Klarinet Archive - Posting 000270.txt from 1998/08

From: "Karl Krelove" <kkrelove@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Music major priority
Date: Fri, 7 Aug 1998 14:36:39 -0400

-----Original Message-----
From: Kevin Fay (LCA) <kevinfay@-----.com>
Date: Friday, August 07, 1998 12:10 PM
Subject: [kl] Music major priority

>This pisses me off.
>
>Not that Ed plays bass--but that his school's orchestra is "only open to
>music majors" (unless, of course, they need *him*).
>
>Seems to me that the money that Ed pays his tuition with is just as
>green--he should be allowed to audition for the "normal" clarinet chairs
>just like anyone else. Most schools don't exclude music majors from
history
>classes--a fail to see any good explanation for the converse. IMHO, it's
>just too damn bad if the best clarinet player in the school decides to
>declare a more marketable major, they should get the chair if they win the
>audition.
>
Well, the orchestra exists first as a learning environment for the music
students, who need the orchestra experience to develop their skills, just as
the history or math majors need their specialized coursework. Its primary
purpose isn't to provide a competitive experience or the feedback that
audition victories and defeats can provide. The important difference, it
seems to me, is that the seats in an orchestra are necessarily more limited
than the available places for a history course. And universities typically
offer many sections of "academic" courses that are in heavy demand outside
the specialized school or department. If the university can provide enough
orchestras to fill the music majors' needs while inviting anyone within the
university at large to participate, then what you suggest makes sense. In
any case, enrolling in a math course is not a competitive process, unless
it's to be among the first ones to reach the registration tables or get
their advance registration forms in. Everyone knows if the course is
required and space is limited, they'd better get their registrations
completed early. I haven't been enrolled in a college program for awhile,
but I would guess there aren't many history majors (or math or any other
academic major) being kept out of classes they need because their places are
being taken by interested students from outside the department. If there
were, someone in the affected department would start making noise and I
suspect the department's students would be given priority.

Karl Krelove

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