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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000087.txt from 2008/02

From: Barbara Trautwein <mzeztee@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [DR-L] Response to recruiting email, some thoughts
Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:25:30 -0500

Dear Jake,

Just a quick answer to one of your questions:

"Why aren't there as many models of oboes and bassoons
as there are cars?"

I think that there is a greater universal demand for cars than oboes and
bassoons. . . .the ol' supply and demand thing. . .

2 cents,

Barbara

Jake Vidourek wrote:

>Mr. Jesse Read,
>
>I can't begin to describe how I felt reading your
>essay - though I suppose the emotions of joy and anger
>will have to suffice. I agree with much of what you
>said, but still find myself frustrated - not
>necessarily with you, but music pedagogy in general. I
>agree that the "music world" (whatever that is) is
>being flooded, so to speak, with musicians of varying
>abilities.
>My personal hunch would be to say that the field of
>music education in particular is seeing the full
>effect of this hurricane. As many music performance
>majors as we can speculate are graduating could
>probably see twice or three times their numbers in
>music education majors - as you've already alluded.
>I couldn't agree more that music education shouldn't
>be a "fall-back" career choice. In fact, I would say
>that music educators (in some ways) have to be much
>more dedicated to their vocation and music than
>performers. After all, (at the risk of being cliche)
>music educators are raising future members of society
>(be they professional musicians or not doesn't really
>matter in the grand scheme). For exactly some of the
>reasons mentioned, I got out of the music education
>track, and am now a "performance" major. Is this
>really what I want to do - perform? Not exactly, but
>there aren't always degrees offered for our career
>choice preferences, and you have to start somewhere.
>This is really what I'd like to spend a few words on -
>though I could continue with the education rant for
>several more chapters. My frustration with musical
>pedagogy is the seeming lack of some people to see
>those careers which are intensely related and
>supportive of music performance, which do not
>necessarily involve performing for an audience
>(besides of course, education). For example, "when I
>grow up", I'd like to make oboes. This idea has always
>been fascinating to me - ever since I started learning
>the oboe, and realizing that someone actually created
>my instrument, I wanted to try to do the same thing.
>Of course, I feel I was steered into one of the "two"
>options for musicians - education or performance - by
>some of my early teachers, but mostly by my own early
>inability to see beyond the obvious. To me, "real"
>musicians were either teachers or performers.
>Now, of course, I have the blessing of a little bit of
>experience: I see the other options that are "out
>there" for us. In just the double reed world, here are
>a few of the careers which I see and consider
>infinitely fascinating, which others often tend to
>just glance over: instrument making, bocal making,
>reed making, cane farming, gouger production,
>instrument repair and maintenance, instrument design
>and research, knife production, shaper development,
>staple development and production. These things all
>have their equivalents in each family of instruments
>and again, these are just a few of the things which
>sit at the forefront of my mind at the moment.
>Branching out of the double reed world, theres:
>acoustical engineering, sound engineering (recording),
>orchestral management, orchestral promotion and
>outreach, musicological research, and much more.
>Why don't others consider these jobs as worthy as
>being principal in the NYPhil, the Berlin Phil, the
>ASO, the BSO, the CSO, etc.? My guess is because these
>jobs lack a certain aspect of celebrity.
>Why aren't there as many models of oboes and bassoons
>as there are cars? The oboes and bassoons have
>certainly been around a lot longer - haven't we had
>more time to redesign them? Why aren't there as many
>bocals out there as there are license plate covers,
>mod kits, paint jobs, and chrome out-fittings? My
>opinion, of course, is that there has been much
>so-called "snubbing" of these aspects of music which
>has been passed from teacher to student over the
>years.
>
>Why consider these other aspects of music "band-aid
>solutions"? Don't we need people in "music business"
>and "career development"? It seems to me that these
>types of jobs are what is going to (hopefully) save
>the music that so many of us think is verging on
>extinction. Perhaps there's something I'm missing, but
>if we know that someone is not going to be successful
>in a certain field, why is it being seen as such a bad
>idea to steer them to another field in which he or she
>will not only be more successful, but of more use in
>the long run?
>
>As far as job training goes, I personally feel that
>musicians make some of the best students in other
>fields. We have developed habits of self-motivation
>and discipline at much younger ages than the "typical
>non-musician". Here's my rationale for why: let's
