Originally Posted by Bass Thumper
The only example that comes to my mind in the music world is a large choir. Let’s say you have a 300 member moderately or poorly talented choir and everyone tries to sing the same note. Since we have 300 different random distributions, some will sing it flat and some will sing it sharp and maybe a few or none will hit it spot on. Yet, the CLT will tell you that the ensemble average (what the listeners hear) will be close to the target note and at least be recognizable if not pleasing.
In actual practice, the size of your choir will always be smaller than the number of people you need to average out the people off-pitch.

Plus, a choir isn't static. Each choir member more or less believes that they are on pitch. The people who are on pitch will be trying to blend, so they will be relatively quiet.

Meanwhile, the people who are woefully off pitch will sing even louder, because they're trying to show everyone else what the right note is.

In contrast, when you've got a group of string instruments starting on a pitch, because they aren't fretted, they'll all likely be slightly off pitch. But because they're listening to each other, the instruments will quickly home in on the proper pitch, where "proper pitch" is defined as whatever the first chair is playing.

Except for Ed, who lost his place several bars back, and is miming his part hoping that no one notices.

-- David Cuny
My virtual singer development blog

Vocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?