Klarinet Archive - Posting 000689.txt from 1995/06

From: Lisa Clayton <clayton@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: conservatories vs. universities
Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 19:45:24 -0400

> Lisa Clayton,
>
> This is a copy of the original message, in which Stan is considering only the
> applied music degree:
>
> June 22, 1995
>
> >Hello to all after my long absence from the KLARINET list.
> >Somehow I became unsubscribed. I'm guessing that, during my absence,
> >discussion after discussion focused upon the standard time-worn fare...
> >reeds, mouthpieces, ligatures, favorite artists, style analysis, and
> >so on. All important topics, to be sure...but let's move on to new ground.
> >
> >I offer the following proposition, and invite your remarks:
> >
> > The applied music degree represents a disservice to the
> > average degree candidate and should be eliminated from the
> > curricula of universities and colleges, and reserved for award
> > only in our larger conservatories.
> >
> >I'll offer my opinions in a later post.

Thanks for forwarding this. I think my observations still hold, since
I consider myself an "average degree candidate" and find the applied
music department an important part of my education. If, on the other
hand, Stan refers to "average APPLIED MUSIC degree candidates," I couldn't
really answer that based on experience, but there's still something to
be said for a liberal arts degree for any field. Perhaps a stronger
case could be made for eliminated Master's or PhD applied music programs
from some universities, but there is far too much value in an all-around
liberal arts Bachelor to make that case.

Perhaps you don't need a grounding in German history to understand
Mozart, or you don't need to learn Italian to sing opera, or even
a course in African-American studies to appreciate Parker or Coltrane.
However, it certainly helps deepen a person's relationship to artists
and art forms if you learn those subjects and can understand the
connections between them.

____ Lisa K. Canjura-Clayton The obligatory homepage:
/ clayton@-----.edu/~clayton
/ Band=Life COMING SOON: Virtual Barstow!
"There is nothing more onanistic than playing the bass clarinet by yourself"
-Steve Trier