>assume that the average musician is studying privately
>on his or her instrument for one or one-half hour
>every week. No matter how long some people take
>lessons, this will NEVER be enough time to explore the
>instrument's repertoire to their full desire. How is
>this accomplished then? Practice. Practice is the act
>of teaching yourself. When practicing, there is no
>teacher looking over your shoulder, ruler in hand, to
>correct your mistakes. There is (usually) no second
>opinion, and no outside input. How then, are we able
>to progress through our studies? We're motivating
>ourselves in ways that our teacher might, were they
>present for the session. Perhaps we're learning things
>on our own, and are able to improve our weaknesses
>without being specifically instructed.
>Think of this process with any other subject - the
>[medical, law, marine biology, perceptive psychology,
>foreign language, art, engineering, computer science,
>or even underwater basket-weaving] student who
>motivates her- or himself to study diligently each
>night (practice), go to class (lesson), then return to
>study again and perhaps relearn any material which
>(s)he got wrong on the test. As I'm sure most people
>are aware, Condoleezza Rice, the current Secretary of
>State of the U.S. was once a piano major in Colorado.
>I doubt anyone would say that although the start of
>her education was focused on music, she didn't apply
>herself to her new interests and become equally (in
>this case, even more) qualified in the new field of
>study.
>
>I apologize for the discontinuity of this post. Also,
>Mr. Read, please don't take this reply to your post as
>any form of personal attack - I'd like to stress again
>that I whole-heartedly agreed with the majority of
>what you said. This is just my attempt to answer some
>of the questions you posed, as well as ask some
>burning ones of my own.
>These are the opinions from another side of the fence
>- current student, another generation of musician,
>etc. I sincerely hope we meet some day, and can
>discuss these topics and issues at much more length,
>breadth, and depth.
>
>Thanks for your time and sharing your views,
>Jacob M. Vidourek
>
>jesse read <jesse.read@-----.ca> wrote:
>
>
> 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
> is graduating from CalArts this year and we still
>have some openings
> in the bassoon class for Fall 08 - for
>undergraduate (BFA) and
> graduate (MFA) students. If If you have any
>graduating students or
> you know of anyone who might be interested in
>studying at CalArts,
> please let me know. CalArts is great place for
>students who have
> broad interests; performer/composers, world music
>players,
> improvisers and more. We do have a chamber
>orchestra and an early
> 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)
> 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
> was especially struck by its subject heading "
>Bassoonists needed at
> CalArts". Please forgive this opportunistic- and
>what might be
> considered invasive-response on my part, but it is
>done with the best
> of intentions and from a couple of decades of
>questioning, concern
> and ultimately, a sense of despair.
> I am also using the springboard of this email,
>because I know that
> the program at CalArts is a particularly good
>example of positive,
> thoughtful and imaginative solutions to the
>conundrum I describe below.
>
> At the outset, I would like to say that I have
>discussed my
> observations with many teachers over the course of
>many years. They
> almost all realize the extent of the problem, many
>see it as a
> crisis, most will admit to some degree of a
>problem in ethics.
>
> I have been involved in university teaching for
>nearly 40 years, in
> different situations, and have just stepped down
>from 11 years as the
> Director of a music department ( School of Music,
>University of
> British Columbia, in Vancouver, Canada ) As a
>bassoonist I have a
> reasonably good background, have sought to expand
>repertoire, extend
> technical areas, explore music not well-known (
>sometimes deservedly
> so, but that is part of the search ) and I have
>been reasonably
> successful as success is conventionally measured.
>I was one of, if
> not the youngest principal bassoonist of my
>generation at age 19, and
> have had solid experience in early music, baroque
>bassoon, opera and
> considerable chamber music. This is a prelude, not
>a point of self-
> sales, forgive that impression if it seems so. I
>have held tenure at
> three universities, and hold senior rank. I have
>been involved in a
> major music festival for 30 years, which I now
>manage. I still love
> music, and feel deeply involved as a teacher.
>
> I grew up in a family of musicians, mother taught
>piano, aunt plays
> ragtime piano ( still at age 95 ) and both older
>brothers, 10 and 15
> years senior hold DMA degrees, Southern California
>( Herzberg, Van
> Hosen, bassoon ) and Eastman ( Hasty-Clarinet ).
>Both older brothers
> had extensive university/professional experience,
>my bassoonist
> brother was the bassoon teacher at San Jose State
>in California for 30
> + years. I had the great benefit of their vast
>experience,
> thoughtful approach and advice. We often talked
>about various
> 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/
> conservatory music system has grown considerably.
