Klarinet Archive - Posting 000148.txt from 2001/01

From: "Buckman, Nancy" <nebuckman@-----.us>
Subj: RE: [kl] Community bands and clarinets
Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2001 11:30:35 -0500

OK, IMHO, people survive (or earn their bread and butter) by using the
knowledge that they have absorbed in their lifetime to gain and/or acquire
what they want out of life. We all use math and language skills every day,
but we don't necessarily acquire them in the same ways. The academician uses
math differently than the musician. It is all the same math, but is
conceived and displayed differently. And the professional athlete uses math
too, but not in the same manner, or to the same degree, as everyone else.
We have some very wealthy folks out there who have a very basic knowledge of
math and language. Now I'm not saying there should be no math and language
skills taught, but to shove down the throat courses that are advanced beyond
the usefulness of the occupation is a waste of time, unless the person has
the desire to investigate the course content. At the end of the work day
even the rocket scientist has need to zone out for a while. Where does he
turn? He looks for entertainment that is provided by all these people who
don't need or use the same knowledge and skills he uses. The world is so
much the richer for its athletes, artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, etc.
Society would be pretty boring without them.

Nancy

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

> -----Original Message-----
> From: David B. Niethamer [SMTP:dnietham@-----.edu]
> Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2001 9:58 PM
> To: KLARINET
> Subject: Re: [kl] Community bands and clarinets
>
> on 1/2/01 11:55 PM, Bilwright@-----.net wrote:
>
> >In previous discussions, some Klarineters have supported a
> >mandatory music policy. For example, how s it different from excusing
> >a kid from math if he or she doesn't like it or never manages to get it
> >right? Somehow art is a different thing, imo. Especially since music
> >frequently doesn't pay a living wage even if you do it well. A person
> >can survive financially without art, but not without math.... but even
> >this isn't true. There are a lot of adults who can't do math, but they
> >survive.....
> >
> But IMO we're talking about basic education here, and not vocational
> training! (see your "doesn't pay a living wage" and "survive
> financially") So Music and Art are "necessary" to become a well rounded,
> well educated human being. And there's no guarantee that everyone will
> rise to the same level of competency in all areas. Some are good at math,
> some are good at music, etc. But it's the exposure to the subject, and
> the student effort *toward* mastery that are necessary.
>
> I've seen in my teaching that learning to perform on an instrument is
> vastly different and more difficult than just exposure to music that a
> general music class provides. I taught students at two different private
> schools here in Richmond, both of whom cater to very intelligent
> children. Most of them have never had to commit time and energy to any
> subject the way they had to commit the effort to learning an instrument.
> Some of them just gave up, because it demanded more than they were
> willing to give. My point is that teaching kids to persevere in order to
> accomplish a worthwhile result is a valuable lesson for a school to
> present. Sometimes it's the brightest, most advantaged kids who need that
> lesson the most, if everything else about their life has been "easy".
> Whether the teachers in these schools recognize the value of this lesson
> and teach to it is a different matter.
>
> > I'm sure that some of my personal bias is showing here, because I
> >was kicked out of mandatory chorus when I was a kid, and I never
> >recovered from my 'hate' because of it. So I'm sure that my thinking
> >on this point is twisted.
>
> Bill, were you a pain in the *** in mandatory chorus?!?! ;-) Or, are
> you that rarest of voice types (like me) - the monotone?
>
> David
>
> David Niethamer
> Principal Clarinet, Richmond Symphony
> dnietham@-----.edu
> http://members.aol.com/dbnclar1/
>
>
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