Klarinet Archive - Posting 001049.txt from 2000/04

From: Chrissie Gilbert <chrisskg@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Community Bands
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 19:10:39 -0400

That sounds pretty similar to how seating tends to go at my highschool now
(according to ability and seniority) but I can't ever help but wonder if some
"politics" play into it from time to time. Not very often, but sometimes it
seems like they might...

As for challenges... if they keep stability in a section, my middle school band
must have been as ridgid as they come. I know I personally was challenged at
least once a week....

Just my 2-cents.

-Chrissie Gilbert

Ray S. Whitmore wrote:

> Well, George, I just past my 40th high school reunion and also don't
> remember any competition. The high school band director simply sat each
> player according to his perceived order of ability (and seniority). Thus,
> the seconds were always weaker and the thirds were non-existent. This was
> true of all the sections.
>
> I know our local high school band members are encouraged to challenge
> frequently. That must really leads to stability in the section.
>
> Ray S. Whitmore
> COmputer COnsulting Associates, Inc.
> 730 Hebron Avenue; PO Box 342
> Glastonbury, CT 06033
> voice: 860.657.2210
> fax: 860.659.0787
> e-mail: ray @-----.com
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: George Kidder [mailto:gkidder@-----.org]
> Sent: Monday, April 24, 2000 9:54 AM
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: RE: [kl] Community Bands
>
> At 09:23 PM 04/23/2000 -0400, Ray Whitmore wrote:
> >Clarinet sections always sound better when there is at least one strong
> >player in each section. I would rather see the 3 strongest players sit
> first
> >chair on each part.
>
> This is equally true of clarinet sections in high school bands.
>
> >Unfortunately, there is a prestige to playing first and
> >a stigma attached to sitting in the seconds and thirds. Probably a hangup
> >left over from high school band.
> >
> The hangup, as I see it, is fostered by the view that we must have
> competition for everything - hence the elaborate competitive seating system
> which seems to be in vogue for school bands. IMHO, this does not produce
> either the best music for any given performance, nor a healthy attitude
> toward the music. I believe that the challenge should be to play as well
> as possible, not to play better than your neighbor. Let the director
> assign seating according to the needs and abilities - certainly in the
> usual band arrangement, the director can quickly identify the problems in
> the clarinet section which is right under his nose.
>
> I don't remember this pernicious competition from my youth (say 50 years
> ago). Was it present in some places, and I just missed it?
> -----------------------
> George Kidder
> MDIBL
> gkidder@-----.org
>
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