 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Marie
Date: 2000-02-06 04:27
Hi. I have had the feeling that my band director has been choosing music that doen't fit the group and is way to hard. The reason for this, to challenge themself.
The director also brings people in to play in the ensemble to make us sound good. The problem is that we are suppose to play at important "festival" to show everyone what our school can do .
Well, I have heard through some very reliable sources that the director actually said to another state band director that they didn't care if the music was to hard, that they could hire in enough people to make it work. We were doing this "festival" to made the director look good.
I was just wondering what any of you would do in this situation??
.....I'm in college and I could transfer to another school, but I really like the clarinet professor here!!
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Author: Katherine Pincock
Date: 2000-02-06 05:16
Well, speaking to your conductor may be an option...but that depends on whether or not you feel he/she will respond well to reasonable discussion. Another possibility is talking to the Dean/student's council of your faculty, if they offer mediation services. If you do either of these things, make sure you don't mention any hearsay; just say that you feel personally that the music is overly difficult for the level of the band. If neither of these options works out, there may be other people to speak to on campus--ombuds offices, etc.--but it's probably not worth switching schools over if you like the clarinet teacher there. It's frustrating, but it's more important that you have a private teacher that you really get along with than it is to have fewer problems with your ensemble. And believe me, some situation like this arises somewhere in every school, so switching won't solve all the problems.
Just as an additional note, though, if you talk to your band director, you might mention that you hate to spoil the work done by the hired professionals. It's one of the facts of band playing that one person who can't play the part right makes the whole section sound wrong, so you can't really cover that up by adding paid ringers. Even if the pros can play the parts, if the band itself can't, the performance will be sloppy. If your band director is that concerned with making him/herself look good, that thought may change their mind. Hope this helps!
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2000-02-07 04:49
My opiniion.
If you mean by the word 'difficulty' that the band member's skill levels are quite wide and that the compositions should be selected to enable the lowest level players play,the whole band activity is governed by them. If it were the case, it is ridiculous!
Moreover, there is an expected skillness level of 'college' bands.If the band director chooses that level,it is reasonable although it may be 'difficult' for your band. And if some poor players cannot play chosen compositions satisfactorily however hard they may practice, it is an emergency measure to hire back-up extras.(Many amateur orchestras are doing this ordinarily.)
If your skillness level is comparatively very higher in your band,it is a waste of your precious time to play in your band. If I were you, I would quit the band. To play with poorer players makes us rotten. (My late professional bassonist.father told me that.)
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2000-02-07 05:11
Last year's Japanese high school brass band contest 1st prize winner was Yodogawa-Kogyou.
Although almost all of the members started their instruments after entering the school, they could play Debussy's 'Sea' arranged for brass bands quite satisfactorily. The number of their brass band members is 145, and contestants players were elected by votes blind-listening to each advocate's play. FYI.
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Author: Kristine
Date: 2000-02-07 05:21
Marie...
I would talk to your private clarinet instructor and tell him/her what is going on in band...they can then direct you as to what you should or should not do next...and they may even go and talk to whom ever should be spoken to about this problem..besides you are that person's student and your happiness is a factor in their pay check! I would NOT go to the director directly ( no pun intended) Unfortunately there are chains of command...Who is the head of the Music Department at your college? that is the one to see, after speaking to your private teacher...Good luck!
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-02-07 12:39
Hiroshi,
While it would be perfectly acceptable for a amateur bands or orchestras such as the various community groups to hire professional musicians for a difficult performance, it is not proper for a school band (even at the college level) to do so. The point of the festivals and competitions is to demonstrate the performance of the *students*. Hiring professional musicians is in direct contradiction to such a goal.
Although the director does need to challenge the students, part of his responsibility is to select something that the students should be able to master *if they practice*. To pick something that they have no chance to master is irresponsible and serves no useful purpose in the development of the students' abilities.
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Author: Marie
Date: 2000-02-07 18:10
If you mean by the word 'difficulty' that the band member's skill levels are quite wide and that the compositions should be selected to enable the lowest level players play,the whole band activity is governed by them. If it were the case, it is ridiculous!
***"difficulty" was ment in the sense that even the best members of the ensemble couldn't get the music down. We practiced the same 3 pieces in band for 4 months, when we usually have a concert after 2.
As an example: the director had to get 3 different sax players just to find the one that could get the music and hit the altissimo notes! We ended up with a professional sax player, and made the 2 other doctoral students leave the band.
Moreover, there is an expected skillness level of 'college' bands.If the band director chooses that level,it is reasonable although it may be 'difficult' for your band. And if some poor players cannot play chosen compositions satisfactorily however hard they may practice, it is an emergency measure to hire back-up extras.(Many amateur orchestras are doing this ordinarily.)
***It would not bother me AS MUCH, if we were simply playing a concert for parents and people around the community. But, at this festival concert we are to perform at, there will be many high school music students that will get the wrong impression of our school! To me, when we play with over 1/4 the band being hired in, it is no longer the college's band.......it's more like a community band.
The festival is to promote the band and get more music students to join us. But this group that they will hear is not the college!
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Author: mike
Date: 2000-02-08 19:48
I want to distinguish between two possible scenarios: is the band director bringing in ringers to flesh out the band in sections where players are weak for concerts, or is he doing this for competitions.
I think the first scenario is fine. The players in the group have an opportunity to play challenging music and have strong experienced players that they can listen to and learn from.
The second scenarios is more troubling. Many competitions are for student bands. I've been involved with a college jazz band festival, and they used to require that schools submit notarized matriculation lists of all the players. Of course, there was also a community division for all the schools and other groups that had night bands. But if the director wants to play extremely difficult pieces in a student competition, he'd better use just the students or should participate to only get the adjudicators' comments and not part of the competition.
Of course, we could easily debate our lives away over wheter or not such competitions are useful or even damaging to the musical education of those who participate! But I digress...
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Author: Marie
Date: 2000-02-09 04:01
The director has done this for every concert that the symphonic winds (the upper band) has had (and that I've been there for), but does not do it for the concert band.
It has not bothered me to have the people there for regular concerts, but this festival is to promote the school and get more music students to come.
To me it is false advertising. I believe that WE the college band should be there and not doctoral students from our neighboring music conservatory. These people have already proven themselves, and everyone knows they can play!
Maybe the problem is that what the director said makes me feel as if I am not good enough to promote the band on my own. And if it were just me who felt like this, I would understand that I needed to start practicing more or even that I may need to rethink my career choice.
But if an entire ensemble isn't good enough to promote themselves, maybe we shouldn't be going to this festival just yet. We are a young college and have grown rapidly.
I just think that what she said was rude and completely inconsiderate. (sp??) And now that I'd done complaining......
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