Klarinet Archive - Posting 001757.txt from 1998/04

From: "Carl Schexnayder" <carlsche@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Re: [klarinet] Attracting Wind Ensemble Audiences
Date: Thu, 30 Apr 1998 14:08:22 -0400

-----Original Message-----
From: Carl Schexnayder <carlsche@-----.com>
Date: Tuesday, April 28, 1998 9:41 PM
Subject: Re: [klarinet] Attracting Wind Ensemble Audiences

>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Carl Schexnayder <carlsche@-----.com>
>To: klarinet@-----.org>
>Date: Monday, April 27, 1998 9:20 PM
>Subject: Re: [klarinet] Attracting Wind Ensemble Audiences
>
>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
>>To: klarinet@-----.org>
>>Date: Monday, April 27, 1998 9:02 AM
>>Subject: Re: [klarinet] Attracting Wind Ensemble Audiences
>>
>>Reply form Carl Schexnayder: I don't think this ever went through!
>
>>BRAVO TO
>>H. Robert Reynolds! There are some transcriptions of earlier composers
>that
>>are worth doing and hearing. My own opinion is that most anything written
>>for the organ transcribes really well for the band. There are also MANY
>>fine composers writing today who deserve to be heard. All of their music
>is
>>not "far out". (By the way, the Gillingham "Heroes Lost and Fallen" is a
>>wonderful, beautiful piece! How could anyone object to it)?
>>
>>I think a related problem is that many orchestras nearly refuse to play
any
>>modern music. It's as though they think , (and I know for a fact that
some
>>orchestra conductors think just that), that no worthwhile music was
written
>>after the third quarter of the nineteenth century. It's as though they
>think
>>that serious music composition came to an end at that time, that
everything
>>worthwhile that could possibly be done in music composition had already
>been
>>done! No wonder people talk of a possible end to orchestras and concert
>>bands or to serious music.
>>
>>With my high school band, I try to stick to the highest quality of music
>>that is available. We have audiences of over 300 at all of our concerts.
>I
>>do admit that the audience is mostly made up of the parents of the
students
>>and many band alumni, but, (as for those people who don't come), I doubt
>if
>>anyone could get them to attend anything that wasn't a football game or a
>>rock or country concert! Who wouold want them to come to their concert
>>anyway? Certainly not I !!
>>
>>
>>I know about making a living, but I believe that there some things that I
>>couldn't do even for that reason. I'd rather dig ditches!
>>
>>Sorry,
>>Just my opinion,
>>Carl Schexnayder
>>>Someone wrote:
>>>> >Trust me, it was one heck of a great concert! However, once again,
>even
>>with
>>>> >a wonderful program, outstanding musicians, and fine conducting
>>leadership,
>>>> >the members of the Claremont Symphonic Winds outnumbered the
audience!!
>>All
>>>> >of us in the Claremont Symphonic Winds (at least me, the contrabass
>>clarinet
>>>> >player, would like to know if this is a LALA Land (Claremont is about
>35
>>miles
>>>> >due east of Los Angeles) phenomenon, or is there a proven way to
>attract
>>an
>>>> >audience to a really outstanding concert of wind music?
>>>
>>>Merlin Williams responded:
>>>>>>> I attended a band concert last night - an odd thing for me, since I
>>>generally play, and don't go to concerts much. The concert was fairly
>>>well attended. The audience numbered about 225 to the band's 45 members.
>>>Not stellar, but better than many band concerts. However, given that
>>>this concert had been given media coverage by two major Toronto TV
>>>stations, due to the band featuring an unsung heroine of Canadian music,
>>>I was a bit disappointed by the turnout. Five million people live in the
>>>broadcast area, yet only 225 could make it out.
>>>
>>>BTW, I went because the band was playing a medley I wrote of the songs
>>>written by the honoree - it definitely makes the long hours spent in
>>>front of a blank page seem more worthwhile when the music is finally
>>>played before an attentive and appreciative audience.>>>>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>[Somewhat long response]:
>>>Band concerts are generally not well attended - although there are
pockets
>>>of places where bands have done a very good job of building a regular
>>>audience, most band audiences have dwindled to the numbers Merlin
