Author: Meri
Date: 2006-02-27 20:37
What do competitions really judge? Having put a few students through music competitions, I have thought that the people who win the competitions classes are not necessarily the people who play with the best tone, dynamic shaping, phrasing, or musical style. (though that probably should be the case!) It is often the person who picks the hardest piece, even if it is played with a poor tempo, no dynamics, and an average to mediocre sound, especially in the high register. What are some teachers thinking about having an 11-year-old doing a Grade 6 Royal Conservatory of Music Toronto when they don't have the tone or musical sensistivity? Personally I'd rather hear a moderately hard piece performed brilliantly. Especially when you have judges that don't know the particular problems of playing various instruments. (Two of my clarinet students had judges that played flute) Yet the first-place winners of many competitions would likely be commented on improving their tone in an exam--and a second-or third place performer earned an extremely high mark on an exam. (BTW, OmarHo, who is one of my students and a member of this board got a 93 on his RCM Grade 4 clarinet exam last month!)
Your thoughts?
Meri
"There is a difference between being flat and sounding in tune, and being in tune but sounding flat. The first I can live with; the second I cannot."
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The Clarinet BBoard
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