Klarinet Archive - Posting 000556.txt from 1996/01

From: Marie McDonough <mm46@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Is that it? Is it all over?
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 1996 14:59:03 -0500

Dan--

I cannot speak for others on the list, but in response to your question about
why discussions of repertoire die out quickly, I would guess that in many cases,
the subject is somewhat intimidating. Personally, I feel more than capable of
defending my choice of reed, mouthpiece, etc. in most circumstances; those are
all facets of clarinet playing that we accept as idiosyncratic and
individualized. But as an amateur musician, without the kind of background in
the literature that some on this list possess, I would be reluctant to stake out
a position.

I know that my own attitude about this is shaped by my work as a professor in a
different field. I spend lots of time listening to my students discuss
enormously complex issues. Many of them take positions that I know from my
reading have been advanced and discarded by scholars in this and other
disciplines (almost anyone with an advanced degree feels qualified to take a
shot at issues in education). My own position in relation to clarinet
literature is similar to my students' with regard to my field--I'm learning, but
I have learned just enough to be thoroughly aware of my own ignorance. I enjoy
reading others' posts about repertoire, but I am not confident enough about my
own knowledge to contribute to those kinds of discussions. (Give me a few more
years of reading, and I WILL be ready to argue!)

Marie

Marie McDonough
School of Education
University of Evansville
Evansville, IN