Klarinet Archive - Posting 000224.txt from 1996/02

From: "Scott D. Morrow" <SDM@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Mr. Holland and other things
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 10:15:23 -0500

>But here we have the opportunity to put the non - majors together, so
>the majors are not held back. I know that sounds snobby, but it lets
>them progress at their own rate (assuming that they are at a lower
>level) and lets us progress at ours. But like him, I would never
>deny anyone the opportunity to play or take lessons.
>

>Shelley Barabash

Why is there this assumption that someone who is not majoring on an
instrument can't play as well as someone who is? People can major in
whatever they want - that, in itself, does not make them experts! Are all
graduated performance majors virtuosi? Some people choose to major in
something other than music for other reasons than that they can't or don't
want to play as well! I went to a college that did not even HAVE a music
major, yet we had some very good players in our instrumental groups! The
fact that these people are in your music programs in the first place (when
they don't HAVE to be) attests to the fact that they are interested in
making music. Perhaps the "dividing" criteria at your school should NOT be
majors/non-majors, but advanced/intermediate/beginner?

-Scott

Scott D. Morrow
Department of Biochemistry
School of Hygiene and Public Health
Johns Hopkins University
(410)-955-3631

SDM@-----.edu