Klarinet Archive - Posting 000049.txt from 2001/08

From: "Rien Stein" <rstein@-----.nl>
Subj: [kl] Re: Patricia's comments about raving
Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 11:36:23 -0400

Whether you are "only" an amateur, or a professional: the conductor is the
one to tell you, how to play. But he has to treast you as a human being: you
are neither a slave nor a monkey nor a machine, are you? When I looked for a
windband around Maartensdijk, where I live, I visited a very good orchestra,
about one of our top wind bands, actually, But the behaviour of the
conductor was such, that, whenb he asked me to take first chair, I answered
him he would never see me back again, as I did not appreciate his way of
dealing with mistakes we amateurs inevitably make. When I met him on another
occasion thre years after, he was what we call "as sweet as a cat",
particularly to me!

We all are humans, we all have our feelings, one person more strongly than
another one, maybe, but I think as a serious musician we all do, what we
can. And if there is something we cannot do, the conductor must have
understanding for that. Especially with amateurs, who cannot afford to study
a particucalr passage till they know that difficult sequens of notes by
hard. Or make the same mistake even after playing that particular passage a
hundred times with the metronome, in six months going up from 50 to 120.

But also if you are a pro, refuser to be humiliated by the conductor. If he
does, immediately ask for the administrative persond in your orchestra, and
ask for your leave, telling them exactly why: the conductor will have to
admit he was over harsh. It will strengthen your position in the orchestra.

Keep your self-esteem

Rien

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