Posted by Joe S. on October 09, 2000 at 03:45:05:
In Reply to: Re: Re: A suggestion for this BBS posted by Gray Bach on October 08, 2000 at 18:38:47:
If a potential student asking for the low-down on various studio professors doesn't have the courage at the time to leave his or her email address, no one can send that person a confidential note, and particularly negative (and probably subjective) opinions should be kept to ones' selves.
Moreover, unless someone posts their full name and email address, they should not say anything negative about any professional studio teacher nor any professional player. To (What is the current way of expressing this in the vernacular?) anonymously "talk s--t" about any professional is not within the bounds of acceptable behavior. Childish, silly, or sarcastic (guilty as charged) posts are one thing, but slanderous ones lead off into another area.
If anyone DOES feel the need to "warn" someone about a particular studio teacher, it is my advice that they do so via telephone, because anything on record considered defaming or slanderous could potentially be used in court.
Me? I don't know any studio teachers, and can't afford lessons. So much for ME spreading a bunch of inflammatory gossip around the web.
I am PARTICULARLY sensitive to slander, because I own a brass/woodwinds music store and do NOT pay (felonous) "kickbacks" to school teachers. Some who might "protect their territory" would say to their students about my (quite excellent) instruments for rental or for purchase:
"I've seen better lookin' flutes that that ha' been dropped on th' concrete."
or
"I can't recommend that you rent from them, because they mix up parts of different brands of instruments, like a Selmer neck on a Yamaha sax."
or
"That's an awfully low price that they [we] sold you that sax for, son. Be careful that it isn't stolen."
THIS is the type of c--p that I have to deal with in my business every day. Perhaps this is part of the reason that I am a skeptic and need to be SHOWN that someone is honest and competent, before I will respect them (differentiating here between "courtesy" and "respect") ON THE OTHER HAND, (like I said) the "s--t talk" mentioned above (as examples) makes me VERY sensitive to "behind the back" (like anonymous writing about noted professional individuals, for example) slander and/or defamation. Call me a "dumb cracker" (and back it up with examples), but do NOT call me a thief nor a cheat.
*******
' sorry. ' got "carried away" again.