Klarinet Archive - Posting 000226.txt from 2001/05

From: Bilwright@-----.net (William Wright)
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: [Re: [kl] RE: Clarinetfest 2001 ... a few comments]
Date: Tue, 8 May 2001 11:45:27 -0400

<><> Kelly Abraham wrote:
I think there is a LOT of separation of major and minor institutions. A
teacher from one of the big music schools, i.e. Eastman or Juiliard,
would be more likely to garnish a place performing than would one from a
community college, or a college which is less universally known as a
major player in music, regardless of the skill of the community college
performer.

I don't see how there can be any doubt about this. As Roger has
already posted so eloquently, skill is only one part of the reason why a
certain person ends up on a stage.

<><> How about %50 of the performers being big name, i.e. Morales,
Combs, Meyer, Leister, Niedich, Shifrin, etc... and the other %50 being
by lottery?

Kelly, this a warm fuzzy idea, but.....

....just as an intellectual exercise, would you pay $200-$300 in
conference fees, another $200-$500 in transportation expenses, and
another $800-$900 for accommodations & restaurant meals (remember, we're
talking about a full week in a prime New Orleans hotel) in order to hear
_me_ play? (assuming that I could pass the 'minimum requirements' for
entering the lottery)

Okay, now would you pay that much money to sit through 25 more
people like me......???

Let's move on to the next question. If you had two levels of
performer (invited and by lottery), can you imagine how many musicians
would be insulted and angry to the very core?
Just think about it. Suppose I were to choose a name from this
list and I were to post: "Since <name of list member> is not a big
name and normally wouldn't be asked to perform at ClarinetFest, but I
still want to hear him/her, let's put his/her name in the lottery, and
then we may be able to hear him/her anyway."
I can imagine that a few good-natured professionals on this list
would smile and say "Okay", but I think I would end up with a lot of
enemies as well.
ICA can have a separate class of performance for students because
they are still students. Try the following 'thought experiment'
yourself. Choose a name from this list who is a professional or
principal, and then try to imagine yourself telling this person, "You're
not Invitation Quality, but I'd like to hear you anyway, so I want you
to put your name in the lottery."
I suppose you could find a more diplomatic way to decribe the
lottery, but clever language and euphemisms wouldn't change the facts.

Cheers,
Bill

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