Klarinet Archive - Posting 001332.txt from 2000/10

From: Bilwright@-----.net (William Wright)
Subj: Re: [kl] A curricular issue
Date: Sat, 28 Oct 2000 16:34:10 -0400

<><><> Bill Wright wrote:
The word "competition" keeps coming up. =A0 Excessive competition breeds
misfits, paranoia, depression and "ends justify the means" thinking.
[snip] Art (of any sort) is just as much for the sake of exploration
and discovery and fulfillment and pleasure as it is for the sake of
winning.

<><> Roger Garrett wrote:
Competition, in the way I am using it, is just competition to get into
an ensemble. Nothing else. [snip] One of my positions as a conductor
in our school is to have the best musicians in the ensemble (that was
already pointed out) - this is because the ensemble serves a different
purpose than to teach a person to play their instrument. It serves most
degree programs in the liberal arts school.

Roger, I think I posted all of my thoughts about non-music and
non-performance majors a moment ago, so I won't repeat myself.
But I wonder whether if this is a design flaw in the music school's
curriculum? I always come back to the same issue: If a student has
committed dollars and years to a music major, performance or otherwise,
and if the school has accepted the student, then a promise has been made
!!

Really and truly, Roger, how many students would choose a music
school that advertised up front: "We may kick you out of class in favor
of a non-music student who our conductor thinks is a great performer" ??

<><> I'm not sure what you mean by too much competition in musical
education - could you discuss that a bit? It is interesting to me.

It gets back to the concept of elitism, which is a nasty word and
implies more bitterness to some people than it does to others. But
people with less potential (less _apparent_ potential, that is) should
not be refused education if they want it and can afford it and will put
forth their best effort.

Fulfillment and discovery are every bit as worthwhile as
virtuosity.

I don't know what else to say about this. It's such a basic
value.

What evidence am I basing my statement on? I've never applied to
or attended a music school myself, but I have sat in the halls of the
local music school while I was waiting for a performance or master class
to begin, and I dated a performance major when I was in college and I
watched her crumble because she was 'weak', and I talk to local
musicians because private teachers organize recitals and pass on
information about their professional work, and of course I have listened
to the conversation here on Klarinet.
Competition happens, and every musician (professional or not) needs
to overcome fear and to cope; but I do not perceive that competition
benefits the larger community when applied to the extremes that I have
witnessed myself or heard about from others.
So my evidence is anecdotal, not based on having been an educator
or a principal performer or a conductor or an administrator for many
years. This doesn't change my feelings about *excessive* competition
in the least bit, but the meaning of 'excessive' is open for discussion.
I've already stated that using competition to deny a complete
education to a music major who applied and invested time+money and kept
pace with the declared minimum standards _is_ excessive competition.

Cheers,
Bill

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