One of the faculty duties that I enjoyed was the annual round of admission auditions/ interviews. It provided a fresh view of the orientation and background of incoming students which I found to be valuable when preparing my classes. The most memorable of these took place in the late 80s, involving a young, enthusiastic flute player who was applying for admission to the general program. She played well and had a strong grade average, making her a good candidate. Her answers during the interview were all very confident: she knew what she knew! Near the end of the interview we asked her if she knew anything about Beethoven:
“Yes, I know lots about Beethoven!”
“Do you know if he wrote any symphonies?”
“Yes. He wrote two: the Fifth and the Ninth!”
- Professor Emeritus Timothy McGee