tpter1

I just got a "thanks but no thanks" letter from an audition I took. Didn't come as a surprise, (I think I can pinpoint my crash) and I feel much better about it now that I've had some time to think about the price of gas, winter driving conditions and the distance for a per-service job. (3 hours one way).

My question is this: the letter thanks me for my audition...for principal trombone. I auditioned right before trombones began (there was one more trumpet candidate, then the 'bones). If they mixed up my results, how possible is it that they mixed up other results? Should I write a letter or call them about this or is this a sign of a poorly run group and I should let it go? My worry is that someone else is reading a similar letter that should be reading a "you're hired" letter.

I don't want to come off as a whiner or obnoxious, but, again, if my results got mixed up, someone else may have been mixed up that should have won a job and didn't. But then again, if that's the case, they will find that out pretty quick when rehearsals for the first concert begin.

Manny Laureano

Glenn,

Let's give them the benefit of the doubt and assign blame to a clerical error as opposed to a poorly-run audition; a "typo", if you will. In per-service groups, you're not going to find the ultimate in professional administrative execution as often as you will in a high-end budget one.

If you were to make a call, make it to find out whether the mistake was regarding your file getting put the wrong pile. So, you let them know that something is awry without accusations.

I expect you'll get an embarrassed apology.

ML

trickg

I would like to jump in here with a thought or two about it. If it was me, I would probably just let it go because if you do call them or write them and bring it to their attention, it may look like you have some sour grapes regarding the whole thing and are trying to finagle your way into the job due to a technicality - even if you are right and you did in fact win the job, they probably won't take kindly to your pointing the flaws in their process, and it will cast a good deal of doubt on the whole audition. Even if you did win the slot and the results were mixed up, they might be more likely to re-audition everyone and pay more attention to their process rather than just righting the initial wrong.

Also, regarding the comment about them finding out quick about the mistake (if there was one) during the rehearsals for the first concert, I'm not so sure about that. There may have been mulitple candidates that were more than capable of handling the job, but the idea of the audition is to find the best candidate - or at least the one that played the best that day. Even if a mistake was made and they accidentally took the #2 or #3 player, they might find that they are more than capable of handling the part, unless there was a huge disparity in ability between the #1 player and the rest. On top of that, it also depends on what they are looking for - the best player for one ensemble may not be the best for another depending on the ensemble and other players in it.

I'm sorry that you didn't get it the job, or at least have the opportunity to turn it down or take it, but I'm with Manny in that it was probably just a clerical error - they probably used a form letter for the "so sorry" letters, and probably just forgot to change "trombone" to "trumpet".

Clarence

hey glenn,
Trial by fire is a good thing!
so what if u didnt get the gig.
Cause you could,ve been missing out on the better one!
Were all were we are spose to be.
fire good!

tpter1

Thanks, guys. I've let it go and I'm ready to move on now. I have a renewed and refreshed reminder of what my students go through in the spring when they go to solo festivals, and Manny's assignment on p125 of Arban's is beckoning after about a 2 week slump. And I still have the wind ensemble to play with, a family who loves me, the greatest students a teacher could ask for, and an adjunct gig at a college. So, thanks again. Time to get ready for the next one. Maybe it'll be closer!