Klarinet Archive - Posting 000184.txt from 2005/04

From: "Lelia Loban" <lelialoban@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Test results
Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 13:44:09 -0400


Dan Leeson wrote,
>The nationality sound test is over and the results,
>from my point of view, were disappointing because
>so many expressed interest in taking the test, but only
>eight responded with answers. Perhaps the pressure
>of normal daily life prevented the others from
>submitting their responses.

Dan, thanks for going to the trouble to administer this test. I'm one of
those who dropped out and failed to submit answers. Sorry about that, but
as I told Dan via private e-mail after he posted the second or third test
sample, my computer was unable to download the files. The "estimated time"
kept getting longer instead of shorter, until finally the computer would
crash, the keyboard would freeze, and the only way out was a cold boot.
After several tries, I gave up. This computer just doesn't have the right
stuff to download files that large. I told Dan at the time that I would
wait until all the results were in before I said anything on the list,
because I didn't want to discourage other people from trying to
participate. I also offered to roll dice and give answers based on random
chance, but got no reply. :-)

However, after seeing what was in the test, I don't think it could
accomplish the stated purpose, because there are way too many variables
*besides* the players' nationalities. The musicians play composers who
write in vastly different styles, who come from all over the globe, and who
live in different historical periods, too. Some of the players share their
composer's nationality; others don't. The size and type of the ensemble
varies. Moreover, as some people have mentioned on the list, volunteers
downloaded these files on miscellaneous computers with miscellaneous
software and then listened on miscellaneous good, bad and indifferent sound
systems.

Dan, I hope you try this test again under more controlled conditions, at a
ClarinetFest, for instance, where you can sit volunteers down all together
in a room and play them a tape of samples. If what you want to know is
simply whether or not trained listeners can distinguish the nationality of
a clarinet player, then I suggest that you eliminate a lot more variables
by choosing samples of different clarinet players all playing the same
passage. One brief passage from the Mozart concerto would be good, because
that's the piece that just about everyone has recorded.

Lelia Loban
If at first you don't succeed, use more duct tape.

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