>Grown well beyond
> the days when state university systems were
>exploding and programs
> were being developed, faculty hired, and players
>trained for an
> almost equally growing number of jobs in all kinds
>of areas,
> orchestras, ballet, opera, musical theater, film
>and music recording,
> and of course, university teaching positions (!).
>Those schools which
> in the past were simply small, state institutions,
>now all have
> active, respected music training programs. Each
>has a band or more
> than one, and an orchestra, or more than one. Each
>has a bassoon
> instructor, more often than not, a full-time
>teacher, tenured or
> tenure-track, and with the expectation that he/she
>cultivate
> ( "recruit" ) a class. Nearly 25 years ago, even
>before the
> proliferation of schools had reached the level it
>has at the present
> time, I made a speculative ( admittedly )
>exercise. I very
> conservatively estimated the number of
>institutions with bassoon
> classes in North America, using 2 per state, and
>adding another 15
> which would include the high-level programs like
>Curtis, Juilliard,
> Eastman, etc. I would also add to the mix another
>10 programs in
> Canada, and remind us all that a number of young
>foreign players come
> to North America each year.
>
>
>http://www.excel-ability.com/Music/Programs/MusicSchools/MusicSchools-
> USA.html
>
> Let us imagine that all of these 100+ institutions
>( the College
> Music Society lists 1800 schools ) have bassoon
>classes, and there
> are possibly 6 "performance" majors in each class.
>Maybe it is
> reasonable to suggest that an average of 3
>performers graduate from
> each institution each year. Of course, there are
>many more in some,
> far less in others. That would be a conservative
>estimate of 300
> each year. Many have spent hours and hours
>learning traditional
> etudes, dealing with the problems of reeds and
>instruments, learning
> technical exercises, and most strikingly,
>orchestra excerpts,
> ( usually at the expense of a broad, arts,
>history, humanities
> education, as that would mean too many classes
>outside the music
> curriculum.) Many of the schools which have
>orchestras and band
> programs also have traditional routines of
>teaching, and there are
> usually rather common goals among them:
>undergraduates strive to be
> accepted to good graduate programs, particularly
>gifted and
> recognized talents are groomed to take auditions,
>and as a
> professional fall-back, students are kept in the
>programs to
> "service" the ensemble needs of the program
>internally, and streamed
> into newly-devised "music business" , " career
>development", or a
> bewildering array of other survival courses. It
>seems our
> institutions have finally realized that
>considering the obvious- that
> there are very few openings for graduates in
>symphony orchestras and
> an incredible number of well-prepared graduates,
>there must be
> another option. I am of the opinion that this is a
>band-aid solution
> and the very teachers whose bread and butter is
>defined by the size
> of the studio class must take some kind of action
>for change in their
> institutions. More below.
>
> Therefore, continuing with the soft numbers. I
>would speculate that
> those 300 graduates have a "half-life" of around 4
>years, having
> graduated, now having taken jobs to manage living
>expenses, playing
> low-paying gigs, and attempting to organize
>groups, etc. That would
> put 1200 !!! " performance major" graduates on the
>streets at any one
> time, before they take other training options, or
>are locked into
> routines. Please keep in mind, these numbers are
>speculative, but I
> think, very conservative. But also imagine that if
>this is the
> bassoon world, what are the flute, clarinet,
>violin, trumpet numbers...?
>
> The European Union is adopting standards of change
>for all of the
> Conservatories, converting into North
>American-style curricula and
> credit equality. This will allow students to more
>easily transfer
> credits in either direction. I get the impression
>that the Europeans
> have the same problem as we, there are simply too
>many music schools
> for the small numbers of professional
>opportunities available in the
> conventional music world. Of course there will
>always be openings in
> existing orchestras, and there will always be
>healthy musical
> cultures in specific cities, regions, etc. But no
>one can deny that
> orchestral music is in steep decline, except at
>the top, there are
> fewer opportunities in other areas of live music,
>the listening
> public tastes are changing and there are fewer and
>fewer
> opportunities for more and more graduates.
>
> We are aware that the situation in Asia is
>exploding. The
> conservatories are full, and more are developing,
>there is a flood of
> well trained players applying to our programs.
>Where are the
> opportunities but for the superstars?
>
> And then there is the cost of instruments and
>study. I have seen
> families re-mortgaging homes to afford a
>particularly good
> instrument, or tuition with the expectation that
>there would
> eventually be an opportunity in the professional
>world. If that
> family had been told by someone with perspective
>what the odds were,
> would they have been so willing to make such an
