Klarinet Archive - Posting 000110.txt from 2004/10

From: Haschengeliebter@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] Clarinet popularity was: Now Opportunity
Date: Tue, 5 Oct 2004 14:34:07 -0400

where I came form in Ohio the band paid for everything and we had to march to
be in regular band...and the real players were happy to play in the summer
instead of get time off...most switched over to a brass instrument just for
that
season...but our school was way to small to have both separate...they HAD to
make it like that or no one would march...and our band director made marching
just like the regular band with a little different style...we still played
stuff that was hard to the older kids and challenging...the younger ones
probably
only played a couple notes (as I did when I was one of them) but in the end
they can play it and are better because of it...they never held the band back
any either...and when concert season came around our director tough...we
learned how to play and some theory mixed in and history too...he would tell
us the
"grade" of our music and when I entered the symphonic band my 9th grade year
we were playing college stuff and continued to do so throughout the time I
spent there...we played things like Bolero, Light Cavalry, Woodwind Polka (I
heard
UW play it also and we did better they mashed it up bad) Overture 1812, and
many more. A lot of the pieces we had were so old we had to make copes of
them
and put the originals back in fear of them disappearing completely...my band
director had kept the music form the 20s that the band started with when the
school started...he had a Hugh library...and kept expanding it also...he was
older and that might be why he was so good at his job. some day I hope to be
able
to come close to what he did and have a band or whatever that plays
music...and people enjoy it and can call it music...I have been to many other
concerts
and we played music the other schools played notes...I hope to come close to
him someday...

~Krista~

there are still SOME out there :) i hope

In a message dated 10/5/2004 9:10:44 AM Pacific Standard Time,
forestaten@-----.net writes:
Although I'm coming to this discussion late, one thing I keep hearing in
regards to the situation in the US is the lack of opportunities in HS for
clarinet players outside concert band or specifically the lack of clarinets
in HS Jazz Band/ensembles.
Peace Benny.

Best
RW

RW,

What "concert band".....do you mean the organization that works on three
concert tunes (the same three tunes) for contests for the (entire) spring
semester? ;-)

Music administrators and educators have plenty of 'opportunity' to teach
music....many choose to do something other than.....

They choose to march, half a year; march, march, march. Hut 2 3 4 ....
Clarinet popularity? You don't need clarinets in a marching band. They don't
peel paint off of the bleacher seats. As long as marching band is king, band
directors will be looking to fill the band with brass and percussion
instruments. They can make due with the marginal number of woodwind
instruments for concert season.

And when the kids that have real interest in music education (the best
players in the band usually) quit....
These kids are often called names by other kids and by rabid "marching band
parents". "Quitter, wimp, lightweight, selfish, can't take it, don't care
about the rest of us"....etc.

"Oh, but how valuable the lessons learned"...makes me gag.
"Oh but it's fun"....makes me gag even more.

In Richardson, Texas (RISD) the kids involved in band are REQUIRED to march.
If you don't march, you don't play in concert band, orchestra, jazz band,
music theory (marginal class anyway), no contests, festivals...on anything
else that might allow you to participate in music education in the schools.
The excess in this marching band effort in the U.S. is out of control. It's
one of the primary issues related to failing music programs. Many educators
are failing to really do their job...the job of teaching music. The job
defined clearly by the formal curriculums of the school districts.

And...

The money. Where's the money? Where does it come from. Where does it go.

Forest Aten

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