Re: Does klezmer have a place in academia?

[Tski1128 <Tski1128...>]

As a professional Clarinetist for 32yrs, Solo Clarinetist in the US Army 
Field Band for 20 Years. Clarinetist with LOX&Vodka for almost 10years. Add 
to that an undergraduate music Major for the last 2 yrs at Uof MD. I'm 
starting to think that there isn't any form of music that benefits from 
academia. We have become a society that somehow thinks you can learn music by 
other means than listening a whole bunch and playing even more. 
Does Klezmer have a place in academia? Boy that depends on who or what they 
are teaching. If it would entail hours of study with Sid Beckerman, afternoon 
rehearsals with Pete Sokoloff. ( who at some point would tell me that I 
finally stopped playing to many notes!) Topped of with some intensive Yiddish 
study. You would have a masters degree program that I sure would love to be a 
part off. 

But like many college courses, college klezmer would have a textbook written 
by someone that might not be a very good historian, or a very respected 
player. And you can bet you problably would be using the original source 
materials. But who knows maybe someplace might develope a great program. But 
right now I have to get back to figuring out the tone rows in a webern 
quartet! ( I'm really going to use this on my next klez gig)

Tom Puwalski author of, The Clarinetists Guide to Klezmer, and clarinetist 
with Lox&Vodka 
Check out www.loxvodka.com

---------------------- jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org ---------------------+