Attention Private Teachers
FIGURE IT OUT!
IF you keep telling all your private students to drop school orchestra program -
THEY WILL!
THIS IS WRONG FOR SO MANY REASONS
1. It weakens music programs!
* It weakens the morale of the group, ("Suzy is too good for us - we must suck! What's the use?")
* It reduces the number of kids involved (everytime you pull a kid out I loose another fiddle player)Loose enough kids and the bean counters will cut the program (have you already forgotten about the budget battles?)
* It weakens the connection and professional trust between the public school and private school teachers. We are supposed to be on the same team here - if we can't cooperate we are doomed!
2. You KNOW It denys your (& my) student opportunities
* You KNOW the state music association says students HAVE to be a part of the school program if they want to audition for All-State and Jr. All State Orchestras. Are you going to have your students ask me to lie on the application form?? Maybe you think little Suzy doesn't need All State - which is really sad because it would look awesome on her college applications and is a HUGE learning experience for the students.
* You KNOW music is just as much a social / communal activity as it is a private one - why? why? why? why? would you want to isolate a violin player from the rest of her friends? Orchestra is FUN. It's a good reason to come to school on a Friday morning - don't take that away from your (and MY) students!
* You KNOW it is a completely different experience to play with other people as an ensemble. WHY take that opportunity away from your students? ? ? ? Yes, the kids who take private lessons play very well - they have an astouding technique and repitoire - BUT they do not play well with the group, they like to rush ahead and pull back and make up funky rhythms -- and they'll never learn to watch a conductor unless they are IN AN ORCHESTRA!!
YES, the music we play may not be as techincally challenging as the Seitz Concertos that Suzy plays in lessons, but I'd be happy to help her find challenges in the orch music to keep things interesting (off the top of my head . . . . Following a conductor/ staying with the group, Playing everything in 3rd position, taking a leadership role to cue section and make fingering/ bowing decisions)
In any group there will be people who are REALLY REALLY REALLY good and people who are not. Sorting and Level-ing everyone into cozy little ability groups keeps everyone stays at their cozy little level. LOOK AT THE RESEARCH IT DOESN'T WORK!
There's one more rather messy point I need to bring to your attention. Parents ask me to recomend private teachers all the time. No matter how great your pedagogy might be, I can't recomend you when I know you are working against me to pull kids out of my program. Keep this up and you will eventually loose students.
I'm not trying to talk you into some shady business deal where "you scratch my back and I'll send you private students." I'm looking for an open system where the public and private teachers SUPPORT each other as collegues who are all working to promote quality music education and orchestral excellence in the public schools.
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