Is anyone familiar with the audition process at Charlotte Symphony, NC? The harp audition is less than a month away and no one I know has been invited.

Don't know about this specific situation, but when I was there I had to fight to get every applicant invited to a principal trumpet audition. They had a tradition of screening resumes for some bizarre reason, and it was really not clear just how they were deciding on who to invite. I insisted on inviting everyone, much to the chagrin of the personnel manager, and my colleagues on the committee. We wound up with a very capable field, though, so I thought a point had been proved.

Perhaps they have gone back to screening, which if true is highly lamentable.

As in any such case, though, your colleagues should simply try to make an appeal to the personnel manager. A recommendation email from a prominent musician is also helpful. I know someone planning on attending the upcoming trumpet audition who got invited that way.

quote:

Originally posted by RWhite:
Don't know about this specific situation, but when I was there I had to fight to get every applicant invited to a principal trumpet audition. They had a tradition of screening resumes for some bizarre reason, and it was really not clear just how they were deciding on who to invite. I insisted on inviting everyone, much to the chagrin of the personnel manager, and my colleagues on the committee. We wound up with a very capable field, though, so I thought a point had been proved.

I really commend you for doing this. It shows a lot of character, and a desire to have the best product. Kudos.

Likewise, I really condemn the orchestra for behaving like this. I guess we really do get what we deserve in life. Here's the letter I hope they send out:

"Dear Harp Applicant,

thanks for your interest in our orchestra, which has been consistently fighting for financial survival and is barely hanging on. We're amused that anyone would even consider applying here given the dire financial status. Nonetheless, we've decided that you can't pay a fortune to lug your harp across the country to play five minutes for us, as we've deemed you not worthy of our valuable time.

We don't have any system of who we will consider. Therefore you may be immensely qualified, but we don't really care. Auditions are long and boring, so we want to keep this thing as short as we can, there's a few new reality TV shows that nite that we want to watch. Besides, nobody hears the solo harpist.

We're sorry we didn't tell you all this until right before the audition. Sure, you probably turned down a few gigs to keep the dates open, but now you don't have to pay to lug your harp around so we're actually saving you $$ in the long run.

We have a top-secret policy that we'll consider letters from prominent teachers. It doesn't apply to you, since we didn't tell you about it. Besides, since we told you so late that you've been rejected, you won't have time to get it together.

Once again, thanks for your interest. We hope you keep this confidential, as we don't want to further damage the sterling reputation of our cash-starved orchestra."

Sounds to me like the people running their auditions must also be doing the fund raising and accounting, as well...

I've sat (and suffered) through countless auditions by players who couldn't win a place in a youth orchestra, and yet I still don't understand why any professional orchestra would want to limit the pool of applicants.

Yes, most of the players you'll hear at an open call audition will be wasting your time. But it's five minutes of your time, and that's not much to waste if the best candidate just happens to be some kid you've never heard of.

I wouldn't have been invited to the first audition I ever won if they had been screening resumes. Without the experience I gained in that job, I would never have won the job I have now. One of the best musicians in my orchestra dropped out of a prominent music school and worked as a security guard in Iowa before he won his job with us. Think he would have passed a resume screen?

If I'm running an audition, I want to hear as many people as possible, and I probably want to hear a good percentage of them again in the second round, just to be sure I didn't screw up and toss a good player too early.

I really don't see the need for nasty comments about the orchestra. Those of us who play here are proud of what we do and what we have to offer the Charlotte community. The financial difficulties faced by the CSO are not unique; speculative and derogatory comments aren't helping anything or anyone.

As for the upcoming harp audition I'm sorry if people weren't invited. I do know that in the past resumes were screened (and I believe this was at the request of the former resident conductor) and that there were problems with qualified applicants not being invited. I can tell you that there are a lot of resumes for the harp audition and a very limited amount of time to hear everyone (the audition will be held over two days and the committee speculates that the first day will last well over 12 hours). Additionally, the committee is not splitting and running simultaneous first rounds. Given the time restraints and the time-consuming nature of a harp audition it doesn't surprise me that not everyone was invited.

I can assure you that the musicians and conductors want to find the best person for the job.

If the OP is correct and hasn't even been responded to about an audition that is 30 days away, then your orchestra deserves every comment that you find "nasty". That's disgusting to do that to human beings. There is no excuse whatsoever. Zero, zilch, nada. These people took time to apply to an orchestra, and the orchestra didn't have the friggin DECENCY to respond to them by now? One month from now is heavy gig season, people are assumedly holding dates open and TURNING DOWN WORK because of this.

Smackemup, these are not empty suits. They are people. They worked their asses off all their lives. They are musicians, just like we are. To treat fellow musicians like this is reprehensible. To not give them any indication, one way or another, of an event that's a month away (and involves serious travel and logistics) is amateur hour. Talk about "nasty", geez Louise. That's about as nasty as it gets, so if you have a problem with people talking "nasty" about your orchestra, maybe you can find out who didn't notify anyone and Smackemupsidedahead. THEY. ARE. WAITING.

quote:

Originally posted by smackemup:
I can tell you that there are a lot of resumes for the harp audition...
I can assure you that the musicians and conductors want to find the best person for the job.

Judging musicians by a piece of paper they fill out is like judging swimsuit models by a spelling test.

For the benefit of any students or relative newcomers to auditioning that are reading this discussion, it's helpful to state once again that it is ALWAYS worth getting in touch with an orchestra if your resume is rejected. I know of far more instances of such action resulting in an invitation than not. Stupid, I know, but it usually works. Screening is not unique to Charlotte, and it has little to do with inflated sense of importance. It's still a lousy procedure, but anyway...

