Lyric Opera of Chicago--Principal Tuba

[Steve Marcus]

Chris,

Your concern is well-founded.

However, I quoted the official posting from the Intermezzo, the monthly newsletter issued by the Chicago Federation of Musicians, Local 10-208 of the AFM.

[Watchman]

Please note that only highly qualified candidates should apply.
The audition committee of the Lyric Opera Orchestra reserves
the right to dismiss immediately any candidate not meeting
the highest professional standards at these auditions.

I hate lines like this in an audition notice. Wouldn't it be more honest to simply say, "Don't bother applying if you don't already have a performing job."?

Yeah...because people never ever EVER come out of nowhere to win jobs.

Honestly, if this is your attitude, you have mentally killed your chances before you've even played a note. I think all this means is, "if you show up at the audition and suck, we can kick you off the stage and are not required to provide you with any explanation." The term "highly qualified" carries an implication that they are looking for somebody with experience, but I've seen many occasions where the experienced person loses out to the unemployed person who plays better at the audition. In a nutshell, just practice and do a good job and don't waste time dissecting the "meaning" of the announcement.

[CC]

[happyroman]

Please note that only highly qualified candidates should apply.
The audition committee of the Lyric Opera Orchestra reserves
the right to dismiss immediately any candidate not meeting
the highest professional standards at these auditions.

I hate lines like this in an audition notice. Wouldn't it be more honest to simply say, "Don't bother applying if you don't already have a performing job."?

I have always had an opposite opinion regarding this statement. For years, it was very frustrating to see qualified younger players, with little professional experience to beef up a resume, not be invited to auditions. The CSO has had this policy for as long as I can remember. They will literally hear anyone and everyone that wants to audition, regardless of their prior experience. My belief is that they are supremely confident in their ability to choose the best player and do not need to screen out those who haven't proven themselves by winning someone else's audition. As a result, they have selected some outstanding new members, some of whom would not have been granted an audition from other orchestras.

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that Phil Smith's professional experience prior to winning the spot vacated by Vincent Chicowitz was with the Salvation Army Band of NYC. It may be an urban myth, but I was told he used a Bb trumpet to win the audition. He was told by the other auditionees that he had no chance of winning unless he was playing a C trumpet. After winning, he supposedly walked past the other applicants holding the Bb up in front of their astonished faces. Its a great story, even if it may not be true!

Edit: I just did a little research on Phil, and here's an excerpt from an interview he did recently for CNN.com. According to this, there must be at least a grain of truth to the above "urban myth."

Q: How did you get your first orchestra job?

A: Near the end of my time at Juilliard, I started taking auditions and trying to find my way into the workplace. Three announcements for trumpet auditions came up. One was in Calgary, Canada -- I sent a letter of application and they didn't even respond. The other was in Honolulu -- I sent a letter and they wrote back and said I didn't have enough experience on my resumé. The third one was in Miami. They actually gave me an audition date, but it conflicted with a date I had playing with the New York Salvation Army Staff Band, so I couldn't make the audition date.

So my first audition, in November of '74, was for the Chicago Symphony. I knew there was no way I was going to win this -- I was this kid, this greenhorn, "Phil Who?" Well, I ended up winning the audition. I was shocked. I started with the Chicago Symphony in January of '75.

[Curmudgeon]

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that Phil Smith's professional experience prior to winning the spot vacated by Vincent Chicowitz was with the Salvation Army Band of NYC. It may be an urban myth, but I was told he used a Bb trumpet to win the audition. He was told by the other auditionees that he had no chance of winning unless he was playing a C trumpet. After winning, he supposedly walked past the other applicants holding the Bb up in front of their astonished faces. Its a great story, even if it may not be true!

Edit: I just did a little research on Phil, and here's an excerpt from an interview he did recently for CNN.com. According to this, there must be at least a grain of truth to the above "urban myth."

Q: How did you get your first orchestra job?

A: Near the end of my time at Juilliard, I started taking auditions and trying to find my way into the workplace. Three announcements for trumpet auditions came up. One was in Calgary, Canada -- I sent a letter of application and they didn't even respond. The other was in Honolulu -- I sent a letter and they wrote back and said I didn't have enough experience on my resumé. The third one was in Miami. They actually gave me an audition date, but it conflicted with a date I had playing with the New York Salvation Army Staff Band, so I couldn't make the audition date.

