Klarinet Archive - Posting 000220.txt from 2002/06

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Teaching the 'students' of today
Date: Fri, 7 Jun 2002 06:41:59 -0400

At 06:49 PM 6/6/2002 -0700, Gary Van Cott wrote:
>I think that in the US we are already preparing a vast number of people to
>be amateur musicians. Think how many people graduate from high school
>every year having played for at least 6-7 years and who have achieved a
>level of proficiency sufficient for most community musical organizations,
>but who have no ambition to be professional musicians.
>
>The fact that few of them continue playing suggests factors other than
>preparation are at work.

The two factors that I can think of that contribute to this problem are
1) Too few amateur community musical organizations, and
2) School band programs that suck all the enjoyment out of playing with
too much emphasis on competition, etc.
So many kids shove the horn in the closet after high school graduation
thinking, "Well, I don't have to do THAT anymore!" The good news is that
that attitude provides a steady supply of little-used pre-owned instruments
for the market. ;-) I also wonder whether new high school graduates who
maybe ARE interested in local community bands are put off a bit by the
generally advanced age of the current membership. Community bands I have
been associated with are heavily populated by retirees who have returned to
their instruments only AFTER raising families and finishing careers. (That
goes DOUBLE for our audiences.) I don't know what can be done to keep kids
playing during the immediate post-high school or post-college years when so
many other important life issues are absorbing them.

Bill Hausmann bhausmann1@-----.net
451 Old Orchard Drive
Essexville, MI 48732 ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

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