Klarinet Archive - Posting 001003.txt from 2000/08

From: "Buckman, Nancy" <nebuckman@-----.us>
Subj: RE: [kl] Which one? (Uh-oh...newby alert!)
Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2000 09:41:14 -0400

<So, is the band director supposed to pretend that he/she doesn't
know that
<some instruments are of better quality than others? After going to
school
<to learn these things, is the teacher prohibited from offering
advice?

I never said the teacher couldn't offer advice, I said he shouldn't
"dictate". And as for going to school to "learn these things" you and I
both know that the amount of time spent learning the other instruments
doesn't provide enough information to make such a definitive judgement. My
own experience with the training I received in school tells me to ask for
help from an instrumentalist who plays the given instrument before
professing to advise concerning the rental, let alone purchase, of an
instrument that was not clarinet or saxophone. After all the discussions on
this list concerning choice of instruments for students, why would one
presume that only one brand of instrument will do the job. We all know one
man's bread is another's poison. Parents aren't stupid. Give them choices
and a list of characteristics to go with the choices and they can make
reasonable selections on their own.

<I wouldn't assume in every case that the director is being that
<self-concerned or arrogant about making recommendations as to what
<instrument a student might play. In many cases, students settle on
an
<instrument which may be very difficult or nearly impossible to
play. Many
<have chosen, for example, the flute because their friends play the
flute,
<even though they may find producing a tone on the flute to be an
almost
<insurmountable task.

What is wrong with a child choosing to play the flute because his
friends do? If it doesn't work out he can switch to something else. There
is no way to predict before the fact what the outcome will be from a given
choice of instrument. Children need all the opportunities they can get to
make their own choices - right and wrong. How else will they learn? As long
as there is no physical danger in those choices, what is the rub?

> We have a band night in the all-purpose room of every
> school and all the stores who want to rent or sell can come
> and display their wares so that the "hopelessly ignorant fathers "
(and
> mothers) can choose for themselves what they want to rent or buy.

<<That would seem to pretty much ensure that no store could sell
enough
<<instruments to make it financially feasible to participate in such
a circus.

This form of free enterprise is far from a circus atmosphere. This
way of renting/selling has made the stores involved ascertain that
instruments are of good quality and that the instruments are presented in
good playing condition. It also provides for good service when repairs need
to be made. Only the stores providing the highest quality service to their
customers will succeed and that is the best thing all the way around - for
parent, child and band director. The stores in my area who participate in
"Band Night" do half of their company business in rentals. Their rates are
reasonable and all rental fees are applied to purchase without interest
charges, when that choice is made. Children in the string program can
change instrument size without any sort of penalty and are encouraged to
rent until they grow into a full-sized instrument. Everyone wins.

When my own daughter was in elementary school she was told that she
should not play the flute because her lips were not the right shape to be
successful. She wanted to play the flute, so I let her. When she was
eleven years old she was accepted into the community orchestra on flute and
piccolo. Today, at age 29 she is an accomplished flutist and oboist, having
continued with flute studies all through college, even though that wasn't
her major.

Nancy

Nancy E. Buckman, Technical Assistant
School of Health Professions, Wellness and Physical Education
Anne Arundel Community College
Arnold, Maryland 21012 USA
nebuckman@-----.us

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