Klarinet Archive - Posting 000913.txt from 1998/03

From: Josh-Boy <joshcole@-----.Edu>
Subj: Re: A conductor who doesn't "believe" in chairs
Date: Sun, 15 Mar 1998 03:33:14 -0500

If an elephant falls, which suffers more: the elephant or the ground?

On Sat, 14 Mar 1998, GrnShirt wrote:

> Recently, I've discovered that the two clarinets who have been in long
> time competition with me and my stand partner are furious with us for not
> giving them first part. The question is:

First of all, I guess taking from what you said, "in long time
competition," I would have to ask why they were really furious. Did they
truly want the chance to play first part or did they just want to play
"above" you? I know that sounds a bit -- well, wrong, but I know this
from personal experience (Shouryu, you understand!!!) that sometimes long
time competition can lead to petty rivalries and disputes.

> Should we have assumed that these two players wanted to play first part (even
> thougfh they seemed perfectly happy with second), or should we have waited
> until they asked for it?

Second of all, if they really had wanted to play first part before, they
could have said something, at the least to your band director. I mean,
seriously, it's kind of immature and impractical to assume that someone
else knows what you want or can read your mind. Besides, we all know what
happens when a person assumes, right? It makes -- well, you know the
rest. :) ;-) These two should have realized that many times, people
just don't hand you anything. Most times, you have to ask. And it's
understandable. In our community band, I was content with playing
second, third, and when applicable, fourth parts. Then our band director
pulled out a piece on which I wanted to play first. And upon asking our
section leader, voila!! I played first. In our community band, our part
assignments were not based on chair or skill, but like your band was
decided on what the players wanted to play. Most of the time, my private
instructor played first part. Every once in a while, someone else played
first. But like I said, that person had to request first to get it.

Okay so now that I'm done rambling, back to Molly on the Shore, Dance
Movements, and minor scales!!! ;-)

Joshua M. Coleman
http://web.nmsu.edu/~joshcole
(Under construction always because I have NO TIME to do anything with it!)

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to
see it, do the other trees make fun of it?