Klarinet Archive - Posting 000743.txt from 1997/11

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: professional wind ensembles
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 13:44:39 -0500

On Thu, 20 Nov 1997, SEAN TALBOT wrote:
> Now I'm not saying for sure that the wind ensembles would
> be any more successful than orchestras, but I'm looking at certain trends......
> the huge audiences that Drum Corps attract......there are less high school
> orchestras but almost every little school has a band......

Drum Corp presents a different side of performance than most band programs
or professional/semi-professional wind ensembles. It is a movement (quite
successfull) that combines memorization of arranged works for bugles and
percussion (not trumpets, trombones, tubas..etc.) with the athletic
abilities of its members to move across a flat, marked surface with
precision and control. It is not about musicianship.....although they
have musical performances. There is not spontaneous music making in the
drum and bugle corp ensembles - and this is what separates it from the
band and wind ensemble issues that we have been discussing.

> It seems that most of our performance
> majors are going for the military bands and don't feel that there is
> many opportunities in orchestra playing and they really don't want to
> get into an orchestra in all honesty. They would do it for the money
> and the prestige but it isn't their favorite medium.

I feel you are stating an opinion (which is fine) on a very small segment
of the musical population. Most of the serious musicians (students) I
have met or taught who are really talented realize that the wealth of
repertoire is in the orchestral area...not the wind area. I champion
bands and wind music, but I (regretfully) concede that the amount of
literature is tiny compared to the orchestra rep. I would hazzard to
guess that the people you describe have no idea what the orchestral
repertoire encompasses beyond the number of pieces/composers you have
listed.

Roger Garrett