true feminism

| | Comments (3)

Just got back from the annual high school pops concert. The orchestra, band, and chorus each performed several pieces. I was looking around and something interesting struck me.
When I was in secondary school, there was a strong sex discrimination in the instruments played in the schools. Girls were banned from the brass, the percussion, and the more bass of stringed instruments. It was rare to see a boy playing the flute, the oboe, or the clarinet.
That has changed. I, for one, am glad that in areas where it doesn't make a difference, both boys and girls can choose. I just wish that there wasn't the pressure to create false choice in areas where sex DOES make a difference.

3 Comments

In a better age it will be rare indeed to see a boy (or a girl for that matter) playing the oboe. Leave the quacking to the ducks, I always say. If you absolutely have to play a double reed, stick to bassoon!

Of course it is rare even to see an oboist play the oboe. They seem to spend most of their time carving reeds, fiddling with reeds, misplacing reeds, complaining about reeds, and then doing a Rodney Dangerfield and whining that they don't get no respect.

I used to hang out with an oboist. