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Originally Posted by Uncle Rico Morris says "It is difficult to know if and when your career will bloom, but if you work hard and smart, you will have opportunities." Great advice, but have the "diaper-laden-orchestra-superstars" not done so? (a rhetorical question, unless someone can answer it with certainty). |
Good point, Rico. That's part of what I brought up earlier when I said I could only think of a couple situations where a young audition winner didn't get tenure (on trumpet). If it's principal with a major group, you'll see the "revolving door" thing more often - but not just with young players.
In any case, we should presume that anyone who won an audition put the goods together. I often think of my buddy Mike Tiscione, who won a spot with the Atlanta SO when he was 23 or something ridiculous like that. He practices more thoroughly than anyone else I know. When an audition comes around, there's nothing on the list that he's not ready to play, and his trumpet playing will undoubtedly be in top form as well. I'd bet if most of us held ourselves to that level of scrutiny we'd have more success.
Doing that is awfully painful, though, and requires someone with the strength of mind to be 1.) brutally honest about their weaknesses, and 2.) hell-bent on conquering them. To have this strength as a young person is truly special. But that doesn't mean it can't be learned. Winning a job is a by-product of facing these challenges.