Posted by Beware again on March 26, 2003 at 23:38:37:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poor HS Student in need of Euphonium posted by JoeS on March 26, 2003 at 20:56:40:
Joe,
I recently just moved to Texas from the midwest and starting teaching this stuff to about 20 or so students plus I also sat in on the judging for two of the three rounds of the audition procedure. I really think that if you would have experienced what I did, your comments would be different. When I came down here not a single student of mine could play all their major scales, including the ones that made all-state and the sight reading IS horrible. The way they learn the music is by setting in sectionals for 1-3 hours a week and have a band director or a clinician teach it to them by wrote. Don't get me wrong they do practice but only when the audition is close Once that is over they don't want to work until the next year. This is why every private lesson teacher in my area has loses about 60% of their high school students once solo contest is over. The teachers are only used to cut corners in the students preperation and learning and improving are just a coincidence.
Now this is not like this all over Texas but it does happen down here in areas. In these areas band is all about putting trophies on the shelves and braggin rights. It has very little to do with teaching music and loving it. Joe if you want to come down from Memphis and teach my studio for a couple weeks in about the middle of October you will find out what I am talking about.