Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-04-09 13:59
Yet again, another spinoff from another post.
It seems to me that clarinetists are encouraged to almost "cheat" by practicing the orchestral excerpts that they are most likely to encounter as a "sight-reading test". I don't even see the purpose of the sight-reading test anymore. If someone does well on it, how do the judges know that it was actually good sightreading versus whether they've run across and practiced that excerpt before? It seems to defeat the purpose of "sightreading".
I also see this stuff in other parts of society. Beauty pageant competitor's practicing their "possible interview questions", so just in case one comes up, they will magically appear to have thought up a wonderful, "spur of the moment" response.
However some searches on the definition of "sight reading" got me these main two . . .
1) Sight reading is reading and playing a piece of music without having seen the sheet music or other musical notation before. ....In some circumstances, such as examinations, the ability of a student to sight read is assessed by presenting the student with a short piece of music, giving the student an allotted time to examine the music and prepare to play the music, then testing the student on the proficiency of how the student plays.
2) Sight-reading -- working definition: Playing unfamiliar music from scores
So now what happens when the orchestra picks a certain person to be the top dog and discovers later that they really can't sight-read worth beans, but just happened to have THOSE particular excerpts under their fingers? Anything?
And I also admit I'll probably study those excerpts as well to do well, however at this point more along the lines because I don't want to lose to someone else who has studied them. So I feel I basically have to EQUALIZE myself and for a fair shot at advancing or getting picked for _____, I have to show that I'm at the same level. Which I won't be if someone has practiced the solo from Mendohlsson's Scherzo a thousand times and I've only heard it in concert or on a CD.
Alexi
Thoughts? Comments?
US Army Japan Band
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