Doublereed Archive - Posting 000071.txt from 2008/02

From: Oboeeee@-----.com
Subj: Re: [DR-L] Response to recruiting email, some thoughts
Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2008 23:01:35 -0500

Dear Professor Read,

Bravo! You speak the truth. I have just this hour returned from dinner=20
with John Hsu from Cornell University, Artistic Director of the Atlanta Bar=
oque=20
Orchestra, and many of these same issues were discussed well into espresso.=
=20

The Atlanta Baroque Orchestra is celebrating our 10th Anniversary Season=20
throughout 2007-2008. I am proud to say that we have never performed one=20
concert in the "red." This has not been without much struggle and sacrific=
e from=20
our musicians...all of whom specialize in period-instrument performance, ma=
ny=20
with multiple degrees in HIP literature, performance and repertoire. The =20
fundraising aspect requires a devotion of pure passion, dedication and =20
determination...a hand with casino odds dealt to our Board of Directors.

Thank you for posting this insightful expos=E9. I look forward to more=20
reactions.

Warm Regards,

Janie Hicks
Vice President for Development
Board of Directors
Atlanta Baroque Orchestra
_www.atlantabaroque.org_ (http://www.atlantabaroque.org)=20

Original email:

On 12-Feb-08, at 2:20 AM, juliefeves wrote:

Dear Friends,

Please forgive the mass email. I am writing because my entire class =20
is graduating from CalArts this year and we still have some openings =20
in the bassoon class for Fall 08 - for undergraduate (BFA) and =20
graduate (MFA) students. If If you have any graduating students or =20
you know of anyone who might be interested in studying at CalArts, =20
please let me know. CalArts is great place for students who have =20
broad interests; performer/composers, world music players, =20
improvisers and more. We do have a chamber orchestra and an early =20
instrument ensemble (with a baroque bassoon) too!

Excellent scholarships are available - and it is not too late to apply.

For more information contact me (jfeves@-----.edu or 818 363 1427) =20
or check out the CalArts website http://music.calarts.edu/

Thank you!

Warmly,

Julie Feves
Associate Dean
School of Music
California Institute of the Arts
661 222 2781
818 363 1427

MY RESPONSE:

Dear Julie, friends, and members of Julie's email list.

While I understand fully the nature of the email from Julie Feves, I =20
was especially struck by its subject heading " Bassoonists needed at =20
CalArts". Please forgive this opportunistic- and what might be =20
considered invasive-response on my part, but it is done with the best =20
of intentions and from a couple of decades of questioning, concern =20
and ultimately, a sense of despair.
I am also using the springboard of this email, because I know that =20
the program at CalArts is a particularly good example of positive, =20
thoughtful and imaginative solutions to the conundrum I describe below.

At the outset, I would like to say that I have discussed my =20
observations with many teachers over the course of many years. They =20
almost all realize the extent of the problem, many see it as a =20
crisis, most will admit to some degree of a problem in ethics.

I have been involved in university teaching for nearly 40 years, in =20
different situations, and have just stepped down from 11 years as the =20
Director of a music department ( School of Music, University of =20
British Columbia, in Vancouver, Canada ) As a bassoonist I have a =20
reasonably good background, have sought to expand repertoire, extend =20
technical areas, explore music not well-known ( sometimes deservedly =20
so, but that is part of the search ) and I have been reasonably =20
successful as success is conventionally measured. I was one of, if =20
not the youngest principal bassoonist of my generation at age 19, and =20
have had solid experience in early music, baroque bassoon, opera and =20
considerable chamber music. This is a prelude, not a point of self-=20
sales, forgive that impression if it seems so. I have held tenure at =20
three universities, and hold senior rank. I have been involved in a =20
major music festival for 30 years, which I now manage. I still love =20
music, and feel deeply involved as a teacher.

I grew up in a family of musicians, mother taught piano, aunt plays =20
ragtime piano ( still at age 95 ) and both older brothers, 10 and 15 =20
years senior hold DMA degrees, Southern California ( Herzberg, Van =20
Hosen, bassoon ) and Eastman ( Hasty-Clarinet ). Both older brothers =20
had extensive university/professional experience, my bassoonist =20
brother was the bassoon teacher at San Jose State in California for 30=20
+ years. I had the great benefit of their vast experience, =20
thoughtful approach and advice. We often talked about various =20
aspects of the music world as each of us came to know it.

