[CAUT] Letters of Recommendation

[reggaepass at aol.com]

Zeno,


Thanks for this.  I have written several such letters over the years, with the same caveats as you, and am curious how common a practice this is.  If someone is actually remarkable to begin with, and I spend enough time with them to get to know them well, I will devote as much time as it takes to put together one humdinger of a rec. letter.  Although few of those for whom I have written letters were my students technically speaking, I can still make relevant observations about how their mind works, their work ethic and the like.  I bolster the pertinence of what I have to say about them intellectually by stating my own academic credentials.  And I know that there are many other "scholar/technicians" out there.


Anyone else?


Alan Eder



-----Original Message-----
From: Zeno Wood <zeno.wood at gmail.com>
To: caut at ptg.org
Sent: Wed, Dec 2, 2009 8:32 am
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Letters of Recommendation


I just wrote one for a student.  He's applying to graduate programs in composition.  I met him when I made a presentation to the student composers on prepared piano (using your video, thanks!), and then he took my short course on piano mechanics for piano players.  He volunteered to come in and do stuff, so I had him re-bush a set of keys, and he did a great job.  He was also self-motivated, did his own research, and overall was very impressive.  I was very clear with him that although I could write him a recommendation, he should also have letters from other people who could comment on his academics, compositional aptitude, etc., because if he only had a letter from the piano tuner, he wouldn't have the strongest application!

-Zeno Wood


On Wed, Dec 2, 2009 at 11:17 AM,  <reggaepass at aol.com> wrote:

I'm just wondering how many of us have ever written a letter of recommendation for people you know through your employment as a CAUT.  A show of hands?


Thanks,


Alan Eder



 
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