>unhealthy sacrifice?
> We have used the rationale that music study at the
>university/
> conservatory level is at least good preparation
>for other
> professional study, even medicine and law, and I
>agree in principle,
> but on the other hand, I would prefer my lawyers,
>judges and health-
> care professionals to have had a wide and deep
>education before
> specialization. I believe that they would make
>better advocates for
> the arts, for music education, and generally,
>better participants in
> civil society. ( better informed voters?) I
>observe that most
> former music students are not "classical" music
>consumers. And in
> fact, they have carried prejudice about "pop"
>music and other
> "lesser" forms around during their serious music
>studies and have
> little or no appreciation for other musics. I am
>sorry to say that
> I often meet well-trained musicians who know
>little about history,
> literature, geography and even current events. In
>fact, many do not
> know how to listen to music, and music history,
>theory and useful
> skills like sight-singing, ear-training and
>keyboard are being
> minimized to allow for more free practice,
>rehearsal and performance
> time. Their narrowness of study and concentration
>necessary to
> prepare for a professional life in the performing
>arts neglects some
> basic, fundamental aspects. Little or no time for
>reading,
> interacting with other disciplines and the stress
>of music
> performance life after training is restrictive, if
>not brutal.
>
> Of course, the music world is not one of numbers,
>facts, and rational
> judgments, but from time to time it might be good
>to reflect on our
> profession, and if there are some sacrifices we
>can collectively
> make, and influences we can assert in our own
>local culture, perhaps
> 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
> music expression, curiosity, artistic and creative
>expansion, and
> opportunity. "World" music is transforming the
>listening experience
> of an entire generation. The internet and digital
>means of
> transferring music is changing the face of the
>recording world, and
> the establishments are reacting. Symphony
>orchestras are programming
> more interesting, diverse, cross-cultural,
>experimental and chance-
> taking repertoire. They are turning to visual
>media to better
> illuminate the concert experience in competition
>with the visual
> expectations of the new audience, accustomed to
>moving images. Opera
> is having a revival-supertitles allow the audience
>to actually
> understand what is being sung and react to the
>nuances of the musical
> drama. Classical musicians are branching out,
>embracing folk music,
> jazz, improvisation, and cross-disciplinary,
>multi-media
> performances. Even music theory research and
>teaching in the
> advanced university setting is recovering in a
>positive manner from
> the shock of the entry of cognitive science into
>its midst. Imagine,
> studying how music actually works on the human
>brain! Early music is
> booming, baroque performance is active, although
>also offering few
> solid opportunities for reasonable employment. I
>am sure that there
> are many other areas that creativity will uncover,
>combine and enrich.
>
> I would suggest that students need to be reminded
>strongly that music
> education is not a profession into which one turns
>for security after
> all performance options are exhausted. ( " I can
>always teach if
> things don't work out...") By that time, all is
>lost. A good teacher
> is one with zeal- you have all seen them, and they
>need the training,
> the background, tools and energy to survive the
>challenges of little
> financial and administrative support and dwindling
>attention paid to
> the value of the arts in the public schools.
>Therein lies another
> long polemic, and I will not begin, but only to
>state the obvious:
> If we expect a curious, arts-hungry public, who
>knows the cultural
> value of an evening of Beethoven quartets, we have
>to reinvent public
> school music, and our students have to advocate
>for change for their
> children. They will be the audiences for the
>orchestral positions
> that do not exist at the moment.
>
> Julie says it well, and I am sure most of you
>agree, and often say
> the same words, "broad interests", and CalArts has
>long been on the
> forefront of arts education. I would urge you to
>look at their
> website, and consider whether it isn't time to
>assert change in our
> individual environments.
>
> Please forgive this diatribe, it is aimed at
>nobody, but rather, an
> opportunity I have taken to circulate my own
>views, and respectfully
> ask, if you have some alternatives, reactions, or
>if it provokes a
> response of any kind, please don't hesitate to
>communicate. I am
> 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
>
> Managing Director
> Carmel Bach Festival
> Box 575
> Carmel, California 93921
> USA
> 604 822-5436
> 831 624-1521
> www.bachfestival.org
>
>
>
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>
>Jacob M. Vidourek
>Student
>Tennessee Technological University
>Cookeville, TN
>Music Performance and Pedagogy Major (oboe)
>-CMENC, President
>-Mu Phi Epsilon, Alumni Secretary
>German Major
>-Alpha Mu Gamma
>-Der Deutsche Klub
>
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