Klarinet Archive - Posting 000390.txt from 2001/03

From: rgarrett@-----.edu
Subj: Re: [kl] band rivals
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 11:52:19 -0500

At 07:26 AM 3/15/01 -0800, you wrote:
> Therefore it *is* a matter of where to draw the line.

Yes - I think I better understand what you are saying now.

> The Klarinet list has addressed ths question is several different
> ways recently. Example: we discussed whether a school can take a
> student's money and then say, "You aren't as good (by this school's
> definition) as some of the other students this year, and therefore you
> can't take the class or ensemble that you requested (which may or may not
> be required for graduation)."

Do you mean public school or college?

>I agree that you must draw the line somewhere. A really terrible
>musician shouldn't be allowed to ruin everyone else's education. But I
>have perceived (in some conversations here) an attitude that the best
>educational facilities should be reserved for the best musicians alone and
>thast nothing else is more important thyan finding the best musicians and
>the only way to do it is by competition.

There are attitudes like this in some institutions. Most schools will
allow a student to participate in something - regardless of their ability
on the instrument - even if it is only a pep band.

> Another example was the young lady (I've lost track of her name) who
> faced weekly competitions for her position in a band. Once again, this
> is partly a matter of resources. What's the best use of pulic funds.

Weekly challenges are not very productive - I agree. It says there is a
problem with teacher motivation. It also brings into question how the
teacher grades........

>What do you do if there aren't enough teachers or instruments? But this
>particular young lady's situation seemed unacceptable to me --- the sort
>of thing that breeds paranoia and perpetual anxiety and a need to
>retaliate and cliques and isolation and anger and that reinforces
>undesireable personality traits. As I said above, the fundamental goal
>of art is pleasure (IMO).

Whatever the fundamental goal is, it shouldn't result in paranoia and
perpetual anxiety - I agree.

> If I remember correctly, eventually the band teacher in this case
> cut the competitions back to once a month or something like that, and so
> the school made a step in the right direction. But the bottom line is
> that, IMO, the school wasn't meeting its obligation and purpose when a
> child who can play (and wants to play) scales and articulate notes and
> keep on the beat is denied the musical experience because someone else
> appears (in somebody's judgement) to do these things better.

As long as there is a place for the student, the idea that there are
separate performing ensembles with different levels is a good idea. When
there are NOT separate ensembles, students can be asked to play on only
certain works or be asked to leave certain sections out. Non-participation
when a student is actually qualified seems a bit extreme if there are no
other options.

> I could go on, but it would be needless repetition, I think. Do I
> think that "Standard Of Excellence" is a proper title for an introductory
> method book? NO !!!! It's a terrible title that
>projects the wrong attitude toward any form of art, right from the
>beginning of the student's education.

From my perspective, I would like the student to understand from the
outset that they will be striving for excellence and will be graded on
achievement. If excellence (learning objecdtive?) is defined for the age
level and then the evaluation of that student's progress toward the
learning objective can be documented, the system works well - without
having weekly challenges.

>Cheers, and thanks for listening,

You're welcome. Thanks for explaining in more detail.

Best wishes,
Roger Garrett

Roger Garrett
Clarinet Professor
Director, Symphonic Winds
Advisor, Recording Services
Illinois Wesleyan University
School of Music
Bloomington, IL 61702-2900
(309) 556-3268

"A man never discloses his own character so clearly as when he describes
another's."
Jean Paul Richter (1763-1825)

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