Klarinet Archive - Posting 000135.txt from 1998/10

From: "Kevin Fay (LCA)" <kevinfay@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] marching band
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1998 18:07:03 -0400

Roger Garrett wrote:

<<<Marching helps musical development in many ways: use of air, rhythmic
development, percussion chops, sustaining a sound when you are physically
uncomfortable........

Yes, we could do without marching band and give kids a quality music
education IF (and that is a big if) the public and the administrators who
control our funding and our curriculum continue to recognize the reason we
teach music. Unfortunately, they usually do not - and the marching band
is what allows us to continue to teach music in the schools.>>>

There seems to be three camps here. One is the vitriolic marching band
haters. Guess they didn't like it. IM very HO, they're "wrong."

The second are the (mostly) kids who love it, and are very passionate
defenders of it as a musical art form. For reasons expressed below, I think
they're "wrong," too. It's not a great art form. But so what?

The third camp I think is exemplified by Dr. Garrett. Now, he knows a
little of the subject--he performs, teaches clarinet and conducts a college
wind ensemble for a living. I'll bet there are band directors all over the
Midwest that he had a hand in educating. And he's got a picture of the
(ugh!) Michigan marching band on his wall.

Marching band has its uses. It markets music to kids, who generally enjoy
it. Some of them really enjoy it--it jazzes them up so much they practice
more. This is not a bad thing.

Is it the "best" musical experience? No. (If you really want to combine
music and movement, buy a copy of Stockhausen's Harlequin and a tutu, and
take a whole lot of dance lessons.) The kids who argue that it is aren't
"wrong" so much as inexperienced--by and large, they don't have the depth of
performance experience to compare it to. All I can say to them is that (a)
I'm really and truly glad you are that passionate about your performance and
(b) if you think *that's* great, you're gonna love Mahler! I envy being
that young. I wish I could march again--just for the bus rides alone!--but
there are remarkable few opportunities for youthful fun for 40-year old desk
jockeys. Sigh.

Now, there's no question that marching band isn't as beneficial to the
technique of clarinet playing as an equivalent amount of time and energy
spent in a practice room. But there certainly is room for it. Being
passionate about performing is at least as important as raw technique in the
long run. To the extent that marching band includes kids who otherwise
wouldn't be interested in the program, there are other benefits as well: as
Maynard Ferguson has pointed out, no one has ever robbed a liquor store with
a trombone.

Some disclaimers:

--I have never performed Harlequin. I don't like to play standing, and
simply don't have the legs for a tutu. Besides, it's really, really hard.

--I referred to Michigan with an "ugh" because it's my duty as a
(Washington) Husky. After last week's performance against Nebraska,
however, please feel free to "ugh" me back. (What can you expect from a
school whose marching band's signature song is "Tequila"?)

kjf

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

   
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org