Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Canterbury, 2009. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 447-458). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Includes abstract.|Includes bibliographical references (leaves 88-92). / The aim of this study is to research and asess the audition techniques of youth orchestras globally. The researcher aims to provide more information regarding a very important tool in the education of young musicians from all walks of life. The researcher will make use of the opportunity to discuss important aspects regarding the audition procedures, which has to be examined closely in order to have well balanced youth orchestras. The researcher feels that it is imperative to also realise the important role that youth orchestras play in creating excellent professional orchestras. Furthermore, the researcher aims to create a model for audition procedures. The researcher will assess all information at her disposal in order to create a model that shee feels will ensure fair auditions. It must be emphasised that this is a proposed modrel only and it will not be implied that the model must be used in its entirety in order to create fair auditions. The researchers is fully aware of the fact that each orchestra has a unique set of circumstances which has to be taken into consideration when executing auditions.

Detta arbete består av en undersökning om några professionella musikers (violinister) syn på förberedelser inför en provspelning. Detta inkluderar tankar och strategier de använt för att förbereda sig på bästa sätt för att möta de utmaningar musiker ställs inför vid en provspelning, samt vilka råd de anser viktiga att förmedla till andra om innehållet i dessa förberedelser. Undersökningen gjordes genom kvalitativa intervjuer med fyra musiker ur Göteborgs Symfoniker.Följande viktiga resultat framkom i undersökningen. Ingen av informanterna hade fått någon utbildning i hur de kunde förbereda sig för en provspelning men samtliga hade värdefulla erfarenheter och råd om hur goda förberedelser bör göras. Musikernas råd och strategier kan hänföras till en eller flera av följande fyra kategorier; färdigheten på instrumentet, färdigheten att framträda, träning inför den specifika situationen samt mental inställning. De olika kategorierna betonades på olika sätt av samtliga informanter och de gav ett flertal råd inom varje kategori. / This essay contains an investigation on some professional musicians' (violinists) views on how to prepare for an audition. It includes thoughts and strategies they've used to best prepare themselves to embrace the challenges musicians face at an audition, and what advice they consider important to communicate to others in their preparations. My research was conducted through qualitative interviews with four musicians from the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.These were the more important results of the investigation. None of the musicians had been taught how to prepare for an audition, but they all had valuable experience and advice on how to prepare as well as possible. The musicians' advice and strategies can be put into one or more of the following four categories: instrumental skills, performance skills, preparation for the specific situation and mental attitude. Each category was emphasized through a variety of ways by the informants, and they also provided advice applicable within each category.

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, 2010. / Background: Professional orchestral string musicians are exposed to many physical and psychological stressors due to demands placed on them from playing their instruments. The prevalence of performance-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMD’s) in this highly skilled group of individuals has been investigated internationally, consistently showing a high injury rate. There is however, a paucity of literature documenting the prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries in South African professional orchestral string players. It is hypothesized that South African trained orchestral string musicians may be at a greater risk for PRMD development due to the unique training and performance environments encountered in this country. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the demographic and injury profile; prevalence rate of current injury and risk factors for musculoskeletal injury in South African professional orchestral string musicians. Method: The study utilized a self administered quantitative questionnaire distributed to all string players in the three professional orchestras in South African in a semi-supervised fashion. SPSS version 15.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA) was used to analyze the data. A p value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. iv v Results: There were 27 respondents, with the average participant being a Caucasian, right handed, non-smoking female, 37.11 years of age, 1.5631 meters tall, with a weight of 62.96 kilograms (BMI = 25.768) who exercised regularly (primarily in the gym). A bachelors degree in Music was the most commonly awarded qualification, obtained between the years 2000 and 2009, from a University outside of the Republic of South Africa. The prevalence of PRMD’s in the sample was 63% (n = 17), with a 95% confidence interval of 42.4% to 80.6%.In this study there was a high rate of injury (6.53 PRMD’s per player over a 12 month period), equating to 111 reported injuries in a population of 27 string players. The upper back (defined as the area between the shoulder blades) was the most commonly injured part of the body (77.8%, n = 21), followed by the upper extremity, mainly the shoulder (70.4%, n = 19). No statistically significant relationships were found in determining and confirming expected risk factors in the string players. Conclusion: Professional orchestral string musicians in South Africa suffer from a high rate of injury which is comparable to international studies of the same nature