Klarinet Archive - Posting 000419.txt from 2004/11

From: "Patricia A. Smith" <arlyss1@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Clarinets - Identification markings etc.,
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 10:54:25 -0500

Tony Pay wrote:

>I certainly don't think she did the right thing. But the labelling 'theft' obliterates consideration of what actually occurred...
>
>You might want to call it 'theft' after investigation showed it to be close to that, sure. But I think that's very unlikely in this case.
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Tony, you make another good point here, in regard to something that
bears upon the situation that comes up in school bands all too often,
and in schools - at least here in the U.S. - in general:

It is the teacher's responsibility to get to the bottom of such
incidents - and keep them AND the solutions in the classroom, unless the
severity of the situation is such (such as bringing a weapon to school,
distributing drugs, or threatening life and limb of others) that it
warrants dragging in either the administration or the local
constabulary. I have noticed a tendency, at least in the schools where
I work as a substitute music teacher, to take some rather trivial things
to a higher level sometimes than is necessary.

I got the impression from reading K's post, that maybe another issue
(one that one sees more and more) is that some music students are served
by certain aspects of the music program more than others. I also accept
the possibility I'm reading too much into it, since, as a music teacher,
I do come from a particular point of view. But, to be honest, this
discussion is veering further afield from the original topic than I am
comfortable with so, I'd rather not bore the list with this.

One last word to students in U.S. public school band programs: If you
are not provided a music locker to secure your instrument under lock and
key while you are in your academic classes, you will need to do one of
two things: 1) carry your instrument to all classes with you if it is a
smaller one; or 2) lock the instrument's case - installing a hasp and
padlock ON the case, if you have to, if you own a larger instrument that
is too bulky to carry around and must be left in the band/orchestra
room. Extreme? More than likely. However, some of the schools in some
areas here simply are not the best places to leave an unsecured
instrument, even inside the band classroom WITH a teacher present, sadly
enough. Our schools, as institutions, have simply become too big.

Patricia Smith

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