Klarinet Archive - Posting 000982.txt from 1998/01

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: Music: Modern vs. 'Old'
Date: Sat, 24 Jan 1998 19:49:40 -0500

On Thu, 22 Jan 1998, Bill Hausmann wrote:
> Amen! If you feel the need to uphold contemporary music, by all means
> program ***ONE*** such piece in a concert. That way large audiences will
> hear it. It is either that or many pieces exposed to very small audiences.
> I think you will get farther in the long run with the first approach, and
> still please the more traditional audiences. I know that, when I was in
> concert band in college and we went on tour, we invariably programmed a
> wide range of works. There was always at least one transcription (baroque
> through romantic), something modern (but not shockingly so), a show tune
> medley or two, a Spanish number, a big band number, soloists, and, of
> course, a couple of marches. It was the "if you don't like what we are
> playing now wait a minute" school of programming. I always found the
> variety stimulating from a player's perspective, and I know it pleased the
> audiences. Since most of our appearances were benefits, large audiences
> were not just a pleasant luxury.

However, I do not advocate entertainment over musicality. The works
presented in any concert should of excellent musical quality.

Roger Garrett
IWU