Klarinet Archive - Posting 000427.txt from 1994/11

From: Lorne G Buick - Music TA <lgbuick@-----.CA>
Subj: Re: Fw: Re: New Member Introduction
Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 17:51:59 -0500

On Mon, 28 Nov 1994, Heather Joy Bridges wrote:
>
> My boyfriend of two years accompanied me for my college auditions last year.
> I have been playing clarinet for eight years, but that is nothing compared
> to his playing piano for 14-15. He was a child
***** protegy********
in every sense of the
> word, and I felt so inadequate- the schools were almost more interested in
> him than me. It's not always wonderful having a pianist player close to you.
> I'm not jealous or anything- I'm very proud of him, but it isn't always the
> greatest thing. Just my opinion.... Heather
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi- yes I see your point. Sometimes it's better to play with people who
aren't close to you personally... also it can be awkward when you have a
"built-in" accompanist but you want to play with someone else for whatever
reason.

But I mostly wanted to reply because the word "protegy" is one of my pet
peeves about English usage these days- you (and thousands of others) are
confusing two different words which often apply to the same person but
which really have nothing to do with each other.

A child _Prodigy_ is a young musician (or mathematician, or whatever) who
shows great (ie prodigious) talent at a very early age, Mozart being the
best- known example.

A _protege_ is a favoured student of a given teacher, who is "protected"
(it's a French word adopted into English) or promoted by his/her teacher
and given advantages, maybe helped into a job or whatever.

*This message brought to you by the Institute for Advanced Pedantry*

:-) lgb