Klarinet Archive - Posting 000979.txt from 1999/07

From: "Carl Schexnayder" <carlsche@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] school music programs(kinda defending corps too)
Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1999 09:33:39 -0400

Question, (I think), from Bill Hausmann..........
Please tell me what you think of it, (marching band), in Montana, Idaho,
Oregon, Washington, North Dakota, South Dakota.........non-Texas/southern
states? Is its overall vaule frequently great
Reply by Carl Schexnayder
I, for one, don't like marching band. I also don't like football or any of
the politics that go with it. Why should the jocks rule the world!? In my
area, it's always been obvious to me that most of the people at a football
game are not there to hear music. They won't listen to music while they're
there, and they actually never do. Most of them listen to what I call
non-music.

I don't believe that wind instruments, (or percussion instruments, for that
matter), were designed to be played while you are marching around on a
football field. I resent the money we have to put out for marching
uniforms, marching instruments, transportion to football games, (we don't do
parades or marching competetions), on drill and marching music.

I once mentioned to our athletic director; "You don't really want a band at
the games anyway...what you'd like much better is someone with a couple of
garbage cans he can klang together and someone with a bugle who can play
"Charge" and you'd be much happier"! He didn't reply.....he just had this
silly grin on his face, which I took to mean that what I had said was the
truth!

We have to march at the games......but, the coaches don't want us to
practice on the field.(we'll ruin the grass)! We have to go to all of the
games and can't leave the stands even during a hurricane, but they won't pay
for our transportation or anything else. The school board gives us very
little money, so that money has to be earned by our Band Boosters!

I've heard marching bands that try to sound so loud that they use little
pea-shooter mouthpieces and some even take a breath after almost every
note!!!!! I'd like to know what of musical value the students in those
bands are gaining!! The thing is, athletic supporters clap and scream the
loudest for THOSE groups!

All of that said, marching bands don't have to be unmusical, etc. I teach
intonation, tone production, balance, blend, phrasing, style, etc. to the
marching band. I use our musical rehearsal time as a time to develop those
kinds of things that will, hopefully carry over into our concert season. We
try to have at least 25 or 30 tunes that we can play in the stands aside
from our show music and we read much more than that, so they pick up
sight-reading skills. I don't ever let them overblow their embouchures. I
tell them that I don't care if nobody in the stands can hear them.if it
sounds good to me standing right in front of them, then it's good! Of
course, they are heard in the stands because I make sure they breathe
correctly and support the tone.....and play with dynamic contrast, whether
called for in the arrangement or added.

So, it's not a total loss, but I would still rather be working on concert
music, solos and ensembles the whole year! I would rather spending ALL of
the money we make on top line instruments and equipment, music, a computer
lab for the band, etc.!

I know full well that this will generate many negative replies, but I've
been teaching for 36 years, and these are some of my observations!
Carl Schexnayder

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