Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: simple answers


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Posted by js on November 04, 2003 at 15:50:07:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: simple answers posted by sigh.... on November 04, 2003 at 15:23:09:

Sign up for an audition, and walk down the basement (whatever) hallway past the warm-up practice rooms. Breath control is what is lacking. 98% of the applicants have mastered this to the 85% or so level, and one, two, or perhaps three applicants have mastered it to the 98% level.

Try the exercise. Instead of 6 cents, simply try keeping the pitch within the first two large mark on either side of center (20 cents total discrepancy).

I'm not in love with my opinion, but I believe them: The vast majority of somewhat-hopeful to seriously-hopeful applicants cannot control their pitch within 20...no, 25...no, 30 cents (total discrepancy) on all pitches at all volume levels.

OK...When you show up for your lesson this week with your "famous" teacher, ask them to do the exercise. Time-wise, it should only take up part of your lesson. If they're willing to do it, set a tuner and a metronome on their stand, and look over their shoulder. (You'll likely start hearing the same sorts of comments from your teacher that you usually are offering to your teacher.)
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I think you're missing the point. THIS IS HARD !!!! and that's why (I would very strongly suspect) that the NYP only advanced ONE finalist, rather than three or four. Only one showed up with enough of the primary tool - breath control - to demonstrate his own (whatever...) "flavor" of tuba playing clearly and accurately.

My continued reaction to these relentless "audition threads" is that the committees do not have the luxury of shopping "flavors". With tuba auditions (trying to find a tuba player who can stand up technically and musically to, say, their principal oboist) committees simply must shop for "great", rather than "a-great-example-of-that-particular-type-of-tuba-player" because the acceptable choices, to their ears, are few.


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