Klarinet Archive - Posting 000259.txt from 1998/03

From: garylsmith@-----.com (Gary L Smith)
Subj: Challenges for Chairs
Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 14:42:02 -0500

On Tue, 03 Mar 1998 19:48:50 -0600 Dee Hays <deerich@-----.net>
writes:

>up. There is no "challenging" or other mechanism for students to
>improve their
>standing. I have heard at least one instance where a senior blew the
>audition and
>was beaten out by a freshman. With no chance to try the change this,
>the senior
>just kind of warmed the chair for the rest of the year. In previous
>years, the
>student had worked on trying to improve.

Without knowing more of the circs, I'd be tempted to wonder how much
chair-warming the senior did *before* being beaten by a freshman, but
I'll let it pass.

One option, with attendant pros and cons, is a "pass-off" system. A
graded method book, such as the Rubank, is used at weekly sessions with a
band director. If you care about what chair you sit in, you come in
regularly and play. The session ends when you reach a line you can't play
well or in about 10-15 minutes, whichever comes first. Whoever is
farthest along in the book is 1st chair, next is 2nd, etc. A chart is
publicly maintained, so you know if you're in danger of being passed.
Chair assignments change immediately upon one student passing another,
unless it would affect solo assignments for an upcoming concert or other
extenuating circumstances.

Pros:
- Relatively easy for the band director, I think. Not all students will
participate (despite best efforts, so can be managed in study hall
periods, short rehearsal days, after school, etc. Probably less
time-consuming than frequent challenges.
- encourages use of method book (see cons)
- gives director one-on-one time with students, can be a mini-lesson,
esp. if director is strong on that instrument.
- appears more impartial. Sure, it can be fudged, but gets director out
of having to make subjective evaluations.
- gives some built-in reward for old age (see cons). IOW, if you're a
Senior, you've had longer to trudge through the book. One bad day won't
put you on the 3rd row again.
Cons:
- gives some built-in reward for old age. If there are two decent
players, the older one will easily stay ahead, because they each come in
and play until their time runs out every week. Part of me wants to say,
"fair enough," but this can lead to complacency. Also, what if you have a
good senior and a positively brilliant junior?
- is this how a method book should be used? I guess there are worse ways
to work through it, but I think a director would feel some pressure to
pass a student along if he or she is doing a mediocre job, but not
futzing it up. You hit the section on turns, for example, and the student
is doing them in rhythm, but still has no "feel" for them. As an
instructor, I would assign supplemental material and/or move on, then
come back to it later. If using the book as a section-ordering scheme,
how do you go back? Also, method books are not as linearly progressive
once you get into more advanced topics, inevitably.

I'm sure many can think of other pros and cons. My experience with the
system I just described is as a student who lived with it during my h.s.
daze, and as a private instructor. I'm not a band director, so maybe some
of them can weigh in on it.. If your band director doesn't like
challenges (or frequent ones, anyway), maybe this would appeal to him or
her.