Klarinet Archive - Posting 000811.txt from 1998/08

From: gerhardt@-----. Gerhardt)
Subj: Re: [kl] Bad Audition (on bass clarinet)
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 10:09:20 -0400

On Aug 27, 5:30pm, you--and you know who you are--wrote:

> Saying nothing and smiling is not dishonest - diplomatic, perhaps but the
> smile could be because you're wearing a great shirt and does not have to
> be connected to your audition.

Certainly, the smile on the judge's face would be the last thing on my mind as
I leave an audition room. ("Where's the bathroom?" seems more likely.) Even
if I did notice, however, I would not naturally assume that he was doing so to
hide anything.

Nevertheless, if the judge really hated how I played, I would *not* want
him/her to hide it, but to be "honest" with me. My motivation for being in
school is not to make "first chair," but to learn to become a better musician.
I am truly interested in the judge's honest reaction.

> the place for making rational decisions about your playing is
> in your private lessons, sectional rehearsals, juries (maybe), master
> classes and the like. The audition process serves the purposes of the
> orchestra or band as a group, not the student or player as an individual.
> The auditioner is looking to put together the best group possible, not
> necessarily teach.

This I can understand. It is not always possible to offer comments after an
audition, and one cannot naturally *expect* comments to be made available.

My disagreement, however, is with the converse notion that Edmund White's
judge *should* have "kept his thoughts and reactions to himself." I stand
in defense of the judge who WANTS to make comments, even if the comments wind
up being nothing but horse pucky.

> I also believe an adjudicator should be non-comittal at least until AFTER
> all auditions are complete and decisions made.

An adjudicator, by definition, cannot be noncommittal. They have to notice
things that they like and things that they don't like if they are going to
perform their job of adjudicating.

--
Scott M. Gerhardt <gerhardt@-----.com>
5F 55 E8 3E AA 08 68 9A 58 CA 7C B1 B4 BE 24 B6

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