Klarinet Archive - Posting 000819.txt from 1999/07

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] school music programs(kinda defending corps too)
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 14:16:36 -0400

At 08:46 AM 7/23/99 -0600, you wrote:
>I always thought that the processes I went through to become skilled on my
>instruments taught me discipline, problem solving skills, fine motor skills,
>eye-hand coordination, long and short term goal attainment, a heightened
>awareness, a finer understanding of music specifically, and the fine arts in
>general, team play and team work, and the list could go on and on.
>
>Now, besides being dinner music for a crowd stuffing down hot-dogs and
gulping
>Coke, what exactly are the intrinsic and unique values of the marching
band that
>make it esthetically, culturally, or intellectually so important to the
public
>school curricula?

Esthetically - not much, but it does provide movement to "music" - and in
many cases, can be quite beautiful and stirring to watch. Personally, when
I attended U. Michigan, the sound that ensemble got on a field was
especially thrilling - this was particularly noticeable in formations for
which they were not moving. Drum and Bugle Corps has taken it a step
further - that is constant movement. Done well, it can be very moving.
However, there is literally no spontanety involved in the performance - and
that's the rub with regard to expression through music.

Culturally - again, not much. But MB had a unique beginning (football
games that is) to the U.S. Exposure to young people performing in this way
is a cultural phenomena that has spread beyond the borders of our country.

Intellectually - depends on what you mean by that. It takes a bit of
imagination to develop a chart and make it reflect movement/music - much as
coreography does. However, the average musician in the ensemble does not
gain much intellectually from the overall event.

Public School Curricula - now you have something. In the U.S., the general
population is not educated musically as well as other cultures - music in
the public schools notwithstanding. You put a high school band on the
field and show the public what their tax dollars are paying for, and the
results are enormous. Does it help the actual curriculum? You bet. In
many cases it is the sole reason the band remains part of a curriculum.
Sad but true. If initiated and administrated properly, a band teacher at
the secondary level can be quite successful in his use of the marching band
to further the beneifts of his concert ensemble(s). Unfortunately, most of
the high school directors use the band as a way to demonstrate teaching
effectiveness rather than as a public relations tool (as it was originally
intended) to gain support for teaching in music. I maintain that, while
properly administrated and taught, the MB can be very helpful toward the
public school curricula.

Hope this generally answers some of the very good questions!
Roger Garrett
Professor of Clarinet
Director, Concert Band/Symphonic Winds/Titan Band
Advisor, Recording Studio
Illinois Wesleyan University
Office: (309) 556-3268
Fax: (309) 556-3411

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