Re: MTV has done it now...


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Posted by Brian Frederiksen on August 29, 2003 at 20:23:16:

In Reply to: MTV has done it now... posted by Matt G on August 29, 2003 at 07:59:50:

I do not teach in a K-12 school but talk to many who do daily. They tell me about their band's instumentation. Seems there are a lot of flutes, trumpets, saxaphones and especially percussion. These are considered the "cool" instruments. Seems that a lot of students do not want to play a "Non-cool" instrument like the strings, oboe, trombone, tuba, and bassoon. One of the reasons is they do not want to be ridiculed by other students. This is like a football team with all "glamor" positions such as quarterback, running back and wide receiver - I'd really hate to be on a team like this, no one to block and what about defense? A band or orchestra requires just as much teamwork with people playing all instruments otherwise they will sound like crap and will eventually die out.

Now here's MTV doing the tuba sexometer thing. This makes the situation worse, especially at the beginning of the year when a beginning student might be choosing an instrument. A music teacher has a hard enough time convincing students into becoming team players and needs help (which VH1 claims to be doing - another story) and here's MTV doing something this stupid. I feel sorry for those music teachers!

As far as VH1 and their support of school music, I have doubted this one for years. At a state music conference, VH1 had a booth right next to mine. The people working it knew nothing, talked to no one (including other exhibitors, one was passing fresh cookies), Arrived hours late, left early and didn't show the last day. They had a raffle at the end giving a free booth for the next year, we were all rooting for VH1 because it would expose they were not there. VH1's "Save the Music" was a joke.

While I'm on the soapbox, it seems that Time-Warner (parent of MTV and VH1) bought out Sumney-Birchard (S-B) through a number of aquisitions years ago. S-B published "The Art of" series in the 60's including books by Phil Farkas and Ed Kleinhammer. Ever try getting the Farkas book lately? Only places with old stock have it. When Ed Kleinhammer wanted to do a remake of the "Art of Trombone Playing," a request was made to Warner for copyright permission. I don't remember if it was refused or they priced themselves to high. They called the update "Mastering the Trombone" and Ed Kleinhammer published it himself.

Here we have a major corporation who has swallowed up a smaller music publisher. While I don't know what they have done, my guess is that they have put S-B into the Warner music division along with MTV, VH1, Warner records and a host of other aquisitions. Now, if they look at the balance sheet of sales, former S-B products are not doing well in comparison to some rap or hip-hop recordings. Warner holds the copyrights and are sticking to them without distribution. What happens? How about today's student who is looking everywhere for Farkas' "Art of Horn Playing?" A great book but not available, and cannot be reprinted because the copyright owner does not value music. What is the future of brass music? Not the big publishers - now you see why I go out of my way supporting micropublishers like Ed Kleinhammer - that is the future of brass music.

The MTV problem is much deeper than we all think.


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