Klarinet Archive - Posting 000139.txt from 2001/01

From: "Diane Karius" <Dkarius@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] community bands & clarinetists
Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2001 01:07:47 -0500

Kelly Abraham wrrote: =20
<I have a possible reason for the lack of people playing in community
bands... I stopped playing in community bands because there is no =
advancement within the sections... Any thoughts?>

I can certainly see this as a part of the reason for two of the =
groups I'm in (the third group reauditions, plays the best music out of =
any of them, and is still seriously short on clarinetists). =20

With that in mind, I'll pose the dilemma I find myself in: I am =
section leader/solo chair in a community band (75 piece, no auditions, 6 =
or 7 soprano clarinetists, no regular bass or Eb). I planned to =
implement a rotation order for the section, with the caveat (at the =
director's request) that anyone who didn't want to move didn't have to. =
When I raised the idea with the section, people were lukewarm. By the =
next week, the three clarinetists who play second decided they didn't want =
to move and the people who play third said they would do it only if I said =
to (only myself and the other first clarinetist are willing to move). =
With only the 6-7 of us, the refusal of the second section players to move =
effectively torpedos the whole plan - neither of the thirds believe they =
can play first so they don't want to move there. =20

What I've chosen to do (but I'd really like to hear other alternatives) is =
let the idea die for the moment - BUT the section will begin regular =
sectionals (which they are eager for). I've acquired a fair amount of =
group music (duets through quintets, as well as some clarinet choir stuff =
- at several different levels so that everyone will have a chance to play =
the "first" part) and we're going to play those (in addition to band =
stuff). It has already been agreed on (with no trouble) that those parts =
will be rotated. =20

Sorry for the long post, but I'm curious about how other people would =
handle this in the setting of a community band that doesn't audition. =20

Diane R. Karius, Ph.D.=20
Department of Physiology
University of Health Sciences
1750 Independence Ave.=20
Kansas City, MO 64106
(816)-283-2219
dkarius@-----.edu
www.uhsweb.edu/physio

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