 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Rozmp
Date: 2009-07-07 18:39
My son is graduating in Dec. with MM, performance. Military band is a possibility. Would it be stupid for my son to give a copy of his graduate recital to a military headhunter? Like any recital (his first grad. recital) it is very good but not flawless. It was filmed using our own video recorder on a tripod and of course not edited. So do you ever give out a recording that isn't flawless? Second question, do you have to ask the permission of the accompanist to show it to others? Thanks, Roz
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2009-07-07 19:22
What level military band are you considering? Generally speaking, to get into a military band simply requires you to set up an audition. With a masters in performance, I highly doubt your son wouldn't get in. The incoming audition consists of some scales, sight-reading, and a few minutes of a prepared piece. If you're talking about a special band, check out their websites to see what's required.
Don't know about the accompanist thing.
Alexi
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2009-07-07 19:32
Don't most music schools professionally record the recitals of their students? If so, it might be better to present a professionally recorded cd of the performance.
Beyond that, I agree with what Alexi mentioned.
Jeff
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Author: davyd
Date: 2009-07-07 19:48
What are the copyright issues here? If the recital program is all PD material, I'm supposing it wouldn't matter. But what if there's contemporary material? Does this kind of usage fall into the category of "fair use"?
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2009-07-07 19:51
Unlike headhunters for, say, a computer job, I've always been under the impression that military headhunters' primary goal is to convince you to take the job they have, not to convince the employer to hire you.
I imagine the headhunter might like to see the video out of curiosity, or as a friend if you've established a rapport, but I don't imagine it would make much, if any, difference toward your chances of getting into a military band.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2009-07-07 19:51
davyd wrote:
> What are the copyright issues here? If the recital program is
> all PD material, I'm supposing it wouldn't matter. But what if
> there's contemporary material? Does this kind of usage fall
> into the category of "fair use"?
It's a fairly complicated issue AFAIK! Personally, I wouldn't send anything in unless requested, and if requested I'd ask what material they required.
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Author: Rozmp
Date: 2009-07-07 20:59
Yes Jeff, the university did record a CD of the recital. The military seems to want to "see" the person as they request a full body photo when asking for the resume. To Alexi, specifically there is a clarinet opening in the US Army Concert Band, listed under the catagory of "Pershings Own". I didn't know if showing a DVD to the regional army band recruiter would be helpful in him getting an audition slot. Maybe military audition slots aren't as difficult to get as those of professional orchestras. We are still trying to learn the ins and outs. Our concern with military band is will he (my son) continue to be challenged. So I'm assuming the higher level of band the better the chances are of not hitting a dead end in musical growth. Thanks for your comments so far. Roz
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2009-07-07 21:13
There is always possibility for musical growth, no matter where you are.
But that aside if they are requesting to see the person, I would go strictly by what the website requests. In addition to the musical side, your son will need to meet the army's standards. Height/weight, physical fitness, medically sound, etc. So take that into account too.
You can ask the regional army band recruiter to listen to your son. they won't obviously be the final authority, however they, if asked, may be able to tell you what, if anything, would need to be worked on to better qualify for a special band slot.
As per what level the special bands are, our current tuba player, who was an instructor at the School of Music and is now deployed with us in Iraq, is a phenominal player. He saw a slot open in one of the special bands and auditioned. He showed up and and was one of 80 tuba players vying for that one spot. Don't know how many would show up for a clarinet spot, but that seems like a whole heck of a bunch of tuba special band hopefuls. He made it to the top three, however didn't make the final cut. Although he feels he lost to a worthy competitor. Even being a tuba instructor at the school (which is a VERY high level of musicianship), he felt the winner could have played circles around him even on his best day.
Myself, I'm going to try to really hit the books and work on my playing and try auditioning for those special bands in a few years. I figure if I can get somewhere where I actually have time and am somewhat close to a good teacher (I'd say an hour or less), I'm gonna give myself five years. If I don't get in by the time I hit 15 years in service, I'll just let it go.
