Imagine this: you are about to go audition for an advanced band or orchestra. You are preparing yourself for the stares from the judges and the unfamiliar room. As you walk up to the door your heart starts pounding faster. Your hands become sweaty and stiff. Then the door monitor stresses you to not speak when you enter and instead of hearing your name you hear a number called out. As you walk in, instead of seeing the eyes of the people judging you, you see a huge screen that is between you and the judges which prevents either of you to see each other. The door monitor nods at you to play your piece.
This kind of audition is called a blind audition. More bands and orchestras are carrying out this kind of audition to prevent any bias judging against gender. In the past it was unheard of for females to be apart of orchestras. The percentage of women in orchestras have improved, but is still not equal. To solve this inequality problem between the sexes within orchestras, musicians audition without the judges knowing their sex. Through research and experiments, sociologists have found out that being biased is impossible to overcome with humans. An example of a biased thought through music auditions is expecting a boy to play bold and confident, while a girl plays soft and pretty. So, a judge in a traditional audition may see the musician and immediately have in mind what placement they may have based on their gender.
Blind auditions are a great invention. It’s a great step towards gender equality. With this kind of audition it gives both sexes a fair chance at earning their dream spot in the band or orchestra by showing off their hard work and talent.
-Audrey J. Marshall
This kind of audition is called a blind audition. More bands and orchestras are carrying out this kind of audition to prevent any bias judging against gender. In the past it was unheard of for females to be apart of orchestras. The percentage of women in orchestras have improved, but is still not equal. To solve this inequality problem between the sexes within orchestras, musicians audition without the judges knowing their sex. Through research and experiments, sociologists have found out that being biased is impossible to overcome with humans. An example of a biased thought through music auditions is expecting a boy to play bold and confident, while a girl plays soft and pretty. So, a judge in a traditional audition may see the musician and immediately have in mind what placement they may have based on their gender.
Blind auditions are a great invention. It’s a great step towards gender equality. With this kind of audition it gives both sexes a fair chance at earning their dream spot in the band or orchestra by showing off their hard work and talent.
-Audrey J. Marshall