While the "limited time" argument is weak, it is often reality for smaller groups like Charlotte. They don't own the hall, and often need to use other venues for auditions. Still, there's no excuse for no communication (a managment error, by the way - not a reflection on the musicians).

Smackemup, while Cygnus is coarse, he is accurate in reflecting the frustration these boneheaded decisions produce (which you and I both know happen time and time again with auditions there).

So awesome, Cygnus and Sam Bergman. Really appreciate your wise words. So, so true. Empathy, people!

quote:

Originally posted by RWhite:


While the "limited time" argument is weak, it is often reality for smaller groups like Charlotte. They don't own the hall, and often need to use other venues for auditions.

10 phone calls will line up a church for free, or a small donation. Listening to audition CDs=Free. Even sending out a "we don't think your resume is that good, but you can still come" letter will reduce the field greatly. There's just no reason that a committee can't hear someone, especially considering the CD option. The orchestra biz is chock-full of stories of someone getting rejected for a mid-size band, then getting a principal spot with a big-boy. It's disheartening to see this pattern continue. Invevitably, a killer harp player will be rejected while some crappy player with a padded resume will be accepted. That's poor musicianship any way one slices it.

quote:

(a managment error, by the way - not a reflection on the musicians).

Fault or no fault, it's absolutely a reflection on the musicians. The applicant doesn't know who is to blame. RWhite, what you did was what others need to do: you spoke up. You were pro-active about the situation. You fought, you won, the orchestra got better based on your backbone and your determination. If only more people would do this and not just blame it on someone else. The players are hiring one of their own, they should be on top of this too and see that everyone is treated properly.

With the "letter from a teacher" thingy, I guess orchestras that do this should decide if they want to be considered "pro" or if they are Interlochen.

To the OP:

Have you contacted the orchestra directly and insisted on being heard at the audition?

Most orchestras that don't hear everyone who want to audition will send out a "Due to high number of qualified applicants, we feel your resume is insufficient to warrant an audition...blah blah blah blah blah blah blah" letters to anyone without significant professional experience. It's nothing personal against any of the applicants.

HOWEVER, if you contact them, tell them you think you're qualified and prepared for the audition, they should give you an audition. I think they count on the fact that applicants who really want the job and will be prepared for the audition, will do this. My wife won a job in which she was initially denied an audition time; the letter sent said there were over 300 resumes sent in! No way to hear 300 people in a few days! It's nothing personal if they don't initially give you an audition.

The vast majority of resumes are similar, a degree or two, maybe three, from respected music schools, some major festival experience, some subbing, maybe semi-finalist or finalist in previous auditions. If they send a letter not offering an audition, don't let that put you down. Insist on an audition, and go prove yourself there.

quote:

Originally posted by mdwbass:
To the OP:


Most orchestras that don't hear everyone who want to audition will send out a "Due to high number of qualified applicants, we feel your resume is insufficient to warrant an audition...blah blah blah blah blah blah blah" letters to anyone without significant professional experience. It's nothing personal against any of the applicants.

But this orchestra hasn't even sent that letter. These people don't know if they are invited or not and it's one month away, according to the OP.

Harp audition

Audition dates: Sunday & Monday, November 13-14, 2011 in Charlotte, NC


24 days away. Wow.

^ Well, that's a tactic too. Nothing against Charlotte in particular (I got invited the only time I sent a resume there, so I guess I'm special), but some places simply put off answering. In my speculative opinion, it's to avoid the whole call-the-personnel-manager-and-try-to-talk-your-way-into-the-audition scenario.

Thanks everyone for your advice. Invites went out yesterday. I have been accepted as have several friends.
The only remaining issue is that my orchestra has a 28 day release clause and I have a masterworks on Sat. and Sun.

quote:

Originally posted by Music4me:
The only remaining issue is that my orchestra has a 28 day release clause and I have a masterworks on Sat. and Sun.

This is exactly why this is a rookie move on the part of the folks running the audition.

I'm sorry, but do the people who are auditioning get to be so irresponsible regarding attention to detail? Not if they hope to make it out of the prelims...

Can I ask a slightly off-topic question? Why is a cash-strapped orchestra even hiring a full-time harp in the first place?

quote:

Originally posted by CounterPoint:
Can I ask a slightly off-topic question? Why is a cash-strapped orchestra even hiring a full-time harp in the first place?

They are not so "cash-strapped" that they've needed to reimagine the number of contracted positions. I should point out that in some respects, Charlotte's finances are on the mend. We're not talking about Charleson (SC).

To the OP, sounds like it wasn't a screening issue after all, which is good. Sounds like they still don't have their s*^& together in the office, which is bad.

A friend of mine finally heard back from Charlotte this week about their upcoming Principal Trumpet audition. The audition is in 8 days.

He now has to make travel plans and rearrange his schedule in order to go. 8 days notice. Doesn't really make one want to be a part of the organization, does it?

quote:

Originally posted by bulldog:
A friend of mine finally heard back from Charlotte this week about their upcoming Principal Trumpet audition. The audition is in 8 days.

He now has to make travel plans and rearrange his schedule in order to go. 8 days notice. Doesn't really make one want to be a part of the organization, does it?

If what happened to your trumpet playing friend is true, then it would be safe to say in a non-speculative and non-derogatory way that this orchestra does not inspire people to want to play there. I'm going to be curious about the outcome.