Principle Trumpet vs Principal Trumpet
Yes. I know what some of you (hopefully) are thinking.
“C’mon blogger! Use the RIGHT spelling of the word!!!!”
I have to admit, this is one of my BIGGEST PET PEEVES when I read articles and profiles written by musicians that misspell the title of that first chair orchestral musician. In a day and age where we live and breathe by spell check, we have almost lost our own knowledge (if there was any) of spelling and grammar. All the time, I see one word – an important word – spelled wrong. As musicians, we are constantly writing and updating our resume, trying to market ourselves through websites and social media, while we are practicing. Then we win an audition, and we are so excited to include on our resume that we are the Principle Trumpet of the Intercourse (PA) Symphony Orchestra.
BUT
We forget to actually look at our resume (or any document for that matter) to see if everything is correct. We assume robotic formatting/correction did what it was suppose to do. Many times I have sent a text where auto correct did not do its job – we have all seen those hilarious fails.
“So what if spell check didn’t catch a mistake. Since I didn’t see any red or green squiggles, I must be okay.”
WRONG! Musicians, everything out there that has your name tied to it, reflects YOU! Your Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and other profiles all give an image of whom you are to the rest of the world. If you were applying for a position in a business organization, heaven forbid, if you misspell your title. That could be a make or break moment for you. Remember, musicians – we apply and interview for openings just like the rest of the world. We only use slightly different terminology.
To help put an end to this madness and ignorance, I have looked up each word from Merriam-Webster and included their info below. You can check the pronunciations (pun intended) and definitions of each word for yourself. It’s time to start a campaign – a revolution – for the proper spelling of your title in the Northwest Rhode Island Symphony Orchestra.
PrinciPAL – ADJECTIVE …. (adjective is important!)
– most important, consequential, or influential
PrinciPLE – NOUN …. (again, noun is important!)
– a comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine, or assumption
– a rule or code of conduct. A habitual devotion to right principles
– the laws or facts of nature underlying the working of an artificial device
– a primary source : origin
So given the definition that Webster’s Dictionary has for each word, let’s look at how we could use these words in an example by subbing the “disputed” words for words from their definitions.
PrinciPAL Trumpet – a.k.a., MOST IMPORTANT trumpet, MOST CONSEQUENTIAL trumpet, MOST INFLUENTIAL trumpet
PrinciPLE Trumpet – a.k.a., LAW trumpet, DOCTRINE trumpet, ASSUMPTION trumpet, CONDUCT trumpet, STANDARD trumpet, RULE trumpet, CODE trumpet, SOURCE trumpet, RULE trumpet
You be the judge…..But there really is no debate on the spelling. It’s not a decision of Pepsi or Coke, Chevy or Ford, or Apple and The Other Guys. It’s pretty objective. If you still need verification, here is some more helpful info from that wonderful online encyclopedia.
To close the book on this subject, remember, we ARE and/or are wanting to become professional musicians. Please embrace the word “professional” in every way. “Professional” usually gives off that you are smart and educated.
**Disclaimer: For all ya’ll OCD grammar people, I am sorry if you read this and find grammatical errors. If there any, let me know, and I will fix them. I was just trying invoke some frustration on a topic near and dear to my heart.**