As time has passed, we have observed, it seems that the university/ =20
conservatory music system has grown considerably. Grown well beyond =20
the days when state university systems were exploding and programs =20
were being developed, faculty hired, and players trained for an =20
almost equally growing number of jobs in all kinds of areas, =20
orchestras, ballet, opera, musical theater, film and music recording, =20
and of course, university teaching positions (!). Those schools which =20
in the past were simply small, state institutions, now all have =20
active, respected music training programs. Each has a band or more =20
than one, and an orchestra, or more than one. Each has a bassoon =20
instructor, more often than not, a full-time teacher, tenured or =20
tenure-track, and with the expectation that he/she cultivate =20
( "recruit" ) a class. Nearly 25 years ago, even before the =20
proliferation of schools had reached the level it has at the present =20
time, I made a speculative ( admittedly ) exercise. I very =20
conservatively estimated the number of institutions with bassoon =20
classes in North America, using 2 per state, and adding another 15 =20
which would include the high-level programs like Curtis, Juilliard, =20
Eastman, etc. I would also add to the mix another 10 programs in =20
Canada, and remind us all that a number of young foreign players come =20
to North America each year.

http://www.excel-ability.com/Music/Programs/MusicSchools/MusicSchools- =20
USA.html

Let us imagine that all of these 100+ institutions ( the College =20
Music Society lists 1800 schools ) have bassoon classes, and there =20
are possibly 6 "performance" majors in each class. Maybe it is =20
reasonable to suggest that an average of 3 performers graduate from =20
each institution each year. Of course, there are many more in some, =20
far less in others. That would be a conservative estimate of 300 =20
each year. Many have spent hours and hours learning traditional =20
etudes, dealing with the problems of reeds and instruments, learning =20
technical exercises, and most strikingly, orchestra excerpts, =20
( usually at the expense of a broad, arts, history, humanities =20
education, as that would mean too many classes outside the music =20
curriculum.) Many of the schools which have orchestras and band =20
programs also have traditional routines of teaching, and there are =20
usually rather common goals among them: undergraduates strive to be =20
accepted to good graduate programs, particularly gifted and =20
recognized talents are groomed to take auditions, and as a =20
professional fall-back, students are kept in the programs to =20
"service" the ensemble needs of the program internally, and streamed =20
into newly-devised "music business" , " career development", or a =20
bewildering array of other survival courses. It seems our =20
institutions have finally realized that considering the obvious- that =20
there are very few openings for graduates in symphony orchestras and =20
an incredible number of well-prepared graduates, there must be =20
another option. I am of the opinion that this is a band-aid solution =20
and the very teachers whose bread and butter is defined by the size =20
of the studio class must take some kind of action for change in their =20
institutions. More below.

Therefore, continuing with the soft numbers. I would speculate that =20
those 300 graduates have a "half-life" of around 4 years, having =20
graduated, now having taken jobs to manage living expenses, playing =20
low-paying gigs, and attempting to organize groups, etc. That would =20
put 1200 !!! " performance major" graduates on the streets at any one =20
time, before they take other training options, or are locked into =20
routines. Please keep in mind, these numbers are speculative, but I =20
think, very conservative. But also imagine that if this is the =20
bassoon world, what are the flute, clarinet, violin, trumpet numbers...?

The European Union is adopting standards of change for all of the =20
Conservatories, converting into North American-style curricula and =20
credit equality. This will allow students to more easily transfer =20
credits in either direction. I get the impression that the Europeans =20
have the same problem as we, there are simply too many music schools =20
for the small numbers of professional opportunities available in the =20
conventional music world. Of course there will always be openings in =20
existing orchestras, and there will always be healthy musical =20
cultures in specific cities, regions, etc. But no one can deny that =20
orchestral music is in steep decline, except at the top, there are =20
fewer opportunities in other areas of live music, the listening =20
public tastes are changing and there are fewer and fewer =20
opportunities for more and more graduates.

We are aware that the situation in Asia is exploding. The =20
conservatories are full, and more are developing, there is a flood of =20
well trained players applying to our programs. Where are the =20
opportunities but for the superstars?

