Klarinet Archive - Posting 000935.txt from 2001/05

From: rgarrett@-----.edu
Subj: Re: [kl] Fwd: Important
Date: Thu, 31 May 2001 15:02:55 -0400

At 08:46 AM 05/31/2001 -0600, you wrote:
> Ciprian and I have continued to correspond, and I just got the following
> letter from him this morning. I
>am going to wire him the $200 he asked for even though I am low on
>funds. ANNIE

You forwarded:
>Dear Annie,I will start with the beginning. One month ago, me and my
>friend Calmas, (the one with
>the CD), have found an announcement made by a student corporation who was
>sellecting students for working in America.Working on the time of
>summer(july 1/september 22) in a entertaimennt park,and other jobs.

My response -

Annie,

I'm not at all offended that you are asking for donations for this
kid. It's great you are corresponding and that he is keeping in
touch. I'm amazed that this kid can afford to make CDs/tapes, etc...........

I would ask Ciprian a few questions before you continue to send him money,
cds, things of value. First, I would ask where he will be employed in
America - which entertainment park? I would then confirm this with the
park. Secondly, I would ask him if he has applied for a visa - if so - how
did he go about paying for it? If he paid for it prior to funding his
trip, why would he do that? Finally, I would ask him which corporation is
asking him to front the money. Is it a travel company or the company that
is involved with the entertainment park that he mentions. If it were me, I
would be doing some research to find out more before wiring $200 to someone
I have never personally met.

Ciprian may be a very sweet, honest kid who is simply trying to do
everything he can to realize a dream. On the other hand, it is possible he
is not..............

If, once you have confirmed his story and you are satisfied, you should
not feel at all guilty about asking for help. I hope you get some
donations - but be careful not to have too high of an expectation. While
Ciprian may be deserving, there are many other children in the world who
are equally deserving - including a few in everyone's home town who might
like to go to a summer music camp, or have a plastic clarinet,
etc....... I tend to help the kids in my community - free mouthpieces from
old junky blanks, reject reeds that they can use, free clinics
occassionally - and sometimes sponsorship for a few lessons with a good
teacher. I lucked out a few years back and found a couple of plastic
clarinets in the newspaper for $25 each. One was a fairly mint
Evette-Schaffer, and the other was an older but good Yamaha. They were
given to kids who didn't have $ to afford one. One gave the instrument
back after a year (he didn't continue) and it went to another this past
fall. The other is still going strong!

Good luck with your endeavor - I hope it all works out for the best for
both you and Ciprian.

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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