Klarinet Archive - Posting 000224.txt from 1999/02

From: chr <chr@-----.de>
Subj: [kl] Women and orchestras - German version
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1999 17:38:23 -0500

Germany still has a ways to go in the equality of men and women
department. Behind-the-screen auditions for orchestras are the exception
rather than the rule here.

Five years ago I sat on a search committee (all men) to find a fulltime
clarinet instructor for a music school near Ulm. Three candidates had
been selected - two men and a woman - to play auditions and teach in
front of the committee. One of the male candidates did not even have a
degree in music (but he was the mayor's favorite). In any case, the
female candidate completely outplayed and "outtaught" the others by a
significant margin. After they were finished, I saw no reason for any
long deliberations. The other committee members agreed with my
assessment, but one of the personnel people wondered outloud whether this
female candidate (who was 25 at the time) would be wanting to have
children soon, and what a disruption for maternity leave, blah, blah,
blah. I mentioned that the legal ramifications of such musings could be
quite negative for the city, which shut him right up. The female
candidate got the job.

In most situations nowadays, biases against women are not discussed
openly, because that is illegal, but women are still at a definite
disadvantage in the musical scene here.

The amateur music scene can be even worse. Near where I live there are
two cities, Ulm and Meersburg, which have publicly-funded all-boy youth
bands (Knabenmusik). These bands are pretty good and tour Europe and
abroad. They have smart-looking expensive uniforms (paid with tax Euros)
and as a matter of civic pride, no expense is spared getting these boys
good conductors (also at taxpayers expense). They also receive a huge
subsidy on lesson fees (in Meersburg the private weekly lessons with
professional musicians for the boys are *FREE*). High quality
instruments are also placed at their disposal. When I first learned
about all this, I couldn't believe that this would still be possible. To
this day, young girls who are interested in good band music have no
recourse in these two cities for an experience remotely as qualitative as
a boy has.

I cannot even begin to impart to you how angry I get thinking about this.
I personally refuse contacts or cooperation of any kind with these
organizations. The frustrating thing is that while most local people I
talk with about it think it old-fashioned, they do not understand my
sharp condemnation of it. The usual reaction is, "It's a tradition". My
rejoinder that hating Jews also used to be a tradition (in Germany) that
proved bad has won me no friends to date but it does help me vent.

If the above has not upset you much yet, surf to the following URL
containing a detailed account of a female trombonist's 12 year battle
against Celibidache and the Munich Philharmonic. Guaranteed to make
one's blood boil:

http://metro.turnpike.net/~iwbc/ladies.html#trials

Don Christensen

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org