[Trombone-l] do you object to teaching euph/baritone?

[Stroeher, Michael]

Larry,

Does this colleague object to (a) having students major in euphonium performance or (b) to teaching euphonium students in general?

If it's choice a, the students need to be aware of the limited career opportunities available to euphonium performers, but ultimately it's the student's choice what they are going to major in. There are other majors that are at least as limited in job opportunities as playing euphonium, but we still have students who want to major in Latin or Art History. In my teaching career I've had two euphonium performance majors. One went on to grad school in ethnomusicology, the other is already in a military band.

I see nothing wrong with a music education major having euphonium as his/her major performing medium. The whole point is for the student to be competent as a musician; to be able to speak the language in order to teach it. Euphonium is a wonderful instrument for this, and for a music educator/band director to play.

The really big picture argument is the purpose of a college education; whether it should be job training for a specific career or to teach students how to think, communicate, function as part of society, and achieve their own goals.

If it's choice b, tell your colleague to send his euphonium students to me: I'll be glad to teach them.

Mike

--
Michael Stroeher
Professor of Trombone and Euphonium
Coordinator of Graduate Studies
Department of Music
Marshall University
One John Marshall Drive
Huntington, WV 25755
(304) 696-3109


On 2/3/09 3:39 PM, "Borden, Lawrence" <lawrence.l.borden at Vanderbilt.Edu> wrote:

Folks,



I have a colleague who objects to teaching euph since there is no
continuing path except (in his opinion) a band director, community band,
or service band.



I feel this is wrong since it is only the rarest case that we find
someone wanting to major in euph performance. Do you think this opinion
is common among our brethren?



Larry



Lawrence Borden

Associate Professor of Trombone

Blair School of Music, Vanderbilt University

Principal Trombone, Nashville Symphony Orchestra

O   (615) 322-7676

H   (615) 255-4191

C   (615) 397-1253

E   Lawrence.Borden at Vanderbilt.edu

W  WWW.Vanderbilt.edu/trombonestudio