Klarinet Archive - Posting 000859.txt from 1997/04

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: marching bands
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 1997 19:20:38 -0400

On Mon, 28 Apr 1997 After5@-----.Com wrote:

> Last year's show was a combination of opera works by Verdi, the year
> prior to that was themed, Henry V, and this year we will be doing
> Phantom of the Opera.

Here's the problem - I note that you call it "last _year's_ show. That
probably means that for whatever part of the year you devote to marching
band, the exerpts from Verdi operas that you played comprised _all_ that
you played for those months. So, after a certain period, you had it
memorized, and for the rest of those months, you didn't read any music, so
your music reading skills were deteriorating, your oboe and bassoon
players weren't getting any better on their instruments, some of your
woodwinds had to play cymbals or bass drums or carry flags, and in
general, there was a lot more emphasis on volume than on finesse and
musicality.

I don't intend this as a criticism of your school in general or you in
particular, but what I describe is a far too common practice in very many
high schools. That shows up clearly to someone like me who has been
teaching at the college level for 30 years, and has seen the music reading
skills of incoming students become poorer and poorer over the years until
in some cases it is nearly nonexistent.

Ed Lacy
*****************************************************************
Dr. Edwin Lacy University of Evansville
Professor of Music 1800 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN 47722
el2@-----.edu (812)479-2754
*****************************************************************