Klarinet Archive - Posting 000705.txt from 2001/09

From: "Celestine" <celestine@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] U. of AZ has failed Disabled Concerto Composer
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2001 20:52:07 -0400

Kudos to the first University to award "Bear" an honorary PhD; heroic that
school would be. Sounds like competitive jealousy to me which something
totally unnecessary in the music world. Why is this talented man attending
UA anyway? Well, Music Schools where are you? Sandra
Celestine Gifts and Books
254 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464
(610) 970-8050
celestine@-----.net
coming soon: www.celestinegifts.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bear Woodson" <bearwoodson@-----.com>
Cc: "Clarinet List" <Clarinet@-----.Com>
Subject: [kl] U. of AZ has failed Disabled Concerto Composer

> Well, they've actually done it! In response to hard
> work, and growing International Attention, a composer
> who is in progressively failing health from severe Dia-
> betes, has been failed and forced out of the Graduate
> College and is no longer allowed to be a Music Major!
> Why has the University of Arizona done this shocking
> and unfair thing? It is done as a result of their Head
> Composer, Professor Daniel Asia, who always gives
> poor grades when Doctoral Student Composer "Bear"
> Woodson writes another Fugue, Sonata or Concerto!
> Would you do that if you had a student, who is break-
> ing records worldwide for the quantity and quality of
> his music?
>
> That's the Practice of the University of Arizona in
> Tucson, as following the supervision of University
> President Peter Likins. President Likins has been aware
> of Bear Woodson's pleas for help for the last few years,
> and has refused to do anything other, than further the
> blatantly illegal violations of Arizona State and Federal
> Laws, regarding Disabled Students. Woodson is 47
> years old, is only surviving on Student Loan Money
> and is in failing health, due to advancing complications
> from Diabetes.
>
> Composer Thomas C. Woodson has been "chubby
> and bearded" for many years, ergo earning him the
> nickname "Bear" for so long, that it is almost a legal
> name. Bear Woodson has had works played by leading
> musicians such as Cellist Paul Olefsky, Tubist Roger
> Bobo, Bass Trombonist Douglas Yeo, Harpist Helga
> Storck, the Peabody Camerata, etc. His Trumpet
> Sonata was given its World Premiere at the Beijing
> Conservatory in China on June 1, 2001, by Trumpeter
> Ed Reid and Pianist Dr. Paula Fan.
>
> Woodson doesn't even have a website yet, but via
> several Instrument Lists on the Internet, is getting
> works played in 15 countries around the world in only
> 2 1/2 years! Three CD's of his music have already
> been recorded.
>
> In the field of Modern Classical Music, it is an ex-
> tremely rare to find anyone able to write ONE Fugue,
> Sonata, Concerto, Symphony or Opera. Even if they
> can, it is usually their final Thesis or Dissertation. But
> Bear Woodson has competed SIX Sonatas, worked
> on THREE Concertos, with his Horn Concerto being
> finished in only six months, and all just as his normal,
> daily output! This likely breaks all records, worldwide
> for the last 100 years! But it will never be good enough
> for the University of Arizona, nor Prof. Daniel Asia.
>
> A Sonata is usually a work for keyboard alone, or
> for some instrument accompanied by piano. Bear
> Woodson has written Six Sonatas, just while at the
> University of Arizona. A Concerto is a work for a
> Solo Instrument in front of an orchestra. Woodson
> has begun a series of concertos, that feature each
> instrument of the orchestra.
>
> Professor Daniel Asia immediately gave Woodson a
> Failing Grade for his virtuoso "Ashkenazic Rhapsody
> for Harp" which can be played either by harp alone, or
> with orchestra. This same work has gained high praise
> by leading harpists, including Helga Strock of Munich.
>
> Most Music Conservatories all over the world, would
> kill to have a Composer-Professor, and more so to have
> a Student Composer, who could write more than one
> such work. But this is not true at the University of Ari-
> zona! Although these many rare achievements will place
> Bear Woodson in a permanent place in history, the Uni-
> versity of Arizona seems bent on discrediting and erasing
> all such validity of his works. How do they plan on doing
> this, since Bear Woodson is gaining fame for writing
> several complex, yet highly lyrical Fugues, Double
> Fugues and even a Triple Fugue? Try asking Professor
> Daniel Asia, who has never learned how to write a
> fugue! And yet Prof. Asia actively discredits the many
> elaborate fugues of Bear Woodson!
>
> Bear Woodson grew up moving often all over the
> US and Europe. He dabbled in 8 languages, but now
> can only really get by in German as a Second Lang-
> uage. His music includes homages to many cultures,
> races and people. He hopes to complete several more
> concertos, a few symphonies, and at least one opera,
> hopefully on the Life of Martin Luther King.
>
> In the Fall of 1998 there was a dispute with another
> professor, in which the Music Faculty and Prof. Asia
> learned in detail, that Bear Woodson has Full Disability
> Status, which allows Woodson to write his music at
> home, when driving would be hazardous. Woodson is
> becoming more limited to staying home, as the constant
> dizziness and numbed feet worsen from the Diabetes.
> For Prof. Asia to now pretend that he didn't know all
> of this, looks like he is willfully spitting in the face of
> the Laws. Arizona has put new laws in place in the last
> decade; it is now almost impossible to sue for Discrimi-
> nation against a Medical Disability in Arizona, so Prof.
> Asia can spit all he wants, knowing that he will get
> away with it.
>
> Woodson has talked to dozens of attorneys in other
> states, who warned that due to the fear of going up
> against a major employer, like the University of Ari-
> zona, NO Arizona-Resident Attorney would dare take
> the case. Woodson has also talked to over 140 Arizona-
> Resident Attorneys, who all find convenient reasons for
> not taking the case. What an amazing series of coinci-
> dences!
>
> Every attorney, who lives outside of Arizona has
> also said, that if this story should get published, it
> would result in costing the University of Arizona as
> much as 20 to 40 Million Dollars in lost contributions
> in the coming years. The problem is, most newspapers
> resist printing a story, that hasn't been released by an
> attorney, and no Arizona-Resident Attorney will
> take a case, that could get him black-balled in the
> eyes of the local Good Ol' Boy System.
>
> On top of everything else, a recent diagnosis of
> dangerously High Blood Pressure has further com-
> plicated Bear Woodson's life.
>
> All other possibilities have been tried. This is a
> desperate plea for help from publicity and attorneys.
> Please contact the composer at the information
> given below.
>
> ===============================
> "Bear" Thomas C. Woodson
> 3636 N. Campbell Ave.
> Apt. 3119
> Tucson, AZ, U. S. A.
> 8 5 7 1 9 - 1 5 4 5
>
> Home: 520 - 881 - 2558
> Voice-Mail and Digital Pager:
> 520 - 575 - 2077
> "Bear Woodson" <BearWoodson@-----.Com>
> ===============================
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>

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