New World fellowships and how they're acquired-winning?
Hi all-
I've been seeing people post how (insert name) WON the spot for (instrument) at New World. I personally have a problem calling this "winning an audition." They were chosen, yes. There is not a union. Screens, which are of great importance, are not used. I have heard it to be very beneficial to get your face in front of the folks at NWS many times over the years so they get familiar with you and see your growth.
Do we want to use the lingo of "winning" when someone gets accepted at a school? How about when someone gets into a chamber ensemble? Did they "win?"
I've never been a fan of calling it winning. I tend to ask when an audition happens, "did they choose anyone?" Chosen is a more comfortable word to me than winning. We aren't "beating" people. We're offering a way of performing music in hopes that it resonates with an ensemble/institution's way of performing music.
This has zero to do with NWS specifically. Amazing institution, great opportunity for anyone who can get involved there.
Plenty of professional orchestras are non-union, or don't use a screen for some or all of their audition process. Sure, many of us wish that all orchestras were unionized and that all auditions were screened, but that's not the case. Are we improving anything by scrutinizing the use of the word "win" in these cases?
That's to say nothing of the fact that neither a union/CBA nor a screened audition process completely prevents auditions from being influenced by outside forces.