Klarinet Archive - Posting 000445.txt from 2003/06

From: "Daniel Stover" <kasparguy@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Music for Cl. & Percussion
Date: Sun, 15 Jun 2003 11:39:36 -0400

No, at "real" schools the accompanist is usually prvided by the school
unless the student desires to hire someone outside. But my school is stupid
and screwed up. It's not a big school, and there are only a small handful
of piano students, most of them not good enough to handle any more than
vocal accompanying. Only one member of the faculty will play for students
(he's overworked and is often unprepared for recitals), the others consider
themselves above playing for students and only accompany faculty.

For juries or recitals students are responsible for their own accompanist,
whether it be another student, the one faculty member, or a small selection
of local pianist (who are either aweful or unreliable). So I play with a
freelance pianist from town who is a duo partner with my flute teacher and
is a flawless performer. But that comes at a price.

As for strings, I know high school students who play better than the entire
orchestra. There's only one string player in the orchestra i would consider
playing with, and a friend who graduated high school last year and is now at
Rochester/Eastman as a engineering major/music minor was still several times
better.

If it sounds like i hate this school. You're right. :-) I'm not happy to
be here and I'm ust ready to finish my degree so I can go on and do
something else.

----Original Message Follows----
From: "James Hobby" <jhobby@-----.net>
Subject: Re: [kl] Music for Cl. & Percussion
Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2003 23:46:19 -0500

Interesting. When I was in undergrad., the pianist was provided by the
department; sometimes students, sometimes faculty -- I assume depending on
the complexity of the piano music. My junior recital, the head of the
theory department accompanied me. My senior recital, I had the very good
luck to have the head of the keyboard department. Both were brilliant
pianists. (I didn't fare as well during freshman & sophomore year. I had
student accompanists who were adequate, but not great.) I know one student
who played the Mozart quintet. The strings received credit for their work
but no money -- and they worked hard, particularly since they normally
played in the orchestra and not in small ensembles together.

Is it now common practice for the recitalist to pay for the accompanist? My
experience has been a long time ago, you realize.<g>

Jim Hobby

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