Klarinet Archive - Posting 000089.txt from 1998/10

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] marching band
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1998 02:32:13 -0400

On Thu, 1 Oct 1998, clmccurdy wrote:

> there are a lot of young people who would go to sleep if they had to sit
> in concert formation and play the entire 1812 overture....but
> interpreting it musically on a field gives them an insight they would
> never have taken time to learn........

My experience would seem to indicate otherwise. I have conducted several
high school bands in the 1812 Overture, and doing so excites them about
music more than almost anything you can name. It is surprising how young
musicians react to real music of high quality (although the 1812 is not
necessarily the best example of the kind of music I am talking about, but
it is something that appeals to young people). Given a choice between good
wind ensemble literature and good transcriptions on the one hand, or
pieces of lesser quality, in my experience they have always preferred the
former. However, if the teacher is not enthusiastic about good music, or
can't tell the difference in good and bad music, or if he/she selects
music which plays down to the students, then the result is quite
predictable.

Ed Lacy
el2@-----.edu

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