Klarinet Archive - Posting 000111.txt from 2007/10

From: "Bill Foss" <billfoss47@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Unexpected Solo
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 10:10:39 -0400

Yes, I had a High School band director like that, John D. Chambers. Indiana
University graduate with 6 years in The U.S. Marine Band (the President's
Own) as a trombonist.

I believe that if you were to take a survey of those of us "of a certain
age" that when into music, you would find that almost all of us had a Middle
or High School band director like that.

Bill Foss
US Army Retired
USC Aiken, Woodwind Professor
Director of Bands, Aiken Prep

----- Original Message -----
From: "Forest Aten" <forestaten@-----.com>
To: <klarinet@-----.org>
Sent: Friday, October 12, 2007 10:03 AM
Subject: RE: [kl] Unexpected Solo

> Mark,
>
> Hummmm....
>
> Western Nebraska....do you mean the 'soon to be cold' Western Nebraska? We
> may have to wait until last spring for this trio.
> Where are you located? The North Pole? ;-)
>
> Talking about "old war horses"...
> My high school band director (many years ago) was a graduate of the
> Vandercook School. Vandercook is a college that specializes in music
> education. I think they have a broad arts program now...but in the days my
> band director attended the school...it was all about becoming a music
> educator. Mel Meads was his name. A great man and a wonderful teacher.
> Playing the "old war horses" was a routine matter in the '60s. It was a
> transition period for bands in America. Much more original literature is
> available today. The band director of that time knew the orchestral
> literature well. Many were very accomplished performers. I'm sorry to say
> that many of the current crop of young directors in the Dallas/Ft. Worth
> area, have no idea about how many Symphonies Brahms wrote. Some may
> recognize a 'tune' from one of the great works....some....
> While many of the "war horse" transcriptions were poor....they worked the
> hell out of the clarinet section. Add that to the great march literature
> for
> band...and you built technique. A lot of it... (not like the marching
> efforts today in American....some of you know....like playing Beethoven's
> 9th on the field at half time...with the clarinets playing whole notes and
> half notes)(not a joke unfortunately)
>
> Mel Meads:
> "part my hair with sound"
> "fill every part of this room with good sound"
> To the trombone section...Mel was a fine trombonist: "do we need to get
> you
> guys skirts"
> "did you get any on you"
> "it doesn't matter how loud you play, I can still hear each and every one
> of
> you" (that got our attention)
> "did you rip your drawers on that one"
>
> There were a million of these quick hits...they still make me smile. I'm
> sure he'd be in jail now-a-days. Hahaha He was a character...and a very
> good
> educator and a first rate man. Very few people in my musical experience
> knew
> how to "turn a phrase" like Mel Meads.
>
> Best
>
> Forest
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Thiel, Mark [mailto:thielm@-----.com]
>> Sent: Friday, October 12, 2007 8:29 AM
>> To: klarinet@-----.org
>> Subject: [kl] Unexpected Solo
>>
>>
>> Thanks for sharing, Marcia, intentional or not. Now you'll have to
>> identify the " Hokey Old Warhorse " for the whole list.
>>
>> I've often wondered if there were a good name for the feeling you get
>> when you realize that you are suddenly very alone and wondering "is this
>> my big solo or am I just horribly lost".
>>
>> Trios? I'm up for it! (If it's you Forest & I, I think western
>> Nebraska would be a good geographical compromise).
>>
>> Mark Thiel
>>
>>
>>
>> > From: "Marcia Bundi" wrote:
>> > Dear Forest,
>> >
>> > The thing I like best about the Hokey Old Warhorse is that I get to
>> play
>> > with both the bass line and the soprano, usually one right after the
>> > other.
>> > At rehearsal the director wanted everyone to hear what the basses were
>> > doing
>> > at a particular point and I had the same line, so I played, too. Well,
>> > they
>> > stopped and my part continued up in the soprano line, and the director
>> > didn't stop me until the end of the phrase. It was high, it was
>> staccato,
>> > it
>> > was *fast* -- and I nailed it. It was exhilarating!!
>> >
>> > I still maintain that the only reason I turn red is from the exertion
>> . .
>> > .
>> >
>> > So, how is the opera season shaping up? What else are you playing?
>> (Winds
>> > of
>> > MT -- kinda like All-State for adults -- is coming up the first
>> weekend of
>> > November for me.)
>> >
>> > Trios? (If this isn't going to work out, please, let me know and I'll
>> stop
>> > bugging you!)
>> >
>> > Marcia
>> >
>> >
>>
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