<p>But goaliedad, how could the judges identify the musician unless he or she was a known quantity? You'd have to know the person's work before you'd be able to pick apart their style. The process is fair if neutral judges are in place. Of course if you "know" who the man behind the curtain is, the curtain's purpose is defeated.</p>
<p>My d is a 15 year old violinist & she can identify other violinists by sound, too. She can tell if one is playing the other's violin, as well. She can tell if a live artist is playing the same violin he used in a recording. I don't have such a fine-tuned ear. But if she were to listen to two unknown musicians behind a curtain, she could not tell their race or gender from their playing.</p>