...As a Performance Major at Conservatory, I would have to go through a 'Jury' each semester. The string Professors would listen to me play, and decide if I was playing well enough to continue in the Major. You never knew what to expect...once, I just played 4 octave scales for 20 minutes. I griped to my cello Professor afterwards, and he just chuckled, and said..."If you can't play scales, well, good luck on the Dvorak."
One semester, I was working on a very difficult modern sonata written by Lockram Johnson. I was in 'thumb position' most of the time, and it is a very angry work. It also has a passage of strumming pizz. When I showed up for my 'Jury', they told me to play the sonata. I set up, took a deep breath, and got into it. I actually got emotionally involved...and when I got to the 'pizz'...I was actually angry!
I strummed with my middle finger, and tore open the tip!
I finished, but there was blood over my cello, my dress, and the floor.
The Professors just stared at me for a moment, and quietly spoke. I VERY BRIEFLY thought of sucking on my middle finger...but decided against it...it would be rude, so I just wrapped it in the hanky I always draped over the left shoulder of my cello.
They told me, "You can continue as a Performance Major, but calm down a bit when you 'pizz'.
I slunk off, and after packing and cleaning my cello...went to the Student Health Center. They just taped it up, I didn't need stitches, although the Nurse was having trouble keeping a straight face as I explained to her what had happened.
