[blml] Groundhog Day [SEC=UNOFFICIAL]

[richard.hills at immi.gov.au]

Richard Hills blml posting 14th May 2004:

>Context plays a part in subconsciously
>biasing a player's selection of logical
>alternatives.  But context might also play a
>part in subconsciously biasing a TD away
>from the requirement of an impartial
>judgement of the facts.

[big snip]

Richard Hills blml posting 7th February 2007:

Screens are used in some bridge events to
filter out extraneous information.  And
screens are used by some orchestras, for the
same reason, when recruiting new employees.

Malcolm Gladwell, Blink, pages 245-248:

>>There were thirty-three candidates, and
>>each played behind a screen, making them
>>invisible to the selection committee.

[snip]

>>so for the sake of fairness, the
>>Philharmonic decided to make the first
>>round of auditions blind.  Conant was
>>number sixteen.  She played Ferdinand
>>David's Konzertino for Trombone, which is
>>the warhorse audition piece in Germany

[snip]

>>After she left the audition room, the
>>Philharmonic's music director, Sergiu
>>Celibidache, cried out, "That's who we
>>want!"

[snip]

>>when she stepped out from behind the
>>screen she heard the Bavarian equivalent of
>>whoa.  "Was ist'n des?  Sacra di!  Meine
>>Goetter!  Um Gottes willen!"  They were
>>expecting Herr Conant.  This was Frau
>>Conant.

[snip]

>>The Munich Philharmonic had one or two
>>women on the violin and oboe.  But those
>>were "feminine" instruments.  The trombone
>>is masculine.

[snip]

>>Conant had no choice but to take the case to
>>court.

[snip]

>>But then another round of battles began -
>>that would last another five years -
>>because the orchestra refused to pay her on
>>a par with her male colleagues.  She won,
>>again.  She prevailed on every charge, and
>>she prevailed because she could mount an
>>argument that the Munich Philharmonic could
>>not rebut.  Sergiu Celibidache, the man
>>complaining about her ability, had listened
>>to her play Ferdinand David's Konzertino for
>>Trombone under conditions of perfect
>>objectivity, and in that unbiased moment he
>>had said, "That's who we want!" and sent the
>>remaining trombonists packing.  Abbie Conant
>>was saved by the screen.


Best wishes

Richard James Hills
Divisional Executive Officer unit
People Services, Values & Training Division
Department of Immigration and Citizenship
(02) 6225 6285

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