Klarinet Archive - Posting 000227.txt from 2001/05
From: <rkabear@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Clarinetfest 2001 ... sorry for beating the horse past death
Date: Tue, 8 May 2001 13:03:36 -0400
Bill,
I think you are missing what I was getting at. =
First, I think that 4 days might not be enough time to cover all of the
performers that could be performing.
Second, I was suggesting that 50% of the people performing are still the
people who would be performing anyway. If you increase the time from 4 da=
ys to
a week, the %50 of the people performing would allow ALL of the original
people to perform, thus not cancelling any of the big name performers we =
all
want to see.
Third, there would have to be some criteria for being in the lottery for =
the
other 50%. Maybe by taped audition, there could be some reassurance that =
there
is a minimum level of artistry, thus allowing people who are not well kno=
wn to
be in the mix of things. The lottery shouldn't be by nomination (since th=
at
would definitely be a cattle call, with many of the ones nominated not wa=
nting
to perform anyway.) After the original 50% of people were booked, the peo=
ple
not booked could elect to send a tape in to audition for the lottery
inclusion. A winning place in the lottery would allow maybe one or two pi=
eces
on a shared platform for a block of time.
As far as people getting their feelings hurt, only 1% of clarinettists an=
d
really invitation quality...exceptionally skilled *AND* world recognizabl=
e.
There are a lot of exceptionally skilled players, but the notoriety with =
the
exceptional talent is the draw for concert goers. Those people are asked =
to
play by invitation. After the number of slots for invitation is full, you=
go
on to the lottery, which is NOT by nomination, but by application and
audition.
As far as whether I would pay to hear you play, if you passed the minimum=
requirements, the answer is an emphatic YES! I have heard most of the big=
name
performers in recordings and live performances already. I want to hear pe=
ople
perform. I want to hear the "above average to excellent" people perform. =
I
want them (and myself) to have a venue to perform for our peers in a sett=
ing
like this one. This might not be important to you, but it is to most
clarinettists I know (as well as other instrumentalists). If we were just=
going to hear the big names play, we could just have a festival for them.=
This
isn't a concert series for the elite only (unless I am terribly mistaken.=
)
On this list alone, there are so many people that I would love to hear pl=
ay,
if only for one piece in a shared recital. If I am just going to listen t=
o the
big names, I can stay at home and buy CDs and see live concerts on my own=
=2E I
DEFINITELY don't need to roam all the way to New Orleans to hear these pe=
ople
perform. They perform regularly already. =
Sorry for the long soapbox trip...
Kelly Abraham
Woodwinds/Computer Geek
New York City
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bilwright@-----.net (William Wright) wrote:
> <><> Kelly Abraham wrote:
> I think there is a LOT of separation of major and minor institutions. A=
> teacher from one of the big music schools, i.e. Eastman or Juiliard,
> would be more likely to garnish a place performing than would one from =
a
> community college, or a college which is less universally known as a
> major player in music, regardless of the skill of the community college=
> performer.
> =
> I don't see how there can be any doubt about this. As Roger has
> already posted so eloquently, skill is only one part of the reason why =
a
> certain person ends up on a stage.
> =
> =
> =
> <><> How about %50 of the performers being big name, i.e. Morales,=
> Combs, Meyer, Leister, Niedich, Shifrin, etc... and the other %50 being=
> by lottery?
> =
> Kelly, this a warm fuzzy idea, but.....
> =
> ....just as an intellectual exercise, would you pay $200-$300 in
> conference fees, another $200-$500 in transportation expenses, and
> another $800-$900 for accommodations & restaurant meals (remember, we'r=
e
> talking about a full week in a prime New Orleans hotel) in order to hea=
r
> _me_ play? (assuming that I could pass the 'minimum requirements' fo=
r
> entering the lottery)
> =
> Okay, now would you pay that much money to sit through 25 more
> people like me......???
> =
> Let's move on to the next question. If you had two levels of
> performer (invited and by lottery), can you imagine how many musicians
> would be insulted and angry to the very core?
> Just think about it. Suppose I were to choose a name from this
> list and I were to post: "Since <name of list member> is not a big
> name and normally wouldn't be asked to perform at ClarinetFest, but I
> still want to hear him/her, let's put his/her name in the lottery, and
> then we may be able to hear him/her anyway."
> I can imagine that a few good-natured professionals on this list
> would smile and say "Okay", but I think I would end up with a lot of
> enemies as well.
> ICA can have a separate class of performance for students because
> they are still students. Try the following 'thought experiment'
> yourself. Choose a name from this list who is a professional or
> principal, and then try to imagine yourself telling this person, "You'r=
e
> not Invitation Quality, but I'd like to hear you anyway, so I want you
> to put your name in the lottery."
> I suppose you could find a more diplomatic way to decribe the
> lottery, but clever language and euphemisms wouldn't change the facts.
> =
> Cheers,
> Bill
> =
> =
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