Klarinet Archive - Posting 000612.txt from 2001/05

From: rgarrett@-----.edu
Subj: Re: [kl] School Board
Date: Fri, 25 May 2001 09:13:50 -0400

At 05:59 PM 05/24/2001 -0700, you wrote:
>Frankly, the football team should be required to issue an invitation to
>the band to play at their games, and the band should decide whether they
>want to or not.

You need to join the real world here....... ; )

It won't happen. The athletic dept. is second only to the principal's
office. Last semester, I wrote a letter to the superintendent of a public
school district in my area where we were thinking of moving. The paper
announced that the band director was starting up a marching band. That's
ok by me - but then the article went on to describe a request for startup
costs and an increase in the band budget to pay for flags, drill
instructors for the flags, arrangers for music, and people to write the
shows. It asked for money for uniforms and for competitions..........

You guessed it - I wrote as a professional music educator, a parent, and a
potential citizen of the community. You should see the interesting
responses I've received back.........

I did notice that the school Principal's letterhead had his name as
principal and the athletic director's name below his - and no one
else.........!!!

>Hey, the band may need to skip a few games because they have other events
>on their schedule. I remember
>this happening several times when I was active in high school events.

When this happens at our level, faculty and fans go ballistic. I can't
tell you how many times I had to defend the pep band not being at a home
basketball game (remember, we have won a Division III national championship
as well as placed third and second also - within the last ten years)
because they were putting on a concert. That didn't go over too well!

>Using the word 'extracurricular' returns us EXACTLY to the issue that
>began this thread and that music teachers faced in my school
>district: MUSIC IS PART OF AN EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM. There's nothing
>'extra' curricular about music !!

There is as long as the band director/teacher continues to allow it to be
that way - by virtue of his choices.

Best wishes,
Roger Garrett

Roger Garrett
Clarinet Professor
Director, Symphonic Winds
Illinois Wesleyan University
School of Music
Bloomington, IL 61702-2900
Phone: (309) 556-3268
Fax: (309) 556-3121

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

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