Re: too many ?


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Posted by Todd S. Malicoate on May 03, 2003 at 02:42:02:

In Reply to: too many ? posted by js on May 03, 2003 at 01:12:11:

Some interesting points, but it has been my personal experience that in some places a sort of trade-off is employed. One faculty member has the dubious title of "low brass instructor," covering trombone, euphonium, and tuba. This person is almost inevitably a trombonist, with neither the training nor experience to properly prepare tuba performance students. At some of the smaller schools, this practice is carried even farther to the "brass instructor" - generally a trumpet player.

It goes back to the old argument - is university learning to be considered "job training" or rather a well-rounded approach to learning how to learn? If it is, as I hope, the latter, then what difference does it really make if the "tuba professor" plays a different primary instrument, provided that person has high expectation levels and a reasonable pedagogical skill level?

In my own undergraduate career, I would have to say that I learned the most when I studied private tuba with the Director of Bands at my university, a trumpet player whose main focus was conducting. This particular individual pushed me harder that anyone else to make steady improvement in my playing, do the necessary leg work (excerpt study, listening, etc.), and focus toward a goal. I really didn't learn anything about how to teach during those years, other than the insight I gained from watching my own teachers.

In graduate school, though, my degree plan was performance/pedagogy with an equal emphasis on both (something I would HIGHLY recommend for everyone going for an advanced degree). Those two years were spend not only refining my performance level, but also working on the nuances of how to teach students. I gained invaluable experience through a variety of teaching assignments that I was quite literally "thrown into." While I mostly agree with you that administrations place too much emphasis on the MM or DMA by the last name, I think there's more to that degree than just joining an elitist club - at least in my case there was.

So what's the solution to the tuba professor dilemma? It seems to me that the schools in the more rural areas of the country have to employ full-time low brass instructors at least, if not tuba/euphonium teachers - many of these places don't have a major symphony orchestra in close proximity. So, to attract the most qualified applicants, they offer a full-time (hopefully tenure-track) position which includes teaching duties and two or three other classes in the work load.

It's sad to hear that the faculty at the places you've visited seem more concerned with a potential colleague's degrees than his/her ability. It's not like it's hard to find out if someone is a good teacher from their recommendations, regardless of how many diplomas appear on their educational history. Unfortunately, that's a fact of life I fear that we won't see changing anytime soon.


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