>>>describes and less. I remember attending U. Michigan in 1978, only six
>>>years after Revelli packed the house - Hill Auditorium seats 2000 I
>>>believe. We had less than 500 people attend our concerts - and this is a
>>>world class band.
>>>
>>>Why does this happen? H.R. Reyonlds talked about this with us once, and
>>>his philosophy was based on one major issue.......bands shold play only
>>>high quality music. His feeling was that bands have a bad reputation as
>>>ensembles that only play "commercial" or popular music (popular not being
>>>the genre associated with pop music......rather, music written or
arranged
>>>for band that is popular to listen to......such as Selections from Guys
>>>and Dolls or something like that). His approach was more like a symphony
>>>orchestra conductor.......play great music and people will be
>>>enriched. Of course, the problem is that the orchestra has a wealth of
>>>great music.....centuries of wonderful composers have contributed to the
>>>repertoire. The current band instrumentation has only been around for
>>>about a century, and the first half of that century was really limited to
>>>marches (unique to bands) and transcriptions of orchestral works. The
>>>band really did not begin to develop a large body of significant
>>>repertoire until the latter 20th century (Grainger, Holst, Vaughan
>>>Williams, Jacob notwithstanding). Fredrick Fennell introduced the Wind
>>>Ensemble Concept to us, and H. Robert Reynolds has been responsible for
>>>organizing large numbers of commissions of new works - as well as
>>>championing significant works already in the repertoire. All this is
>>>good.
>>>
>>>What does any of this have to do with audiences? 100 years from now,
more
>>>people may attend a band concert (if orchestras and bands don't die away
>>>altogehter!) - simply because there will be 200 years of repertoire to
>>>for bands to draw from. If orchestras could only draw from the past 100
>>>years of repertoire, I would assume they would have less people attending
>>>their concerts as well.......just my opinion of course. How many people
>>>could sit through 12 subscription concerts of ONLY Stravinsky, Copland,
>>>Bernstein, and Rachmaninoff? (Just the composers I am throwing out....I
>>>know there are many more). A nice diet of Beethoven, Vivaldi, Bach,
>>>Mahler, Tchaikovsky, etc. really adds a lot!
>>>
>>>Ok.....so.....what does a band do to attract an audience? Play a balance
>>>of music designed to attract an audience.....if having an audience is
>>>important. Many band programs are represented by 80% music that is, upon
>>>first hearing, difficult to listen to or at least concentrate on. It
does
>>>not appear beautiful or soothing.....often it is loud and terrifying.
>>>"Heros Lost and Fallen" by Gillingham (I hope I got that composer
>>>correct!), band works of Guenther Schuller and Karel Husa - all works
that
>>>require explanation before performing - tend to make up a large amount of
>>>repertoire being played by the best ensembles. The conductors, in an
>>>effort to prove the worth of this medium, throw only the best, most
>>>interesting (to them and the band) music at the audience.....and a much
>>>less musically educated audience responds by gradually not attending -
>>>simply because their ears cannot tolerate an hour and a half of this kind
>>>of "good" (and I believe it IS good) music.
>>>
>>>I used to attend the annual CBDNA (College Band Directors National
>>>Association) convention each year......but the concerts were either
>>>cheesy, or they were so advant garde that I couldn't tolerate a full
three
>>>days of them. I needed a mix.....played by really good bands. I stopped
>>>attending those conferences.
>>>
>>>It would be interesting to see a thesis or dissertation written on the
>>>impact bands on music audiences nationally. It would also be interesting
>>>to be around in 100 years to hear what bands are playing and see what
>>>kinds of audiences are attending.
>>>
>>>Roger Garrett
>>>IWU
>>>
>>>
>>>---------------------------------------------------------------------
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>>>For other problems, e-mail: klarinet-owner@-----.org
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

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