Klarinet Archive - Posting 000813.txt from 1999/07
From: "Kevin Fay (LCA)" <kevinfay@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] school music programs(kinda defending corps too)
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 14:05:25 -0400
Mark noted:
<<<It comes down to choices, and some of us have none (or a really a binary
choice - band/no band). No one (or very few, anyway) are arguing that
marching band isn't a fun, supportive, and generally wonderful thing for
those that want to be there. There are arguments on whether or not a
marching band can march and play "good" music ... but that's different than
bashing marching band.>>>
and John Parette also noted:
<<<I'm probably unique on the clarinet list in that part of my job is
marching football half-time shows. I play in the Army Band at West Point,
and we do shows at most of the Army football games. Despite that, after
nearly 20 years of marching band (with a 4-year reprieve at the New England
Conservatory-not in the curriculum) I fail to see the connection between
marching band and music. It should be part of the phys ed department.>>>
These 2 perspectives really should be the end of the "debate"--which is more
of a generational conflict than anything else.
(Some) kids love marching band--I know I did at the time--and are therefore
very defensive when told by an "adult" that the exercise is in fact not a
valuable artistic experience. The response is invariably that we oldsters
"just don't understand."
But of course we do. The university professors on this list deal with the
damage wrought by high school marching on their freshmen each and every day.
They KNOW the embouchure damage and arrested musical development that these
activities can cause. John Parette knows marching--he's been doing it
professionally for longer than any high school student has been alive!
The raw truth is that playing a drum corp transcription of Carmina Burana is
not, not, not, not, not as valuable as a music education experience as
playing the real thing with the local youth symphony, on at least two
different levels. The first level is just the physical aspects of
playing--marching kills both your embouchure and instrument AND introduces
bad technique (rehearsing with the orchestra does the opposite).
Kids will miss this simply because marching is just so much fun. They will
end up realizing it, however, once they have to spend a bunch of time in the
practice room and in their lessons with Roger Garrett, Ed Lacy et. al.
undoing the bad habits that marching band has given them.
The second level is much more ephemeral--the "artistic" aspect. Sure, good
drum corps spend some time on their "sound"--but it's simply not the same as
what you'll do in the orchestra, wind ensemble or chamber group. For the
kids and kidlike who don't believe this, just ask Mr. Parette--he does both
every day.
The fact that Carmina Burana is the piece that brought all this up again is
particularly ironic--at least for those who have some familiarity with
professional music education. For those who don't get that--Carl Orff was
one of the two most preeminent pioneers of early childhood music education.
"Orff Schulwerk" is the method he developed to teach music in a linguistic
fashion to small children through xylophones, rhythm and movement (e.g.,
dance). Zoltan Kodaly (the other seminal educator of which I speak) also
emphasized dance/movement as a way to inculcate musicality for young
children. Both Orff and Kodaly would heartily approve of marching band as a
method to get kids motivated about music . . .
. . . and then have them stop once they're no longer in the primary grades.
Movement for both of these educators was a precursor to more formalized
musical training.
I would love to see someone try to march to the Dances from Galanta!
kjf
---------------------------------------------------------------------
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
