Klarinet Archive - Posting 001017.txt from 1998/02

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: alto mpcs
Date: Sat, 28 Feb 1998 10:19:05 -0500

On Sat, 28 Feb 1998, Matthew Hanson wrote:
> This may not be "right" or may sound silly to some of you, but some
> programs, unfortunately cannot worry about that luxury. The students
> just want to march. They don't care. In such cases, you have to make due
> with what you have. I know that some companies allow instrument exchange
> for credit toward new or different ones, but when you get in a bind like
> this, that isn't something you have time to do, especially when all you
> may have to trade are a few old dirty alto clarinets. Something to think
> about...
>
> For those of you who are high school band directors, would you rather
> march a couple of alto clarinets or have to tell several students they
> can't march?

There are many alternates to putting a useless instrument on the field.
Perhaps the most important question to ask is, why are we marching to
begin with? Does the poor school district march to go to contest? Why?
Or, does the school with no money teach music, with the idea that,
eventually, the students may develop the skills to understand the
difference between marching band and musical spontanity.

A lot of people will jump on the soapbox and describe marching band as a
serious music event. I describe marching contests, quite accurately (and
as one who has performed in them, attended them, judged them, etc.) as a
money making venture (for the organizers) and as a public display for the
band director who is capable of getting students to move together
athletically......perhaps even while playing a memorized arrangement of a
piece of music. Futher, there are many music educators whose concert
programs sound quite poor......very poor musical skills on the part of the
students....yet the teacher attends 8-10 marching contests per
season.....often with only small changes to the show and even smaller
changes to the repertoire the students learn during that season.

I have already stated that a plastic bass clarinet is not a problem on the
field, although I wouldn't personally put one out there. An alto
clarinet, on the other hand, is a waste of time on the field. The
clarinetist will get a better musical education practicing cymbals or
learning the keyboard by playing bells while marching. There is always
bass drum and quad or tri-toms. If one marches auxillary, there is that
option too.

Roger Garrett
IWU