Alexi
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Author: mrn
Date: 2009-07-07 21:32
davyd wrote:
<<What are the copyright issues here? If the recital program is all PD material, I'm supposing it wouldn't matter.>>
Well, it does and it doesn't. You see, there's copyright in the works (which obviously doesn't apply with a work that's in the public domain) and then copyright in the recorded performance.
If it's just you doing the performing and you made the recording yourself, then you own the performance copyright and can do what you please with it (I'm still assuming the works are public domain here).
If it's you and an accompanist, then, in the absence of some kind of agreement to the contrary, the two of you together JOINTLY own the copyright to the recorded performance (i.e., you each own an undivided interest in the copyright). That means that you can each exercise the rights of a copyright owner, but you must account to each other for each co-owner's share of any profits either party makes.
<<But what if there's contemporary material?>>
If the works are still under copyright, then you must have permission from the copyright owners of the works to perform, record or copy them.
<<Does this kind of usage fall into the category of "fair use"?>>
Possibly, under the right set of circumstances, but I don't know of any court cases dealing with this specific situation, so I couldn't really say. Because fair use isn't really fully defined by statute (judges invented the concept to begin with) only a court can really say what is or isn't fair use.
The problem with this kind of judge-made law is that for anyone to know for sure whether "relatively harmless" acts of copyright infringement are fair uses, somebody has to be willing to sue over them. If they are really "relatively harmless," though, it's not likely to be worth someone's while to bring a federal lawsuit over it. So it's sort of a catch-22.
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Author: Tom Puwalski
Date: 2009-07-08 13:12
I spent the last few years in the U.S Army Field band on the audition committee, which meant I listened to instruments other than just clarinet. As part of the audition process, we would accept tapes audio and video as the first step to the audition process. Now some of the inner workings that went into my evaluation process as well as some of the others.
1. If you sent a tape of a live recital that was well played, even with flaws I would have invited you to the audition (at army expense). That might seem like a low bar for a job that pays what a top 10 orchestra pays but, If you demonstrated that you could play you were invited. Mistakes happen and live un-edited performance cair
2. If you sent a tape of 2 contrasting Rose Etudes that showed you had command of the instrument, you got into the audition. Regardless of the audio quality of the tape.
3. Now if this was a set the mini disk in your bathroom recording, and you sent in 2 rose etudes that were your two best takes and there were audible mistakes, your tape went to back of pile and you most likely would not to be listened to live.
4. If you sent in any of the materials and they weren't typed, with a trashy looking resume, written on lined notebook paper with lousy sounding mistake-ridden tape you probably have in your hand s a type written edit of the material you sent in written be me with a guide on how to submit material to an audition. Who knows this person might have sounded like Ricardo!
Things I learned listening to audition tapes: The best sounding ( professionally recorded and pro-tooled) almost never made it past the prelims. It's one thing to fix a glitch, it's another thing manufacture a performance.
The people who had the "best" pedigree on paper most of the time were beat by someone from a small not prestigious school, who had a clue what to play for an army band audition.
Always the person who had total command of the basics of clarinet playing i.e. good time, good sound and solid articulation and solid musicianship got the job.
Send in the video! unless it sucks.
Tom Puwalski, former Soloist and principal clarinetist with the U.S. Army Field Band, Author of the "Clarinetist's Guide to Klezmer", soon to be released, Clarinet Basic Training and More Klezmer, a play along guide to my favorite gig tunes.
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Author: Rozmp
Date: 2009-07-08 13:41
Wow, thanks Tom! You have been very helpful. You perceived that we have many questions and addressed many. I think this will help my perfectionist son to relax a bit and not feel so nervous about this process. FYI, when he started with the clarinet he was drawn to the Klezmer style and still enjoys listening to it but of course has been exposed to so much classical influence now that classical is the most comfortable for him. Thanks a bunch, Roz
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Author: Tom Puwalski
Date: 2009-07-08 14:10
The tape process for any of the Special bands to my knowledge is only a screening to see if a life audition is justified. After you get invited to the audition the tape has no bearing what so ever. It was used to weed out people who used to play the clarinet in high school marching band, studied something else in college and thought it would be "neat" to play in a professional band. Don't laugh, I've listened to the tapes. It was clear from the first notes of the tape that these people were clueless as to the level of special bands.
