Competition CD-- I really need your advice (and ears)

flutistgurl26 · Post by **flutistgurl26** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 3:06 am

forget it

sidekicker · Post by **sidekicker** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 12:40 pm

You probably won't like what I have to say here, and I'm sorry to have to point this out.

Although I'm not totally sure because I'm not the one who interprets them, what you have apparently submitted may very well have violated NFA rules in at least two respects. As I read the rules, the requirement that all instruments scored be on the recording together means that the recording you submit must be a recording of you and the pianist playing together in that session, not just appearing on the CD at the same time. By playing with the day-old pianist recording, that may not be considered a valid recording of all instruments playing together. The recording you submitted, as I understand you, was one of you and a recording of a pianist, not you and a pianist. Also, separating the pianist's playing the day before and combining it with your playing a day later, may be seen as forbidden editing. To me, it is.

Someone else may have a different opinion or know more about how NFA might judge this, but I don't think what you have apparently submitted (unless I've misunderstood how you put it together) meets the letter or spirit of the competition rules.

Sorry. Hopefully, I'm wrong. If so, good luck and just move on with things until results are released.

SK

fluttiegurl · Post by **fluttiegurl** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 7:21 pm

Just to clarify, it is correct that the flute and pianist be recorded at the same time.

With any competition, read the rules very carefully and if you are not sure about something, ask someone. It takes a great deal of work to be confident enough to enter any major competition. It is a shame when someone does not follow the rules and is disqualified.

flutistgurl26 · Post by **flutistgurl26** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 6:03 pm

Yes, they were both recorded at the same time. I didn't explain well enough. I decided not to post this, though.

fluttiegurl · Post by **fluttiegurl** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 8:57 pm

sidekicker · Post by **sidekicker** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:23 am

flutistgurl26 wrote:Yes, they were both recorded at the same time. I didn't explain well enough. I decided not to post this, though.

So did I misunderstand how you put it together?

In your original post (now apparently removed), I thought you said that you first tried to record together with the pianist on one day and had some problems. To remedy those problems, you did additional takes on the following day, but your pianist could not be there in the studio with you. So you used the piano track recorded in the studio on one day, then combined that with some of the recording you did alone the next day. Maybe I misunderstood, but I seem to recall you noting how much harder it was to try and play/record with a recording of the pianist rather than having the pianist being there live with you at the time on the second day. This (you playing with the recorded pianist track) is what was submitted as I understood what you wrote, and what generated the response I offered.

As I said before, I don't know for sure whether or not doing it this way violates the rules. In my personal opinion it does because competitions are meant not only to test how well you play your part, but also how well you play in a live ensemble fashion. This, at least in part, is why there are rules requiring that all scored parts be played and recorded simultaneously, and why editing within movements is not permitted. Playing with a recording deprives the soloist of controlling anything musically, a trait that is usually an important feature judged in competitions. In essence, one is simply accompanying the accompanist. This is why it was probably so much harder for you to record on the second day.

Perhaps you can clarify things because I think it's important for people who may have seen your original post to have a good idea (by allowing others here who may have more certainty than I on the subject to weigh in on it) of what is and what is not acceptable. Your quote above implies that the recording submitted contains a recording of you and the pianist playing at the same time (i.e., on the same day, time, etc.). That's not the impression left, at least with me, by your original post.

Again, I'm sorry to point out a possible disqualifier and, as I said before, I really hope that I'm wrong. But, IMO, we should make every effort possible to ensure that things crossing the wires here are accurate for people coming in seeking guidance on certain subjects. It's just as important for people to know that I am wrong in my personal assessment of the facts you gave, and why, as it is for them to know that the type of taping I thought you had described does or might violate NFA rules, and why.

Thanks.

SK