Klarinet Archive - Posting 000197.txt from 2010/06
From: "Peter Gentry" <peter.gentry@-----.uk>
Subj: Re: [kl] Situation
Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2010 10:42:28 -0400
If it is any consolation I sympathise this sort of situation arises in all
walks of life it is a shame. You know they are weak and cannot share the
satisfaction of performance be strong and don't join in their games.
-----Original Message-----
From: J W [mailto:tjbw0000@-----.com]
Sent: Sunday, June 20, 2010 3:11 PM
To: klarinet@-----.com
Subject: Re: [kl] Situation
I think this is outrageous. I personally am tired of these kinds of
politics that happen so often.
However here is what I think...
Chances are people in that orchestra are going to know a lot of other people
in your area and probably the ones with the most major music opportunities.
I think that if you do go to the paper (which is what they deserve) it will
actually only hurt you. I think there's a good chance no one will support
your story and then the people running it will contact others that they know
about it to make sure you can't play anymore in that area. So now they just
deny it and nothing happens, but now you're chances of playing could be
ruined. I think that you should just quietly find an even better ensemble
where they are happy to have you, or maybe even start your own chamber
ensemble and just know that you are better off where you are now. Like in
the recitative of the messiah: He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them
to scorn, the Lord shall have them in derision!"
Now theres the other possibility, that they get embarressed and decide to
take you back for fear of looking bad... I think it would be very akward to
play there after that. Then they might just try and find small ways to get
you to quit on your own rather than trying to get rid of you.
Unfortunately, they've already won because you're not playing in the
orchestra. so just let them have the lesser musicians that they have since
that's what they want so badly.
----------------------------------------
> Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2010 07:45:08 -0500
> From: theshaws10@-----.net
> To: klarinet@-----.com
> Subject: Re: [kl] Situation
>
> Lelia,
>
> This helps me tremendously! I have never come upon a situation like
> this and any group that I have ever been in has loved having me there.
> I play well, am always prepared, never late, and have a good attitude.
> That is why I have been at such a loss as to what to do in this
> situation. Thank you so much for your insight!
>
> Deborah
>
> Lelia Loban wrote:
>> Deborah Shaw wrote,
>>
>>> The musicians handbook says that you will be dismissed for missing a
>>> concert. I had not seen the musicians handbook until today. This seems
to
>>> be an unfair situation.>
>>>
>>
>> ...and from a later message,
>>
>>> It seems that 4 of the principals missed a concert, and none were let
go.
>>> The group is new and it seems that one person (not the conductor) has
taken
>>> control of the group. There are a lot of politics involved-too many to
>>> explain.>
>>>
>>
>> cifelli-c@-----.edu replied,
>>
>>>> I am from this area also and I can tell you that there is really
nothing
>>>> you can do unless you want to appeal to the conductor. Although I don't
>>>> see that getting you very far. I know it doesn't help but I would just
>>>> chalk it up to experience.>>
>>>>
>>
>> I agree that's usually the practical reality, but there is one more thing
>> you could do, if you're willing to risk taking some heat in public, with
the
>> chance of scaring off other area music groups where you might audition
>> later. You could shine the local public spotlight on what happened. Write
>> a guest editorial for the largest newspaper in your area. If you can't
get
>> your own piece into print, then contact reporters until you find one who
>> will write up the story. (I've worked as a reporter in my extremely
>> checkered past as a writer and I'm pretty sure there's no community in
the
>> USA where at least one reporter wouldn't jump all over that story.)
>>
>> You write well and you describe the situation clearly. Your description
>> makes the people who fired you look so bad, so petty, that they're bound
to
>> hit back. They may accuse you of carpetbagging (because you've moved to
the
>> South from California), barging in as an outsider and trying to change
all
>> the rules, etc..
>>
>> For me, the most telling element to emphasize is that the orchestra
changed
>> the date of the concert at the last minute. You'd agreed to serve on a
>> certain date. The date was part of the agreement. The orchestra violated
>> the agreement with you, not the other way around.
>>
>> Robert Howe pointed out,
>>
>>>>> You're being screwed.>>>
>>>>>
>>
>> I think almost any reasonable person would agree with Robert Howe's
>> conclusion. If you do go public, it would help strengthen your case if
you
>> spelled out a few things explicitly: First, what kind of orchestra is
this,
>> where there's no union? Is this a paying job or is it an amateur
orchestra?
>> Does the orchestra get funding from taxpayer dollars? Also, you'll need
to
>> make clear *why* you didn't see the musicians' handbook until after you
got
>> dismissed. Did you know the handbook existed? Had you been given a copy?
>> And finally: Did you have any written agreement? Had anyone discussed
this
>> policy with you before the orchestra changed the date of the concert?
>>
>> Before you decide whether or not to rumble in public,it might be worth
>> having a private conversation, making your points but trying to keep
things
>> civil, with that non-conductor you mentioned who's taken over the group.
A
>> polite smile and a subtly veiled threat of publicity can sometimes work
>> wonders.
>>
>> Lelia Loban
>> http://members.sibeliusmusic.com/Lelia_Loban
>>
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>>
>>
>
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