Klarinet Archive - Posting 000036.txt from 1998/10

From: reedman@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Marching Band
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1998 15:40:34 -0400

I have not gotten into the fray here, but I want to offer one small
observation.

About 99.5% of people who start instruments never make it to the
professional level. (That's my own non-scientific statistic). I hear this
huge hue and cry on the list that Marching Band is not a musical experience.
I would argue that most music making at the Jr High, High School and College
level is more important as a social experience and as a way for kids to have
some personal contact with music. We have seen almost an entire generation
of kids lose out on music in California due to the decimation of the music
program in the public schools. Where will the next generation of concert
goers come from if they are only exposed to the pop culture of rock and rap?

I have gone to the TMEA convention in San Antonio, Texas for the past
five years and I am amazed at the incredible level of participation that the
schools experience wih music. It is not uncommon for a school of 500 to have
200 kids in the music program! Most of the kids participate in the marching
bands which are huge because the athletic programs are huge. In this case
music has benefited from sports. Not the usual case in the real world!

Most of these kids will probably not continue with music past high
school, but this tactile/emotional/personal contact with music is what
creates music lovers of the future. We desperatley need that in this country

Clark W Fobes

Clark W Fobes
Web Page http://www.sneezy.org/clark_fobes

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Clark W Fobes
Web Page http://www.sneezy.org/clark_fobes

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