If you play violin, viola, cello, or bass, you know it's customary to tune your instrument to an A note. When I was in high school, however, I once played for a conductor who wasn't content to leave it at that. He tuned each section individually, string by string. He then announced to the orchestra, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have just spent the last half-hour tuning. We do not have that kind of time to spare."
I thought, "Everyone in this room was judged to be one of the best high school string players in the state. Was the ensemble so horribly out of tune that this overly meticulous tuning was necessary, or are you just trying to establish who's in charge for the next four days? If it's the latter option, the first 30 minutes of tonight's itinerary should have read, 'Feed the conductor's ego.'"
