Klarinet Archive - Posting 000830.txt from 1999/02

From: Courtney L Bogott <courtneybogott@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] re: talent - future
Date: Sat, 20 Feb 1999 22:08:34 -0500

Wait-- I just rejoined this list... why are all-state auditions in TN
"unfair"?

Courtney

On Wed, 17 Feb 1999 21:28:07 -0600 "Carl Schexnayder"
<carlsche@-----.net> writes:
>In regard to the post below, I wonder how many of you think that it is
>wise
>to place someone in an All-State Band or Orchestra when they haven't
>actually earned the position through stiffly competetive auditions!
>It
>seems to me that this student will be terribly disillusioned later on,
>at
>some point, when he/she finds out that some are much more advanced.
>There's
>no point in having an "Honor Band or Honor Orchestra" if the
>participants
>are not the best players, (at least out of those who chose to
>audition)!
>
>And, by the way, I totally agree with Kenin's post below!
>
>Ready for the flames!
>Carl Schexnayder
>
>>Kevin wrote:
>>It's very, very hard to see a student (or your child) that you love
>meet
>the
>>cruel reality of the world. While I won't quibble that All-state
>auditions
>>are "unfair" in Tennessee, I'll bet that they're no more "unfair"
>than
>>auditions to conservatories, or even professional orchestras. The way
>to
>>"win" one of these auditions is to play head and shoulders better
>than the
>>rest--so much better that no one can debate your superiority. Unless
>one is
>>really playing at that level, the sad audition is likely just a
>portent of
>>things to come. It's very much like basketball--there are very, very
>few
>>high school varsity players who make the NBA. I'd bet that more
>people make
>>their living in this country playing basketball than playing
>orchestral
>>clarinet, too.
>>It's a sad truth that the vast, vast majority of kids who really dig
>playing
>>in high school don't have a prayer of ever making a living at it. A
>case in
>>point on how fast the fast track really is--Ricardo Morales got hired
>at
>the
>>Met at 19; John Yeh in Chicago was not a great deal older when he got
>his
>>gig. If you go farther back in time, you may remember that Stanley
>Drucker
>>wasn't pushing for All-state when he was 16; he was already principal
>of
>the
>>Buffalo Phil. Sure, late bloomers exist, but that's who they are up
>>against.
>>Now, I don't advocate that anyone give up playing (after all, I'm on
>this
>>list). I play basketball, too. If this audition process helps bring a
>kid
>>to reality, though, I'm all for it. Better that it happens sooner
>than
>>later.
>>kjf
>>
>>=========================================================
>>
>>There were auditions that Ricardo did not even make it past the first
>round
>>(he probably was the best player, but his style was not what the
>>auditioners were looking for - Buffalo Sym. for example). There was
>even
>>one audition (a major, major West Coast Orch.) that they did not take
>him
>>because they were intimidated by his playing (I was told that by the
>>Co-Principal player, comparing him to Issac Stern in a Violin
>section).
>>Ricardo was 20 when he got the Met job (spring 1995 Leblanc Bell
>>interview-article by Tom Ridenour). The true monster players are
>already
>>pretty great by the 2nd year of college, but there are others who
>got
>>better toward the end, and during their Masters program. I was told
>by a
>>summer student Jen Christensen who had just gotten her Masters at
>>Northwestern U. that most of the best players there were the ones in
>the
>>undergrad program.
>> I do think that it is the Univ. teachers responsibility to give
>their
>>students a realistic picture of how the heck they are going to make
>a
>>living if they are not of the highest caliber talent (if performance
>majors).
>>
>>
>>
>>David Blumberg - My Tempo Accompaniments for Woodwind Players (100+
>pieces,
>>Demos)
>>reedman@-----.com
>>http://www.sneezy.org/david_blumberg/
>>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
----
>-
>>--------------------
>>
>>
>>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
--
>>Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
>>Subscribe to the Digest:
>klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
>>Unsubscribe from the Digest:
>>Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
>>Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
>Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
>Subscribe to the Digest:
>klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
>Unsubscribe from the Digest:
>Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
>Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org
>
>

You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html
or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

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