Klarinet Archive - Posting 000889.txt from 2000/09

From: rgarrett@-----.edu
Subj: Re: [kl] Montreal Audition
Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2000 15:22:50 -0400

Walter said:

>> Exerpts........gotta know them cold, be able to play them flawlessly,
>> anytime, anywhere, in front of ANYBODY...if you can't do that, you
>> wont get the job.

Tony Pay responded:

>Oh, come on, Walter. Don't say things like that.
>
>Our culture is quite sufficiently hyped up into mechanical perfection as
>it is. And actually, having sat on audition panels, I don't think it's
>representative of the attitude of the musicians who are listening for
>someone they might want to give the job to.

In thinking about Walter's comment, as an educator, I would never hint to
anyone that they should have excerpts learned any less than flawlessly -
and they absolutely should be able to play them anywhere at anytime. I
honestly don't know about how auditions are run in Europe, but I have been
in many in the U.S. and sat on the panel for several myself, and
technical/mechanical perfection is an important part of the audition. It
isn't the end-all, but the player who misses notes or (especially) is not
rhythmically solid won't make the finals of most auditions. There are
many, many reasons for this distinction.

Sincerley,
Roger Garrett

Roger Garrett
Professor of Clarinet
Director, Symphonic Winds
Head, Recording Studio
Illinois Wesleyan University
School of Music
Bloomington, IL 61702-2900
(309) 556-3268

"A man never discloses his own character so clearly as when he describes
another's."
Jean Paul Richter (1763-1825)

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