Klarinet Archive - Posting 000650.txt from 1999/07

From: "Patricia Smith" <david-patty@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] School Music Programs
Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 12:11:16 -0400

> At 09:31 PM 7/19/1999 -0500, Ed Lacy wrote:
> >Today, one of my most promising private students told me that she can no
> >longer take lessons, because she is required to be at marching band
> >rehearsal EIGHT HOURS PER DAY!!!! They rehearse from 7:30 a.m. until
> >12:30 p.m., and then again from 6:30 to 9:30 in the evening.
> >
> >Naturally, none of this has anything to do with music. They have already
> >memorized all the music (about 13 minutes in length) which they will be
> >playing from now until mid-November.
> >
> >This is insanity.
> >Next, Bill Hausmann wrote:

> I am a staunch a supporter of marching band as anyone, but you are right!
> Maybe one week of intense summer band camp like this, but otherwise any
> more than two hours a day indicates a serious misplacement of priorities.
> Eight hours is considerably longer than they spend in class! I suspect
> they will have one incredibly perfect band show, but I fail to see how
that
> is better for their musical or general development than doing the show
> merely quite well and spending the rest of the time on other studies, or
> perhaps having a LIFE!
>

Gentlemen,
I suspect Mr. Lacy's student may have hoodwinked him somewhat. I have never
heard of any of these 8 hour days being longer than a week or two in the
summer. Me suspects the young lady simply doesn't wish to take lessons
right now, or that she might be experiencing pressure from her parents and
doesn't want to pass the buck onto them responsibility-wise. Especially if
she is a high school student and not at the point where she has to make a
decision about college (i.e. 9th or 10th grade), and the parents don't
consider music a serious career choice anyway. I've seen my share of these.
Also, in every state, a certain amount of instruction time EACH DAY is
required by law; in most states this is seven to eight hours per day. There
is simply no time for more than perhaps an hour to 1- 1/2 hours before
school and/or 1- 1/2 hours after school, per day, at the most. If you add
this up hours-wise, it DOESN'T add up. Even with my worst-case scenario,
this kid could still reschedule lessons for later in the day or on a
Saturday (or Sunday if her religion is observant of a Saturday Sabbath - I
provide Sunday afternoon lessons by request) IF she were really on fire for
the instrument.
I, frankly, detest these band-camp arrangements for another reason- often
people don't know when to quit when the temp is too high.

Patty Smith

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