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Question: In 2011, does anyone think that there is still a need for auditions for a professional or semi professional ensemble to use screens? Personally, I have always thought it was kinda weird to not be able to see who you were playing for, but understood the necessity of blind auditions 20-30 years ago. Is there still a need for it today?

JJ

Short answer: Yes.

A blind audition is an assurance (but not a guarantee) that the best players will be in the final round. Obviously, sectional playing will not be 100% blind to the section, but those deciding will still not know who is auditioning. Auditions would be more of a "favorite" game to the personnel director otherwise. (at least there is a possibility in my opinion)

Edit: LVJ ya beat me too it, but yes i agree 100%

I also agree with blind auditions. Aside from the reasons already presented, there is another big one we talk about all the time in the tuba world. An assumption will be made if someone walks in with a certain instrument. This would lead to the judge being biased against or for that person, and judging how the person sounds on that particular instrument, and not how that person actually sounds. If a person walked into a orchestral audition with the only BBb tuba and the auditions were not blind, then they could potentially not have as good a chance as the 50 others on CC tubas, no matter how the people on CC played. And then there is brand of tuba.... so blind auditions are a definite 100% needed requirement in the audition scene.

Just my .001 cents!!

Keith "I would be one of the only BBb at the audition" Sanders

Some of you might find this story entertaining.

In 1997 (January I think) I was participating in an audition for the Wind Ensemble at Arkansas State University.* A few faculty members were conducting the audition behind a sheet. I was hearing rumors that the sheet was a sham, and that the faculty members had positioned themselves so they could see who was auditioning.

So I decided to audition wearing a pair of these: I told those around me I was doing it to help calm my nerves. As I walked into the room, I immediately heard one of the faculty members laugh and recognized who it was. Now, I guess it was possibly a coincidence - somebody may have told a joke right at that moment, or they might have been entertaining themselves in between auditions by tickling each other. But I'm pretty sure they could see me.

This wasn't a big deal. For a university wind ensemble audition, who really cares whether or not the audition is blind? But I was annoyed at the time by the prospect of being lied to. And at the next Wind Ensemble rehearsal, the conductor made a big point of saying despite the rumors, the auditions really, really were blind. Whatever.


*I realize that University Wind Ensemble auditions are not professional auditions, and not nearly the "big deal" the participating students make them out to be. To me, that makes the story even funnier.
I've also never been a fan of the terms "Wind Ensemble" or "Wind Symphony." Call it a "band" for goodness sakes.

The blind audition focuses on sound and style rather than gender, race, and equipment.

I'm going along with the crowd. All kinds of prejudice still exists and the screen will eliminate most of it in the prelims. Finals are not held behind a screen so the committee can be prejudiced at that time.

On the other hand, most of the big auditions end up with the finalists playing with the orchestra for a week or so anyway. Any undiscovered prejudices can have an opportunity then.

There are all kinds of prejudices: race, gender, religion, height (ask a short person), attractiveness, education, regional, experience, handicaps, etc. You can't legislate them out of existance, the best thing to do is prepare like Alan Baer did: be the best prepared player, win all of the auditions and choose which job you want.

There is an element of whimsy in auditions. I know of audition where the conductor demanded that the "other" of two finalists be given the position. Why? The committee did not ask for his agreement after they voted, instead they asked before they voted.

I am going bloke and suggest that it might be reasonable to leave the hiring of musicians up to the music director.

I don't think many blind tuba players audition for orchestras.