As a student of an orchestral instrument, one of the cornerstones of your performing world should be positive role models – individual musicians, ensembles, as well as people outside of your performing sphere – for instance, how would you like to be able to perform in an audition with the same in-The-Zone calm, confidence, and control as Barack Obama?

Often, especialy from younger students, I hear and read that so and so is the *best* trumpet player in the world, such and such is the *best* orchestra – as if a musician and group of musicians could be rated on a scale from 1 to 10.

I believe that this is an unfortunate miscalibration by many younger students, stemming perhaps from a competition-driven dog-eat-dog society or educational institution.

As I mentioned, positive role models are important, but the younger student needs to understand that music and musical performance is subjective, and that there is an immense difference between a person being the ‘best’ at something, and a person’s intepretation ‘appealing’ the most.

I’ll try to give a concrete example. On July the 6th, 1912, Don Lippincott was the fastest man on the planet, running 100 metres in 10.6 seconds. This is not subject to interpretation, rather, it is a concrete fact. On August the 16th, 2009, Usain Bolt was the fastest man on the planet, with his time for the 100 metres recorded at 9.58 seconds. The medium for determining who was the best, or fastest, is fixed – that is, time.

Using trumpet players as an example,  there is no medium or method for categotically proving that one trumpet player is the ‘best in the world’. Even if official high/low note, loud/soft, or speed-playing competitions were to exist, these elements in themselves have nothing to do with music – and a trumpet player is first and foremost a musician.  Yes, musical competitions do of course exist, and all things being equal, an excellent performer will come away with the 1st prize. However, at the highest levels, it is often a case of subjectivity which determines a ‘winner’ from a ‘runner-up’. In other words, perhaps a different judging panel would have chosen a different ‘winning competitor’.

So, philosophical discussion aside, the message to young musicians is this:
Listen. Listen to many performers – performers of your instrument, performers of other instruments. Listen to many orchestras. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic, NY Phil etc etc – not one of these orchestras is the ‘best’ – but they are all excelent and all worth listening to. You may have your favourite – and that’s ok – but please avoid the trap of saying ‘such and such’ or ‘so and so’ is “the best”.

Now, with that in mind, my next post is of the Berlin Philharmonic performing a few minutes from Strauss’ Alpine Symphony. For a R.Strauss style and sound I prefer the Berlin Phil, but that’s just me