Klarinet Archive - Posting 000073.txt from 1998/10

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Marching Band
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1998 22:18:25 -0400

At 12:09 PM 10/1/98 -0500, Roger Garrett wrote:
>With all due respect, I feel that the tail is wagging the dog here.
>99.9% of the students don't continue because they were not inspired to by
>their music teachers. Perhaps they spent too much time socializing and
>not enough learning why music exists in the public schools. Yes, marching
>band is important - yes it is a good social outlet, no - it is not what
>creates music lovers in the future - it is what shapes thoughts and
>feelings of students regarding their opinions about what music is....and
>it shouldn't be marching band.
>
You don't suppose large numbers of students do not become professional
players simply because they lack the talent, self-discipline, and interest
in music to choose it over engineering, medicine, truck-driving, or
whatever? A bad teacher might be able to stifle a few talented
individuals, but the most brilliant teacher in the universe cannot make a
professional musician out of a tone-deaf kid.

>BTW, 99.9% is not real accurate. Of the students at the high school level
>who continue to college, the number is more like 84% do not continue.
>
Are you saying that 16% of high school musicians go on to play as
PROFESSIONALS? I'll bet Mr. Fobes' figure of .5% is much closer. Any more
than that and homeless, unemployed musicians would completely cover the
sidewalks of New York City to a depth of several feet!

Bill Hausmann bhausman@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://www.concentric.net/~bhausman
Essexville, MI 48732 http://members.wbs.net/homepages/z/o/o/zoot14.html
ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.

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