Klarinet Archive - Posting 000988.txt from 2003/06

From: "Wendy" <bosma@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Left, Right or mixed handed?
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2003 17:07:48 -0400

>If a person is forced to drop out of a conducting class due to the
inability
>to conduct the beat pattern with their right hand, that is a disability.

hmm, I took a conducting class in college. It was hard. Really hard. I
learned some serious appreciation for conductors that semester. I thought
we were taught that you maintain the beat pattern with your right hand and
use the left for all the other stuff. I never considered it an advantage
that I was right handed. That was just the way you do it. kind of like the
left hand on top, right hand on bottom for clarinet. Or so I thought. I
don't think I've ever had a left-handed conductor to see how that would
affect things. Like the other person said, I don't think I would even
notice if you were conducting the beat pattern with the other hand.
Interesting. I don't know about this 'forcing a kid to use a hand they're
not comfortable with' stuff. If you're supposed to conduct the beat with
the right hand, you ought to be doing it that way. Don't you think? Now I
don't know about the "supposed to" part. But I was taught that you conduct
with the right hand. I never thought of it as a choice or a preference.

>I suggest you ask your Grandfather what it was like to be forced to drop
out of school due to his left-handedness.

He didn't drop out due to his left-handedness. He dropped out because the
teacher was beating him for it. I think there is a slight difference there.
I would be interested to hear his side of that story. It was just something
my mom always told me about. I think it was kind of one of those fright
tales to get kids to stay in school or something.

>It is a disadvantage (I'll call it that since you obviously have trouble
with and are rather defensive about the word handicap)

I think there IS a substantial difference between calling something a
handicap and calling something a disadvantage. You know, children raised by
non-musical parents are at a disadvantage, but I certainly wouldn't call
them handicapped.

>If you don't want to come to terms with the fact that it may have been very
painful for your Grandfather to drop out of school due to being left-handed,
that's OK with me too.

I'm sure it was very painful for him. But you have to remember that at the
time, many children didn't stay in school for long. They had to help out at
home with all the chores and whatnot. And girls hardly ever went to school
cuz the stuff they were supposed to learn took place in the kitchen.

>I'm not absolutely certain what you mean here, but I can take some guesses.
If you mean that you think ADHD does not exist, you'd best not get me
started on that one.

I meant no disrespect about your ADHD or any other viable handicap, for that
matter. I was making a joke about your belief that being left-handed is a
handicap. I was reading some of these postings aloud to my coworkers and my
boss said after your comments "she definitely has a handicap alright." I
thought it was funny.

And this little thing about having a nice day:
a. it's a sig file. It comes on automatically.
b. I wouldn't wish you a nice day if I didn't mean it. I would never wish a
crappy day on anyone. Life is too short for that.

Have a Nice Day!!
Wendy :)

-----Original Message-----
From: Christy Erickson [mailto:perickso@-----.net]
Subject: RE: [kl] Left, Right or mixed handed?

>
> Um, which of the definitions you provided illustrate this? It's not a
> sport, it's not a physical disability, and lots of people have hindrances
> without being forced to drop out of school.

If a person is forced to drop out of a conducting class due to the inability
to conduct the beat pattern with their right hand, that is a disability.
You will notice the word "disadvantage" next to definition number 2-somehow
you chose to ignore that one.

>
> no, this is a prime example of old school ways of thought. Back in the
> one-room schoolhouse days there were lots of ideas being taught and
> enforced
> that we no longer believe in.

Again Wendy, you chose to ignore the present practice I mentioned of forcing
students to conduct with a hand they are not comfortable with. Obviously,
the remnants of those old school ways are still with us.

> no, not at all. my note leaves one with the impression that there are
> many
> serious handicaps out there and you poor little left-hander should not be
> complaining in the slightest. At least you have a left hand.

I suggest you ask your Grandfather what it was like to be forced to drop out
of school due to his left-handedness. My guess is he did not take it so
lightly (at least not in any visible way) at that time, nor in the present.
Then again, it is obvious he would not feel comfortable telling you that it
might have been difficult for him, since you may be disappointed that he may
not be as "tough" and as invulnerable as you seem to expect him to be.

> what does having ADD have to do with your left hand?

It is a disadvantage (I'll call it that since you obviously have trouble
with and are rather defensive about the word handicap) and can be a
hindrance, just as left-handedness could be a hindrance to someone in a
conducting class. Since you didn't get it the first time, I'll explain
again, that the disadvantages to having either one of these differences are
not always readily apparent to others. Since they are not always apparent
or visible if a person is able to compensate well for them, some people
(usually controlling types who have a need to see themselves as perfect)
refuse to believe they exist or that they cause any difficulty for the
person. It is exactly this attitude that would allow a conducting teacher
to justify his or her insistence that a student conduct the beat pattern
with the right hand.

>
> this, I certainly view as a handicap. If he doesn't want to come to terms
> with that, it's okay with me.

If you don't want to come to terms with the fact that it may have been very
painful for your Grandfather to drop out of school due to being left-handed,
that's OK with me too.

>
> I do believe you have a handicap that is not visible and you're right
> about
> me not having any empathy for it. And I'm not referring to your
> left-handedness. :)

I'm not absolutely certain what you mean here, but I can take some guesses.
If you mean that you think ADHD does not exist, you'd best not get me
started on that one. It is attitudes such as yours that produce the need
for the disability laws we have in this country.

> Have a Nice Day!!

>You can't be serious about the nice day, after writing the note that you
did. Christy

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