Wow. That was stressful just to read. Really well written and a fascinating account. Thanks for posting this; I would not have seen it otherwise.

I was trying to explain to a young man the other day that to achieve world-class status only begins with perfect technique, that only thereafter can a performer take his or her craft to its topmost level. He was like, "No no no, there are sufficient opportunities to allow for shortcomings." I could only shake my head.

I have a music performance degree and am friends with many pros, including a guy who was featured in the PBS opera documentary of the same name (he's a semifinalist).

As I said when I posted this on Facebook today, it's experiences like this that make me glad I chose the much more stable and lucrative career of journalism.

I hang around on the fringes of the professional music scene, and having seen what it can do to truly talented people, I'm very glad to be making my living another way. Luckily there are many opportunities in this country to make very good music with fantastic people, with none of that stress.

That article raises more questions than it answers, though; it left me wondering what kind of preparation was done by those who DID make the cut. Surely they can't all have worked 20-days and wrecked their marriages?

Shoulda used beta blockers like everybody else. That's where the top auditioners get their edge now.