Hans, I do one of these groups in my home city mainly because I am a member of the City's Cultural Commission. The group was good for the quality of musicians that we have involved. In my particular case, there are many professional music educators that play in the band for various reasons, some to keep their skills sharp, some just because of their incredible love of music of any kind. We also have such folks as car salesmen, a gentleman that owns a car restoration business, dentists, accountants and some folks that retirees.Until this year, my second hornist was 89 years old and still played very well, but his health declined. We (the entire band) miss him very much! The Band also has the housewives that are wanting to get away from the house and family for a little "me time".
Our former Director is a Professor at one of Detroit's larger Universities His title is Director of Bands. He's now left us after 25 years, and the band is in transition as we are in the process of finding a new director. Last year, the Band attended a festival of Bands in the Detroit Area and was directed by Leonard Slatkin, Music Director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. For many, it was a thrill of their lives to play under such a fine conductor, and they really elevated their level of performance. One of the pieces they played was Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral (I was not available to play, I am the Principal horn, so my Assistant Principal played). If I remember correctly it's arranged by Eric W G. Leidzen. I got a link of the performance and it was very good. Don't sell these folks short just because they are amateurs. It's those folks that also love music, and they just didn't get the same measure of talent as you and some of the other top notch professionals that are a part of this list. In Germany, do you have such ensembles? I use every opportunity with my students and tell them not to put away their horns when they complete their education, and to play as a way to enjoy themselves and to use this kind of music as a stress reliever in their lives. Here in the US, we desperately need this kind of art, as I feel there is a terrible assault on the Arts and music. Here our misguided politicians want to defund the National Endowment for the Arts and National Public Radio. If those are allowed to die, it will be a horrible blow to the arts in our nation. These community groups still promote arts in local as well as nationally. I know I do spout off with a lot of posts where I firmly have my tongue planted in my cheek, but not this one. My mentor and high school band director was a champion for the Arts when he was alive, and I proudly hold his chair in Warren's Cultural Commission. He also was (no pun intended) instrumental in the formation of the band that I am member of. I am now off to teach lessons, and then a budget meeting to see if our City Council is going to approve our Cultural Commission budget for this coming fiscal year. Please wish us good thoughts! Walt Lewis Warren (Michigan) Cultural Commission Principal Horn, Warren Concert Band Grosse Pointe Symphony Orchestra Member Local 5 AFM --- On Mon, 4/25/11, Hans Pizka <[email protected]> wrote: From: Hans Pizka <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Hornlist] Horn 101 Tuning Issues To: "The Horn List" <[email protected]> Date: Monday, April 25, 2011, 3:13 PM Steve, and how about ear training for those members ? What you stated is exactly causing this incredible low level of so many groups. As I remember, you have perfect pitch. How can you bear this plenty of dis-tonation ? Why this refusal to learn, the refusal to bring their "hobby" to a higher level, special this refusal by people, who are superb in their day job ? Many of them think, good or superb in their day profession will make them great in their hobby also. Wrong, perfectly wrong. There they have to start over again & again. Having played in the high school band a year or so is not enough for a community orchestra, might be enough to scare cattle away, if they play in the bushes, but also giving reason for the police or the fire guards to intervene. And there are the absolutely insane programs for those orchestras arranged by megalomaniac self installed conductor tyrants, as they program pieces they would never be allowed to conduct with any professional orchestra. I heard of community orchestras playing Zarathustra, Heldenleben, Mahler 5, Mahler 6 (not to be ruined), Till, Bruckner 4 - 7 - 8, etc. Good for music libraries making some extra income, but not serving that music nor the composer. "Schuster bleib bei Deinem Leisten", an old proverb. or "Dont take in your mouth, what you cannot digest" (without pills !). ########################################### Am 25.04.2011 um 20:43 schrieb Steve Freides: > On Mon, Apr 25, 2011 at 2:16 PM, Hans Pizka <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Being enthusiastic about playing an instrument, is not enough. >> One also has to care about the basic rules of music and the basic rules >> of music making. It is not that difficult, as long as keeping discipline: >> learning discipline, practice discipline & playing discipline. > > Hans, being enthusiastic, along with a bit of background like having > played in one's high school band _is_ enough to participate in a > community band or orchestra. They are not professional ensembles, and > are often populated by people whose ear would never, in a million > years, entitle them to play in a professional ensemble, but that's > life. Everyone who cares about the basic rules of music making will > not necessarily have the ears to obey those rules. > > These are people who enjoy music and if they need their band director > to help them tune before they play, that should be OK with everyone - > including you, and including their bandmates. If a rare community > group rises to a higher level of playing, that's great, and then there > are auditions and requirements, but that is rare and, more to the > point, it's not why most of community bands and orchestras exist. > Rather, it's about allowing everyone who enjoys making music in a > group setting to do so. If attending such concerts bothers your ears, > stay home. > > -S- > _______________________________________________ > post: [email protected] > unsubscribe or set options at > https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/hpizka%40me.com _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/lewhorn9%40yahoo.com _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