Now for regular Army Bands and especial Marine bands (except if you were a red suit and are in the presidents own) Be very careful what you sign and listen to what your recruiter is saying. If your starting rank isn't E-6 you could be playing clarinet in the desert, if that's what you're into go for it, just know it's a possibility.
When I was 19 I auditioned at Ft. Meade for the 1rst Army band. I got in and they called over to the Field Band and said they had a clarinet player that they had to hear. I want to take the audition, I was guaranteed one enlistment at the duty station of my choice. I was going to NYC to play in a band stationed on Staten Island. So instead of instant E-6, I was an E-4, after going through the Naval School of Music and had the time of my life in NY. But because I had advanced out of the school of music in 3 months instead of 6. I became "levy-able" to other duty stations. They were going to send me to Korea.
So I then took the up the Field Band's offer and auditioned and got in. I wasn't that I didn't like the USAFB, I just wanted to get out of the town I grew up in and see the Big Apple, but compared to the DMZ fort Meade seemed like a cool idea to me.
Just be careful, special military bands are like the only gig around these days that pay a nice wage. I've never heard of any of the bands not hiring someone after around of auditions.
If I had it all to do over again I'd play in the USAFB again, it was fun!
Tom Puwalski, former Soloist and principal clarinetist with the U.S. Army Field Band, Author of the "Clarinetist's Guide to Klezmer", soon to be released, Clarinet Basic Training and More Klezmer, a play along guide to my favorite gig tunes.
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Author: Tom Puwalski
Date: 2009-07-08 16:47
Dave back in 1999 I received a paper from the Army where they figured out my direct and "indirect" compensation value of the retirement, average savings on commissary, health care, housing allowance and such and as an E8 over 20 years in it told me I was making in excess of 90k$. This had to be true because my wife was making $95k at the time and I still brought home more than she did. I don't want to think about how much my buddy down at Pershing's own is making in 2009 as an E8, and now he can give his GI bill college money to his kids to use. You would be nuts not to take one of these gigs if it were offered. Unless you were offered Drucker's old gig.
And the retirement, If any of the guys in the Balto Sym retire, I'll be making more then they do.
Tom Puwalski, former Soloist and principal clarinetist with the U.S. Army Field Band, Author of the "Clarinetist's Guide to Klezmer", soon to be released, Clarinet Basic Training and More Klezmer, a play along guide to my favorite gig tunes.
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Author: Rozmp
Date: 2009-07-08 17:18
Tom, could I e-mail you with more questions? But if you want to continue on the BB that is fine then your info might help others. Let me know via my e-mail, Rozmp@aol.com if you want to answer more questions on military band off the BB. My concern about contacting the regional band recruiter ( I think SGT. Reed) is my son possibily being hounded before he has some background info. Thanks again for helping us understand the "ins and Outs". Roz
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2009-07-08 17:41
Quote:
Be very careful what you sign and listen to what your recruiter is saying. If your starting rank isn't E-6 you could be playing clarinet in the desert, if that's what you're into go for it, just know it's a possibility. That's the the paper that I signed. Right now I'm in Baghdad, sitting in a Gym pulling a 12 hour overnight gym duty (maintaining a workout gym). But today I had a clarinet quartet rehearsal before duty, and tomorrow after some sleep I have a dixieland rehearsal for two upcoming gigs the week after next.
If you have some questions about what it's like over here in Iraq with the 1st Cav Band, I might be able to answer a few. It's my second deployment with the 1st Cav Band and both times at the same Camp.
Alexi
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2009-07-08 18:36
If you do decide to use the video I suggest you do ask the pianist's permission (assuming they are professional) if only out of professional courtesy.
Peter Cigleris
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Author: clarinetist04
Date: 2009-07-08 22:18
The level of playing with any of the big bands (Pershing's Own, President's Own, USAFB, USAFCB, CGAB, USNB, etc.) are excellent and he will certainly be challenged! As for the peripheral bands, Alexi and Tom have already answered your question. Good luck.
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