Posted by Rick Denney on June 23, 2000 at 09:06:40:
In Reply to: Re: how long will band music survive? posted by ken k on June 22, 2000 at 21:43:31:
Remember that it is difficult to march with a keyboard (though I know many are trying). Football season, much though most hate it, keeps band programs alive. And concert season keeps many band students interested.
There are still many people, and not just the currently elderly, who want to hear band music when it is traditionally significant. July 4th, for example, and at football games. Parades. No, they don't think of band music in the concert-hall setting, but that doesn't mean band music is no longer relevant.
It is also wrong to think that the music of our youth will be the music we still listen to as adults. A significant portion of my favorite listening up through college embarasses me now. My parents still enjoy the pop tunes of the late 40's and early 50's, but they also listen to other things, some popular, some not. And they are anything but trained musicians.
I don't mind a medley of Broadway show tunes. But can we please have well-written and musical medlies and not sweat-shop arrangements intended for 13-year-olds? I could say the same thing for church music.
I just think many volunteer bands spend too much time worrying about the audience and playing down to them. Boredom on the part of the musicians will kill band music faster than anything else.
Even though professional orchestras have a different role, I also think they spend too much time playing down to their audiences. Those who exert control often seem to think the whole audience is represented by the dozen most active rich elderly ladies in the symphony league. Each concert should have good music that is familiar, and good music that challenges the audience (and the players).
I'm opposed to bad music in any setting.
Rick "Bad music is bad for music." Denney