Considering the following: * There are usually 50x as many qualified players as there are jobs, if not more so * Playing perfectly does not guarantee you win an audition * And that little things like when you play, who you hear, and how you prepare can trip you up if you're not careful * AND that even if you do play well the order which you play and who you are next to can have a psychological impact on the listening committee
I don't think that this level of sarcasm is particularly funny. We play a difficult instrument. No matter how good you are, you are never guaranteed a job at any audition. This is reality. I've seen it happen with players that could probably play the phone book if it was possible. Hans seems to think that I don't know how to prepare without even asking how I'm preparing. Now you're assuming I'm such a beginner that I don't know which end to blow on? I'm pretty sure there are some real studies out there regarding performance anxiety, etc. My post was assuming that ceterus parabus you show up well prepared to an audition and that you don't miss. Also, am I odd in that I actually prepare for an audition? Am I on the wrong planet? Let's face it. A lot of work has been done to make auditions as fair as possible. But they are not and NEVER WILL BE strictly objective. There is absolutely no way to remove all subjectivity from any audition. And, until you can you will always have to look at aspects that can affect subjective decisions. My point is (whether people admit it or not) that we are never going to avoid the psychological aspects of playing or auditions - and they DO have an effect on results. -William PS: If you were just being silly, I apologize. But it's very hard to gauge context over the internet. PPS: I also apologize for any "high-school slang" - since Hans complained about it and never once told me specifically what he was referring to. I probably won't drop that :) Concerning audition preparation, here is a way to keep an advantage. Horn components can be confusing. When you arrive at a particularly particularly stressful audition and open your case there is danger of misidentifying all those component bells and whistles and mutes. Beginners might want to copy the following rules onto a slip of paper and paste it inside the horn case: -----Original Message----- From: Steve Haflich <[email protected]> To: The Horn List <[email protected]> Sent: Wed, May 12, 2010 8:56 pm Subject: Re: [Hornlist] Non-Transposing stop mute Luke Zyla <[email protected]> wrote: I ordered a non-transposing stop mute a couple of years ago to give it a try. (Best Brass) I returned it for two reasons. The most important reason was that I was not happy with the sound. It did not sound like stopped horn to me. Secondly, I could not get used to not transposing when using the mute. Old habits die hard. Personally, I always prefer to use hand stopping. That is the sound that composers have in mind, with the exception of some modern composers. I have a stop mute, but I use it very rarely. You are forgetting the most important use of the brass stopping mute: Suppose your horn has become mushy and you suspect a leak somewhere. You can place a small square of plastic wrap (e.g. "Saran Wrap" in the U.S.) over the wide end of the stopping mute, insert it tightly in the bell, and it will form a very tight seal. Blow into the lead pipe and you can either hear any escaping air, or else fill the horn with cigarette smoke before inserting the mute (but _don't_ inhale) and look for escaping smoke when forcing air into the leadpipe end. ========== Concerning audition preparation, here is a way to keep an advantage. Horn components can be confusing. When you arrive at a particularly particularly stressful audition and open your case there is danger of misidentifying all those component bells and whistles and mutes. Beginners might want to copy the following rules onto a slip of paper and paste it inside the horn case: (1) The _narrow_ end of the mouthpiece should be inserted into the _narrow_ end of the horn. (2) When needed, the _narrow_ end of the straight mute should be inserted into the _wide_ end of the horn. (3) When needed, the _wide_ end of the stopping mute should be inserted into the _wide_ end of the horn. (4) Rule (1) is always applicable, but rules (2) and (3) are only necessary for certain marked passages. (5) In any case, remember rules (2) and (3) cannot be effectuated successfully at the same time. Some composers have occasionally missed this limitation, but you are supposed to be a professional horn player, so you cannot be forgetful about this. (1) (2) and (3) are the only wide/narrow combinations that work, except for rare special effects. Reviewing these rules before being called on stage will help get the beginner through the most stressful audition. I'm sure all members of the VPO could rederive these rules without even having to glance inside their cases -- but these are especially experienced and gifted players. _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/valkhorn%40aol.com _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
