The October 2006 featured artist of the month is Rick Robinson.

Rick Robinson has been a member of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra string section since 1989 and is also a founding member of the octet, CutTime Players.

Post a question for Rick.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MyAuditions,

Hi Rick,

Great audio files posted on your profile. I didn't know guest artists can do that on their profile. Definitely a nice addition.

I particularly like the CutTime recordings. Do you write the arrangements?

Hello colleagues! I'm honored to be in the spotlight this month and look forward to interacting with you about our industry, the audition process, what I'M doing beyond my orchestra, and whatever.

Let's start with AUDITIONS... given that this is the purpose of this site. There's no question but that taking an orchestra audition is an emotional ROLLERCOASTER where you practice, refine, mock audition (you SHOULD!) and pump yourself UP to feel confident going in... but are left plunging ferociously DOWN if you don't win, make finals or not even the 1st cut!

I took about 2 dozen auditions before I landed with DSO. On MOST of these I never even survived the 1st cut! After enuf of these, I seriously thought about quitting bass on the long drive home!
I felt like I was a good enough MUSICIAN on the job, but found myself to be a POOR AUDITIONER!

So I learned it is important to recognize that AUDITIONING is a very different animal from playing well in the section or even playing an UNACCOMPANIED solo recital! You need to NAIL every lick but you must do it WITHOUT OVERDOING it! I'll explain.

I've sat on the other side of the screen for about a hundred hours now. And I can tell you it's NEARLY just as frustrating on that side too. (I say 'nearly' because our own job is NOT at stake!) After scrutinizing a few candidates tripping up on the same excerpts or playing only 85% (or worse) intonation, the mind grows impatient, starts to wander, nods off occassionaly, or seeks distraction. We start to believe that we can judge the candidate after the 1st few bars. This is not fair, but that's what we're struggling with!

A SOLID candidate generally is one who makes a good OPENING impression and maintains it throughout the round. With intonation in the mid to upper-90s percentile, MACHINE-like rhythm, slightly-exaggerated dynamic contrasts, appropriate styles, good tone, and NO tonal flaws (notes that don't speak). Notice I didn't say anything about phrasing, emotional weight or musicianship! That's because showing personality or EMOTING, even in the solo, can be seen as a negative... as possible ROGUE behavior! Except for principal positions, it's better NOT to risk seeming flamboyant. So don't OVERPLAY!

However personality and experience are a factor BEHIND the screen, where we are called to vote WITHOUT discussion. I am admittedly MORE lenient than some of my colleagues, particularly in the early rounds, and am willing to give someone another shot. Some on the committee REFUSE to advance anyone they wouldn't want to hear in the FINALS, not even to semi-finals, because they feel their time would be wasted.

On top of that, committee members each hear things differently sometimes. This becomes apparent when discussing candidates AFTER voting is finalized... that Suzy thought #8 played really well but George thought #8 bombed! It's perhaps MOST frustrating to be one of a few or even ALONE in voting for a candidate you believe might be THE ONE! You start to doubt yourself or feel cheated! But democracy has spoken so you have to let it go!

So remember that the committee WANTS you to play well! It WANTS to feel like you're NOT wasting its time! So play EVERY round like it's the finals! Play solidly but CONSERVATIVELY! Show experience; not attitude!

Questions?
- Rick

Hi musician!

Yes, I've developed 96% of the arrangements my ensemble CutTime Players perform since 1995. Most of them are transcriptions with the idea of creating virtuoso chamber music using the same licks these instruments already play in the orchestral (original) versions. Hence in The Sorcerer's Apprentice and Till Eulenspiegel, clarinet, flute and violin play these really impressive licks that they already know!

But I've been branching out into piano and chamber lit too.
I use Finale software, which lets you assign keyboard shortcuts and save them in a template so I can work really fast now.
I didn't realize this until recent years but transcribing all these great works has rubbed off on me and I find I can actually compose and connect phrases! It's been very exciting for me to write a large orchestral work and hear it premeired by my own employer! I'm doing pretty good STUDENT work now and hope I might become "WORLD CLASS" someday!

- Rick

Rick,
I have just begun the auditionig process and am finding it a little overwhelming as to be expected. The main thing I notice for myself is that in working my excerpts, I start out really confident and therefore really focused in my practice. But as the weeks go on and the audition looms nearer, I start to lose steam; my confidence waivers and I start to lose that focus. I often start thinking to myself: "Why am I doing this?" or "Am I really ready?" Is this common? And do you have any suggestions as to how I can maintain that initial rush of confidence, focus and ambition? thanks!

Hi evoleb,

I know what you mean... this IS very common... and this may be why I was not such a good auditioner... But it often seemed like I'd make some progress early on, but that improvement would tapper off and so would my SELF-DISCIPLINE. This is a behavioral SPIRAL which should be possible to break by challenging ourselves to play, mock audition with our friends, take (more?) lessons, listen to better players and CDs for inspiration, tips, feedback, and just SHAKE us out of that RUT.

The tradeoff is your gotta ACCEPT what you hear back. It takes EGO and CONFIDENCE to be alone onstage playing with everything you've got! Sometime to EARN that right (from your own subconsience), ya gotta put your ego ON THE LINE, be BROKEN DOWN, and REBUILT! But that's why it's difficult... because it's usually WORTH it!

So just challenge yourself more and recognize opportunities to play more for people/friends/colleagues. They're all around you! Practice with a friend! Why NOT?! You'll feel more confident by doing ALL that you CAN to prepare! EARN IT!

