Posted by Rick Denney on August 13, 2001 at 17:22:10:
In Reply to: Teacher wont let me use my new CC horn!! posted by James McNeil on August 13, 2001 at 17:01:55:
You are in a bit of a sticky situation, because even if your band director is wrong (and I think he is), he is still in charge. If you fight him on this, he may decide to impose his authority and get stubborn. Nobody wins in that scenario.
Unless your parents are musical enough to have professional credentials that the band director would respect, I would solicit the assistance of your private teacher. You do have a private teacher, right? Ask him to talk with your band director, mainly for the purpose of asking him what he considers the problem with you using your own CC. If your teacher cannot persuade him that your using a CC will do no harm, then ask your parents and your teacher to both visit the band director together to express their support for you playing your better tuba. They should gently hint that they are not going to give up on it, and that they will talk with the principal next.
By staying out of the fight yourself, you will avoid spoiling the relationship you have with your band director. If he asks you about what your parents and teacher have been talking with him about, just say that you are following your private teacher's instructions in switching to a CC tuba at this time, and that you feel stuck between the requests of your teacher and of your band director. Tell him that you want to play your new horn in class, but that you don't want to spoil your relationship with him.
If he won't work with you at that point, then perhaps he needs to defend his decision in a conference with your parents, your private teacher, and the principal. But this is not your fight--you are not in a position to take on your band director.
Rick "urging caution--careless words here could create real damage" Denney