At 7:35 PM +0200 5/16/07, shirling & neueweise wrote:
every music department needs theory teachers, and nobody can earn a
living as a composer without selling out and writing music people
actually like!!
i won't mention how utterly ridiculous, condescending, ignorant,
reactionary and simplistic i find this comment,
You are, of course, perfectly entitled to your opinion, as I am to
mine, but I do believe that through most of the 20th century that has
been the attitude in university composition departments--some, of
course, probably not all, but according to the stories told by folks
on Orchestralist some of the most prestigious.
but will point out that it also happens that people study
composition to get university positions; i spoke once with a uni
prof who was sad to see that many of his master's and PhD students
weren't really interested in composition. in fact one of his PhD
students at the time had actually told him he was studying
composition to get a comfortable job in a university.
Oh sure. No question. But if our small department is any measure,
there is need for more theory teachers than composition teachers,
since ALL music majors and minors must take theory courses, but not
all take composition courses.
And at the risk of once again rubbing you the wrong way, I have to
ask whether it's healthy to perpetuate a culture of disconnect with
one's potential audiences just because it's "comfortable." But then
when I arrange or (occasionally) compose, it's always for immediate
performance by people I know, and not for either publication or
posterity. It worked well enough for Bach and Mozart!!
John
--
John & Susie Howell
Virginia Tech Department of Music
Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A 24061-0240
Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034
(mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED])
http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html
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