Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poor HS Student in need of Euphonium


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Posted by Rick Denney on March 27, 2003 at 00:55:45:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poor HS Student in need of Euphonium posted by Beware one more time on March 26, 2003 at 23:50:24:

One of the great privileges of living in San Antonio for a period of years as I once did was the ability to attend the all-state concerts at TMEA every year. If what you say is true, then there must have been some musicians on stage who were not playing. They have about three rehearsals to put the program together, and they play big-boy symphonic band stuff to a very high level. Yes, it is a large ensemble of around 120 musicians, but I don't remember seeing anybody just pretending to play.

And my sister moved to Michigan a two years ago, and her daughter went from also-ran in area band as a 10th grader in the Houston area to absolutely killing the competition in Michigan in the 11th grade. She is now picking and choosing from music-school scholarship offers. She was one among many in her high school in Texas.

My many friends among Texas HS band directors tell me that many bands do indeed learn their contest literature by rote, and that is sad. But learning one thing to a high level apparently teaches lots of other things, too, as evidenced by that row of CD's of Texas All-State Bands sitting on my shelf.

Rick "who has tasted the pudding" Denney


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