Klarinet Archive - Posting 000977.txt from 2000/02

From: Daniel Leeson <leeson0@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Very much on-topic language skills
Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2000 14:07:03 -0500

Neil's note suggesting that grammatic diversity serves a useful purpose
is shown below. I could not agree less.

One of the things that a clarinet player will probably have to do at
some juncture of his/her life is to write about what they do. Some
players are very brilliant performers but cannot communicate the time of
day in intelligable, clear, articulate English (or whatever his/her
language might be).

If one tolerates sloppy, misspelled, grammatically inaccurate writings
on this list (or worse, if our better players manifest it in their own
writing styles), then the younger players are not going to be motivated
to follow suit. While this has some social consequences, that is far
less of a problem than the financial consequences of being inarticulate
or appearing uneducated when they attempt to communicate in writing;
i.e., they can make more money by being articulate and playing well,
than they can simply by planing well.

There are brilliant clarinetists in the US (and elsewhere) today who
cannot write effectively about what they do. If they could, their
audience would be greater and their impact more substantial. Some will
never write or communicate well because great clarinet playing does not
necessarily mean having the needed abilities to communicate well. But
most of us do have that ability and by failing to stress its importance
to younger players, we do them a disservice.

Neil Leupold wrote:
>
> --- Jim O'Briant <jobriant@-----.com> wrote:
>
> > I figured that with the level of English grammar,
> > syntax and spelling that I see from students on
> > several different mailing lists, a little bit of
> > education wouldn't hurt, either.....
>
> Ah yes, I used to be this way. I've come to recognize
> over time, however, that there are actually "styles" of
> English misconstruction. These distinctions become part
> of people's written identities and lend character to their
> particular brands of discourse. It is certainly not spe-
> cific to students. Rather than interpreting such aberra-
> tions as indications of laziness or incompetence, I've come
> to view them as unique forms of self-expression. With only
> the written word for communication on a mailing list, these
> idiosyncratic foibles can genuinely serve to enrich one's
> perception of the individual where few other qualifiers
> exist ~ and I mean that in a positive way. In short,
> let the mistakes abound!
>
> -- Neil

--
***************************
** Dan Leeson **
** leeson0@-----.net **
***************************

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

   
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org