So my first audition, in November of '74, was for the Chicago Symphony. I knew there was no way I was going to win this -- I was this kid, this greenhorn, "Phil Who?" Well, I ended up winning the audition. I was shocked. I started with the Chicago Symphony in January of '75.

My wife's cousin replaced Phil Smith in the CSO (Tim played from 1979 until he retired in 1996) after playing in Germany for a time.

They listen to 140 candidates when Time was selected...

[DP]

They listen to 140 candidates when Tim was selected...

Selection/player's committee's paid by the hour, yes?

[Curmudgeon]

They listened to 140 candidates when Tim was selected...

Selection/player's committee's paid by the hour, yes?

Ya gotta wonder!

I just would have liked to have had a piece of the alcohol and aspirin concessions!

[bloke]

I can't even listen to ten minutes of a solo tuba c.d...

[DP]

They listened to 140 candidates when Tim was selected...

Selection/player's committee's paid by the hour, yes?

Ya gotta wonder!

I just would have liked to have had a piece of the alcohol and aspirin concessions!

People will do anything, it seems, and dream up any sort of rationale for doing it,
regardless of the feigned pain, and in false honor of "the value" ... just to collect a buck

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Honestly, if this is your attitude, you have mentally killed your chances before you've even played a note. I think all this means is, "if you show up at the audition and suck, we can kick you off the stage and are not required to provide you with any explanation." The term "highly qualified" carries an implication that they are looking for somebody with experience, but I've seen many occasions where the experienced person loses out to the unemployed person who plays better at the audition. In a nutshell, just practice and do a good job and don't waste time dissecting the "meaning" of the announcement.

It's not an attitude, it's an observation. With the multitude of very good tuba players graduating from very good teachers at very good music schools and the continuing decline of available jobs, it's not surprising that orchestras are taking some steps to limit the number of those invited to auditions. Dismissing those without professional orchestral experience is a logical choice however "unfair" it may seem to those who haven't gotten a chance.

I just wish they would be open and honest about it.

[happyroman]

Honestly, if this is your attitude, you have mentally killed your chances before you've even played a note. I think all this means is, "if you show up at the audition and suck, we can kick you off the stage and are not required to provide you with any explanation." The term "highly qualified" carries an implication that they are looking for somebody with experience, but I've seen many occasions where the experienced person loses out to the unemployed person who plays better at the audition. In a nutshell, just practice and do a good job and don't waste time dissecting the "meaning" of the announcement.

It's not an attitude, it's an observation. With the multitude of very good tuba players graduating from very good teachers at very good music schools and the continuing decline of available jobs, it's not surprising that orchestras are taking some steps to limit the number of those invited to auditions. Dismissing those without professional orchestral experience is a logical choice however "unfair" it may seem to those who haven't gotten a chance.

I just wish they would be open and honest about it.

I think that you miss the point of this statement, Todd. This allows the audition committee to allow anyone that feels they are qualified to audition. They are not screening out players who lack professional experience. However, the player may only get to play briefly if it is obvious they do not meet the desired standard.

I personally think that this is one of the best possible solutions. There are many players that could win an audition who lack significant experience. I seem to recall that Carol Jantsch was an undergrad at Michigan when she won the Philly job. Now, Philly invited players to audition based on submitted tapes. She may have had a difficult time being heard simply based on her resume.

In either case, these are two reasonable ways to hold auditions. Have players submit tapes that can be listened to at the convenience of the committee, or invite everyone and hear them over a couple of days. Either way, if the player is not up to the job, they don't have to hear very much to know it, and can quickly move on to the next tape/player.

[Doc]

- interchangeable recirculating balls of varying sizes (to match the vibrato of the soloists)

A mouthpiece with it's own balls? Interesting innovation!

Where to the balls go? On your chin? That would be cause for some interesting names for the mouthpiece. And let's hope the auditioner is behind a screen. Couldn't be taken seriously with that kind of equipment.