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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000088.txt from 2008/02

From: herb fawcett <herbgosia@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [DR-L] Response to recruiting email, some thoughts
Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2008 13:02:52 -0500

And would one want to play on a Tata bassoon? The compromises that are
acceptable in a mode of transportation, and the trade-offs that one can make
for economy, luxury of ride, speed, style etc, simply don't apply to musical
instruments. A bassoon made of papier mache probably isn't going to play
well enough to enter the market at any level, while a car of such miserable
origins can still serve as transportation for folks who otherwise would have
to walk. Carbon fiber cellos may be terrific, but I doubt they are cheap.
Herb

On 2/15/08 9:25 AM, "Barbara Trautwein" <mzeztee@-----.edu> wrote:

> 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
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______
>> Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page.
>> http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs
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