As far as worrying about the competition, my strategy was always to forget about who ELSE was at the audition... your REAL competition is THE COMMITTEE! They're all secretly betting you're NOT gonna be good enuf for them! So it's up to YOU to prove 'em wrong!

Right?

Rick - welcome aboard! Thanks for your very concise, excellent explanation of the audition as a separate animal from other playing situations. Very well said, and sage advice to be heeded by all - of any level of experience.

Rick,

You seem like you would be a great motivational speaker. Tony Robbins could use you, and I mean that as a compliment.

Thanks for all the great advice and hope that you continue to offer your insight on these forums.

Hi Rick,

very impressive stuff, I love the cuttime concept. Have you run across a piece called "Til Eulenspeigel, Einmal Anders"? Would be right up your alley and it has a bass.

I liked the review that said "armchair composer". I wonder if he is an armchair critic?

No questions yet, just stoppin by and saying hi. I will have aome questions as I check out your site more. A like the cut of your jib, a guy who explores music outside of the symphony. Errrr, I do that too

OK, one question: Do you play rock or otherwise play bass guitar?

Thank you gentlemen for the kudos... it's all easier to pontificate on paper and websites than LIVE... but I try!

I'm very glad you like the octet sound Cygnus! As for rock and bass guitar, I've been too happily occupied with classical! That's perhaps WHY I'd like others to feel some of my joy!

As for being called an "armchair" composer, he politely pointed out I just wrote it for "FUN" (or self-expression in THAT case). I hardly expect to go PRO! That was the 2nd thing I'd EVER composed... and I owe alot to Sibelius at that! I'm inspired tho and working on a very cool sextet for strings now.

I HAVE played Einmal Anders and find it rather DISsatisfactory! It hardly sounds like Till! It was a FLUFF piece Strauss wrote under a silly penname. It was hardly worth reading!

I enjoy TRYING to think outside the box. And you have to have SOMETHING to keep your mind working outside the fulltime gig! One needs both a VOCATION and an AVOCATION for balance.

Hello Rick,
I am a native motown musician and remember when you got the job and that my teacher (from the DSO) assured me that you really deserved it! (thought you'd want to know)

Anyway, about what you said about auditions. In my experience I have done best when I have worked towards playing the music EXACTLY how I want to musically; ie how I would want to hear it. I know this goes against what you were talking about (perfect rhythm, pitch - machine like), but when I work in this way it covers those issues and adds my own personal style in place. My most influential teacher told me "if you work towards the music, the technical will fall into place". How true I have found this....BUT....this only works when I really LISTEN and strive for what I would want to hear in a performance. I would not want to hear bad intonation, poor rhythm or flaws in the sound. When I have worked on the music first, I first practice extremely slowly so I get the exact sound and pitch I want (not flaws) on each note. As I speed up I am extremely aware of the rhythm and dynamics. Now here is my question: when I have done section auditions I have made finals, but not the job. Why would a principal player and/or conductor want someone that is less musical or exhibits less knowledge of good phrasing for a section player. All of the musicians in the orchestra need to phrase: all of us need to make music - if only the principal players are the music makers doesn't that limit the ability of the orchestra as a whole to make a musical inmpact on the audience or a great experience for all on stage?

Your thoughts and experiences are appreciate.

In addition - I must say the DSO is an underrated orchestra - they are great! I hope that things are going well there!

Weiner
PS- please excuse spelling errors - I studied music note words!

Hello Weiner,

SURE we want section players who are musical! And I AGREE that technique comes from having phrases make SENSE musically and sounding effortless... And I'll go a step further and ADMIT that I usually vote for the candidates who I believe are more MUSICALLY convincing even if they're not so technically polished (perhaps because that's how I play!).

In fact, I can hardly stand 'DIRECTIONLESS playing' but our string audition committees seem to vote for POLISH over PANACHE in an audition. So my point is that it is SAFER to err on the side of CAUTION and hold BACK from giving a genuine, heartfelt 'performance'. It's NOT a performance after all... but rather a strange LIMBO where the smallest flaw may be held against you! Show MUSICALITY but you must also show CONTROL! My teacher Larry Angell in Cleveland sed, "Better to be EXCIT-ING than to be EXCIT-ED!"

Having sed all that, I just realized I'm talking about section STRING auditions! You being a flutist, it MUST be a bit different for section wind players, being one to a part and called on to solo occasionaly. In fact, I've NEVER sat on a wind or percussion audition committee for DSO, so I'll shut up!

But in the STRING section, we want someone who'll BLEND IN nicely! Someone technically (and musically) SOLID, but NOT a MAVERICK! (like ME! YEEEEhaaaw!)

So I DON'T know what would help you get past finals! But I DO know that if you KEEP making finals, you'll eventually win! Someone once sed, "Talent made a poor appearance, until he married perserverance." So KEEP IT UP!

Thanx for the KUDOS!
- Rick

Rick-
Thanks for the input - it is good to hear that some of my ideas are completely off base. I do know what you mean about polish. (one of my teachers said - notes, pitch, dynamics (ie what is on the page) is a given....so if the given aint there you won't be there (in the orchestra) either.

As for giving advice for string auditions. - my teacher also would encourage me to think of how a string player would bow something and to play for those that don't play your instrument - they will be less forgiving of the difficulties of the instrument - they will just want to hear it done right! Maybe the next time I'm in Detroit I'll come play for you - if you can tollerate all of those high pitches!

W

I'd be glad to hear you!
R