Klarinet Archive - Posting 000149.txt from 1999/04

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu>
Subj: [kl] Evidence
Date: Sat, 3 Apr 1999 17:21:00 -0500

David Renaud comments about perception of change in sound character
and offers as evidence his own experience and the perception of
both his wife and his child (perhaps more than one) in support of
his statements.

No disrespect to David's family, but the observation of his family
is not evidence. It is anecdotal data which has no value in
supporting or denying assertions.

David then makes reference to Fobes and Pyne and decides to trust
them because of their experience, which in both cases is substantial.
But if a lifetime of Clarke's experience is impressive, then I must
say that I am twice as old as Clarke and therefore my experience should
be, theoretically, twice as impressive. (And in any case, Clarkes
does not say what David suggested, though he does lean towards
material as being more important than I think, but I'm older, smarter,
wise, nobler, more decent and Clarke lives up the street, so to speak.)

In any case, what I say and what Clarke suggests is not evidence. It
is, like the opinion of David's family, anecdotal. But nothing that
I have said, and nothing that David has said so far is evidence. We
are all stating opinions. And I have an objection to David stating
that his opinions are closer to scientific fact than anyone else's
on the basis of how he feels and how his wife and child hear things.

There are serious studies done on this subject that deny David's
position most emphatically. There are no studies that support the
view that materials make a significant difference in the character
of clarinet sound.

That is not anecdotal evidence and it must hold a more secure position
that David is willing to give it. I cannot, of course, insist that
he hold any position, but his credibility suffers when he denies
technical truth and substitute how he and his family hear sound
as more authoritative than contradictory technical positions.

=======================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
leeson@-----.edu
=======================================

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