Klarinet Archive - Posting 001398.txt from 1998/03

From: DAWN HEATHER MCADAMS <mcad4230@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: Av Galper and Neil Leupold
Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1998 13:21:21 -0500

I feel that any teacher has an moral obligation to their students. What I
am getting at is that I think that it is a teachers job to tell the
student what they are in for. This will most likely keep them from
getting too dissappointed because they knew what to expect. Their is no
reason why the student cant play for his/her own enjyoment either.
:)

On Sun, 29 Mar 1998, Edwin V. Lacy wrote:

> On Sat, 28 Mar 1998, Neil Leupold wrote:
>
> > My commentary was with regard to the manner in which auditions are
> > conducted at most universities and conservatories in America, in
> > deference to the common practice of orchestras across the country.
> > Schools are interested in having students who will succeed as performers
> > in America's orchestras.
>
>
> That is far too simplistic a view of what is going on in the music schools
> of the great majority of colleges and universities. The field of music as
> a career includes far more options than just preparing oneself to be an
> orchestral clarinetist. In fact, there are many thousands of unhappy
> music school graduates in the U.S. today who took just that short-sighted
> view. Thier approach to life could be characterized as believing that
> they would get a bachelor's degree in performance, then get a master's
> degree in performance (in part because that is the primary option open to
> those who hold the performance bachelor's), and then take a few years to
> practice their orchestral excerpts and to take auditions until they would
> get a fat contract with a major orchestra, and then they would live
> happily ever after. For the very small percentage who win the few
> positions which become available, that can be a viable option. For the
> remaining 99% or so, what will they do then? Very many of them have never
> considered this eventuality, and have no idea how to cope with it.
>
> It is wrong to discourage students from pursuing this track, if that is
> their dream. However, it also is wrong not to give them a realistic
> viewpoint of the facts of life in the world of music, and to encourage
> them to have their alternative plans in place.
>
> *****************************************************************
> Dr. Edwin Lacy University of Evansville
> Professor of Music 1800 Lincoln Avenue
> Evansville, IN 47722
> el2@-----.edu (812)479-2754
> *****************************************************************
> Ed Lacy
>
>