Klarinet Archive - Posting 000684.txt from 2003/05

From: Ed Wojtowicz <ewoj@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] FW: [kl] something a little different for marching
Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 12:15:13 -0400

A band director is also responsible for developing a well balanced program.
I have known of a school system where the attitude of the administration was
that everyone must be allowed to play their first choice. They would end up
with an elementary band where half of the band (literally) was on saxes and
drums. As each of the elementary programs fed into the middle school, you
would end up with some groups where in a sixth grade band, they were ending
up with bands like- 8 flutes, 6 clarinets, no oboes, 10-12 alto saxes, 4
bass clarinets (because one of the teachers found it difficult to recruit
low brass and would start these to supplement), 6 trumpets, no horns, 1
trombone, no baritones, no tuba, 10 drummers. You can only imagine the
lovely sound and balance with the combined 7/8 band or in high school. Keep
in mind, all of those students should be allowed to play, since they signed
up, including all of those drummers, so let's just use 6 people on snare.
Mallets you say? "Oh no, my child doesn't want that, he signed up to play
drums!"

While in theory, it seems great to say that the teacher should not be
allowed to steer students to or away from an instrument, it is often needed.
Otherwise, it ends up being a poor experience for everyone because they are
not ever hearing a balanced instrumentation, with good blend, to say nothing
of the students who need to force to be heard and either develop poor habits
or just get frustrated. Those students need to have the right to "choose" to
play in a balanced group. Imagine a baseball team where each student gets to
choose the position they play. Even if it ends up with 4 pitchers, no
outfielders, and the coach cannot impose.

I completely agree with those who say that an important skill to learn is
teamwork.

> From: "Buckman, Nancy" <nebuckman@-----.edu>
> Reply-To: klarinet@-----.org
> Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 10:52:14 -0400
> To: <klarinet@-----.org>
> Subject: RE: [kl] FW: [kl] something a little different for marching band...
>
> Children (and everyone else, for that matter) have the right to choose what
> they want to play. When you remove the "choice' factor and tell them what
> they "must" do, they will often balk. It is one thing to make children brush
> their teeth because "I said so". It is another to force an instrument on a
> child who wishes to play something else because "I said so".

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