Klarinet Archive - Posting 000164.txt from 1995/03

From: Lynn Thomas <thomas@-----.ORG>
Subj: Re: Re> Military band clarinetists
Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 10:34:23 -0500

Andrew -

I am one of those teachers who promotes the military to music students such
as yourself. With cutbacks in the school systems, with a real glut of
performers in the professional world, I try to get my students to realize
that they can make a career (or begin one) in the service, performing
with quality groups, and have a better shot at doing it with such a
beginning. No one can get a teaching job any more, yet thousands of kids
go to music school every year with this goal. A couple of my students
have taken my advice, and been very satisfied (even tho we know the pros
and cons of the military) with their choices.

I taught in Philadelphia for a number of years, and in both the public
and private school systems there were virtually no quality organizations
for these kids to play in. When they had the chance to see a military
band, orchestra, jazz band they went nuts. The stigma of the military is
hard to get past, for high school age students, and I wish that more of
the military groups would go into the urban areas to perform. You would not
believe the wealth of kids who are good musicians that live in the poor
urban areas. The drummers, the pianists - half of them don't read music,
they just learn in church. And the stuff they play - some people work a
lifetime to play like this. The only opportunities these kids have are in
the all-city groups (which aren't all that great) or a handful of magnet
high schools, which a lot of these kids can't get into grade-wise.

The more that those like yourself promote the military to young
musicians, the more that stigma goes away. Keep up the good work!

Lynn Thomas