Monday YouTube Fix: Dale Clevenger on Audtion Preparation
Andrew Hitz
What a find this video recent addition to YouTube is!
We recently lost one of the greatest horn players to ever live, former Principal Horn of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Dale Clevenger.
This video from 1983 is an almost hour-long deep dive into preparing for an audition. He also plays examples throughout.
It is a gift to be able to hear someone at this level talk at such length about something this specific in 1983. Videos like this were not commonplace back then!
Here is his breakdown of topics with the sub-headers used in the video:
1. Tone Quality
Consistency
Steadiness
Beauty
2. Rhythm
Pulse
Inner Rhythm
Tempo
3. Intonation
Key you are playing in
Scale degree in that key
Placement in diatonic intonation
Tendencies of your instrument
4. Instrumental Technique
Articulation
Bowing
Tonguing
Breathing
5. Style and Phrasing
Poetic and dramatic expression
Personality
Listener interest
6. Technical Prowess
7. Control
Extreme dynamics
Extreme registers
8. Ensemble Technique
Projection
Balance
9. Experience
Knowledge of standard repertoire
10. Requirements of position
Doubling
Specialized literature
Special effects or techniques
11. Interpretive style
Flexibility
Tone color
Vibrato
Timbre
There’s an awful lot to unpack in this one.
Enjoy!