Klarinet Archive - Posting 000261.txt from 1998/02

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: Elitism
Date: Thu, 5 Feb 1998 04:42:37 -0500

On Wed, 4 Feb 1998, Dee Hays wrote:

> Actually there does seem to be an amazing amount of elitism in picking /
> recommending clarinets. On the bulletin boards, etc I see a lot of
> people taking the approach (or students being pushed into the approach
> by an instructor) that everyone who plays, regardless of their musical
> activity, should play a professional grade instrument. This is
> nonsense. That's like saying everyone should drive a Cadillac or
> Mercedes. And I imagine that most people would balk at buying a
> Steinway concert grand for the home.

Wood vs. plastic is elitism? We have two people, who are in favor of
plastic, who admit that they instrument is not as well constructed....and
provide reasons that support the professional player/educator/general
user's recommendation, and you call it "pushing"? Give me a break.....we
recommend what we like for the reasons that we say. I personally advocate
a Yamaha beginning clarinet with an eventual switch to a professional
level horn.....with no inbetween intermediate. This is a personal
approach/philosophy which I can defend with anyone. It doesn't matter to
me if someone disagrees.....they have their own recommendation and I can
respect that. But to call it elitism or, even worse, racial bias....horse
hooey......(sorry folks...that's as vulgar as it gets!).

> While I do agree that students can benefit from the best equipment that
> they can afford, when it gets to the point where a high school student
> is taking out a loan to buy a professional level instrument it starts to
> smack of fiscal irresponsibility on the part of the person "pushing"
> these concepts.

Where is this on the listserv? Where did anyone push anyone to go out and
purchase an instrument by taking out a loan? I don't see any evidence of
this occurring......are you saying it happpens on some bulliten board
somewhere that we don't see? Or......are we talking fiscal responsibility
and a gripe you have in general? Please make it clear to us.

> Students can make good musical progress on student and
> intermediate (new or used) instruments while SAVING for a better
> instrument. Students need to be made aware of the fact that they can
> save up the money for an item in less than half the time it would take
> to pay off a loan. Yes it requires some sacrifices but in the end is
> worth it. If they haven't the discipline to make the sacrifice of
> continuing on their existing clarinet and the discipline to save the
> money, they really don't need a pro instrument.

Who would disagree that this point is good? I just think that if someone
wants to call it elitism (which you agreed to) or the equivalent of
racism.....they're really stretching to get some attention.

> Now I am not as rigid as this may make me sound. For example if a
> student's existing instrument is beyond repair and their music is
> important to them AND they understand that they are paying more by
> taking a loan and are willing to sacrifice some other things, then we
> have a scenario where it may be reasonable to do this.

Ah....I see....let's have it both ways....hmmmm.......what a way to
present an argument.

> Professional players are also in a totally different situation than
> students.

Exactly what does this mean? You mean we need the instrument more?
Or...we like it and don't recognize what they need....or what their fiscal
situation is?

I purchased my own R-13 at age 14 years of age....with money saved from
working the berry fields in Oregon. My parents had no money - I was
playing on a 20 year old Vito clarinet my dad picked up for $50. I can't
even begin to tell you how that clarinet impacted on my playing.

Let's try to even things out a little and decide if we just want to
complain about something, or if there is a legitimate beef here. I don't
see any of what Dee says happens.....but I would admit that it must
happen, or she would not get on here and complain about it. But let's not
link it to the "elitism" charge that was also linked to a
quasi-racial-bias of clarinets.

Roger Garrett

IWU