Klarinet Archive - Posting 001217.txt from 1998/09

From: Maestro645@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] Marching band
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1998 12:24:14 -0400

In a message dated 9/30/98, rgarrett@-----.edu writes:

> Marching band, in the traditional sense, is part of American culture - we
> started it all folks (no......I'm not talking about bands of war/British,
> etc.) - on a football field and in parade. The only problem with our
> current situation in the public schools is that it has gone too far - too
> much emphasis, too little music learning, too many trophies, too little
> representation of real music, and a tendancy for public school band
> teachers to use marching band as the representative model of what is right
> with the program......nothing could be further than the truth in those
> instances.
>
> Marching band? Absolutely! Contests and one show with slight changes a
> each week? Cop out.

What I really like about the schools in my area is the musical maturity put
into the pieces. This year we are doing the Channel One Suite and we really
concentrate on jazz styles. Last year we did The Firebird. We transcribed
band parts from the score -- there wasn't much simplifying at all! Other
schools in my town are doing Wagner opera masterpieces, and The Planets by
Holst. Drill writing is fantastic, and the musical quality is surprisingly
superb. (I would also like to mention that the Planet's show was taken from
our school when they did it several years back! :o( )
Chris Hoffman

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