And then there is the cost of instruments and study. I have seen =20
families re-mortgaging homes to afford a particularly good =20
instrument, or tuition with the expectation that there would =20
eventually be an opportunity in the professional world. If that =20
family had been told by someone with perspective what the odds were, =20
would they have been so willing to make such an unhealthy sacrifice? =20
We have used the rationale that music study at the university/=20
conservatory level is at least good preparation for other =20
professional study, even medicine and law, and I agree in principle, =20
but on the other hand, I would prefer my lawyers, judges and health-=20
care professionals to have had a wide and deep education before =20
specialization. I believe that they would make better advocates for =20
the arts, for music education, and generally, better participants in =20
civil society. ( better informed voters?) I observe that most =20
former music students are not "classical" music consumers. And in =20
fact, they have carried prejudice about "pop" music and other =20
"lesser" forms around during their serious music studies and have =20
little or no appreciation for other musics. I am sorry to say that =20
I often meet well-trained musicians who know little about history, =20
literature, geography and even current events. In fact, many do not =20
know how to listen to music, and music history, theory and useful =20
skills like sight-singing, ear-training and keyboard are being =20
minimized to allow for more free practice, rehearsal and performance =20
time. Their narrowness of study and concentration necessary to =20
prepare for a professional life in the performing arts neglects some =20
basic, fundamental aspects. Little or no time for reading, =20
interacting with other disciplines and the stress of music =20
performance life after training is restrictive, if not brutal.

Of course, the music world is not one of numbers, facts, and rational =20
judgments, but from time to time it might be good to reflect on our =20
profession, and if there are some sacrifices we can collectively =20
make, and influences we can assert in our own local culture, perhaps =20
we will be able to raise awareness of the alternatives:

What are the alternatives?

I believe that the world is experiencing a tremendous revolution in =20
music expression, curiosity, artistic and creative expansion, and =20
opportunity. "World" music is transforming the listening experience =20
of an entire generation. The internet and digital means of =20
transferring music is changing the face of the recording world, and =20
the establishments are reacting. Symphony orchestras are programming =20
more interesting, diverse, cross-cultural, experimental and chance-=20
taking repertoire. They are turning to visual media to better =20
illuminate the concert experience in competition with the visual =20
expectations of the new audience, accustomed to moving images. Opera =20
is having a revival-supertitles allow the audience to actually =20
understand what is being sung and react to the nuances of the musical =20
drama. Classical musicians are branching out, embracing folk music, =20
jazz, improvisation, and cross-disciplinary, multi-media =20
performances. Even music theory research and teaching in the =20
advanced university setting is recovering in a positive manner from =20
the shock of the entry of cognitive science into its midst. Imagine, =20
studying how music actually works on the human brain! Early music is =20
booming, baroque performance is active, although also offering few =20
solid opportunities for reasonable employment. I am sure that there =20
are many other areas that creativity will uncover, combine and enrich.

I would suggest that students need to be reminded strongly that music =20
education is not a profession into which one turns for security after =20
all performance options are exhausted. ( " I can always teach if =20
things don't work out...") By that time, all is lost. A good teacher =20
is one with zeal- you have all seen them, and they need the training, =20
the background, tools and energy to survive the challenges of little =20
financial and administrative support and dwindling attention paid to =20
the value of the arts in the public schools. Therein lies another =20
long polemic, and I will not begin, but only to state the obvious: =20
If we expect a curious, arts-hungry public, who knows the cultural =20
value of an evening of Beethoven quartets, we have to reinvent public =20
school music, and our students have to advocate for change for their =20
children. They will be the audiences for the orchestral positions =20
that do not exist at the moment.

Julie says it well, and I am sure most of you agree, and often say =20
the same words, "broad interests", and CalArts has long been on the =20
forefront of arts education. I would urge you to look at their =20
website, and consider whether it isn't time to assert change in our =20
individual environments.

Please forgive this diatribe, it is aimed at nobody, but rather, an =20
opportunity I have taken to circulate my own views, and respectfully =20
ask, if you have some alternatives, reactions, or if it provokes a =20
response of any kind, please don't hesitate to communicate. I am =20
very curious, optimistic and receptive.

Respectfully,

Jesse Read

Professor, Former Director
School of Music
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, BC CANADA V6T1Z2
jesse.read@-----.ca
jesseread.com =20

**************The year's hottest artists on the red carpet at the Grammy=20
Awards. Go to AOL Music. =20
(http://music.aol.com/grammys?NCID=3Daolcmp00300000002565)

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