Klarinet Archive - Posting 000668.txt from 2004/10

From: "DWH" <dwh46@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Is Clarinet for Girly Boys Only?
Date: Sat, 23 Oct 2004 13:50:36 -0400


> There obviously is a big change in the ratio
> after college and I think it probably has
> something to do with the fact that women
> start having babies and their priorities are
> with their children/families?

(I will resist several one-liners...... :-)

<<I can imagine that motherhood does contribute --- if, in fact, the ratio
<does change? --- but I was also thinking in terms of prejudice in
<orchestras, such as is well-documented for the Vienna Philharmonic and
<in the case of Michelle Zukovsky's eventual success and (I presume) to
<some extent in less 'high profile' cases?

I already responded to Sue's post, but can tell you of one local incident
involving me. My former clarinet teacher, a lady, called me one evening
several years ago to ask if I had gotten a call to do a job in a group she
regularly performed in. I had, as a matter of fact, and we discovered that
she had not been called, I was called to take her place, and that three
previous gigs I did she had been passed over for. After she found that the
same thing was happening to a female flutist and a percussionist, she filed
a grievance and it was revealed the fellow doing the booking for the group
was new to the area and had a history of biased activity in previous
positions.

So maybe we have to look at this differently in terms of the factors that
cause these situations on each level...student musicians through high school
age; college; professionals; and then the local/community amateur groups.

Don

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Klarinet is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc. http://www.woodwind.org

   
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org