. They can play all
the excerpts most of the time - let's say their batting average for the
Beethoven 8 solo is 80%. They even did a summer of study at Blossom
Anglewood Festival. They should be allowed to audition for Philharmonic.

Fact.
There are players out there who bat 100% on every audition piece.
They've done professional subbing for six or seven years with some big
orchestras or played in a second tier orchestra for a number of years.
They have been through the audition process many times and have nerves of
steel. They practice 4 to 5 hours a day. They can sight read like mad.
They have studied with major orchestral players and continue to study with
them (not just while they were in school.) They will be allowed to
audition (sometimes).

Unless someone has a view of the big picture of where they stand in
the food chain of clarinet players they don't know how good they are or how
much work they still have to do. Watch out for clarinet competitions and
clarinet conferences. Most of the time the top players, who will be at
orchestra auditions, aren't at competitions or festivals because they're
too busy playing or trying to make a living playing. Also competitions
have age limits, auditions don't. I think this is were paying your dues
comes into play. Wunderkinds, like Ricardo, come along once every 10 or 20
years.

After doing some auditions (20) the "80% of the people there
shouldn't be" is about right. Jonathan, after you change the audition
invitation process why don't you contact the American League and work on
eliminating the DH. I'm not a fatalist just a realist. Have you called the
AFM and complained about the audition process? They will tell you that
they are powerless to dictate changes to orchestras. Each orchestra is
it's own kingdom that is why Chicago invites all, Philly invites all but
already has a short list, Cleveland doesn't use a screen, the Met uses a
screen through the finals, etc.

Dan

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Daniel A. Paprocki

Instructor of Clarinet & Music, Malone College
Adjunct Professor of Clarinet, Kent State University - Stark Campus

dap@-----.net
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