Re: Re: Standardizing...Going to Spah etc

[Douglas Tate <douglas.tate@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>"Bob Maglinte" <bbqbob917@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > not enough teachers
> > encourage experimenting enough and sometimes are too much of a stickler of
> > doing everything by rote, and so by doing that, it's no wonder you see too
> > many who are totally helpless without the sheet music in front of them.

Look at it from the other side...

>Not enough players try to learn about music theory/ sight reading/ 
>structured techniques, they spend far too much time experimenting and not 
>paying attention to chord progressions ... it's no wonder you see too many 
>who just can't function if a simple piece of music is put in front of them....

In an ideal world all players would be anxious to learn ALL aspects of 
their 'trade', they would, like the greats, be able to play their 
instruments to the highest technical level, be able to read a score 
straight onto their instrument, be able to improvise on a chord sequence, 
be able to listen to a tune once and straight away discern it's structure 
and filigree round it.

IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN.

In the real world no teacher is perfect and continually inspirational. 
Within the schools system time is tight and demands on particulars are 
heavy and the world's parents demand levels and this is reflected in the 
way Governments demand advancement units to say how an establishment is 
doing.
The interesting thing is that in the UK improvisation and composition is 
compulsory for all pupils up to about 13 (then they are on the examination 
rollercoaster.

I wonder how many of the people who complain about kids not being taught 
improvisation when taking lessons have really bothered to find out HOW to 
improvise an not just play notes which sound as though they fit.  How many 
can consciously build an improvised solo which progresses etc etc.

It's an interesting, if imperfect, world out there!

Douglas t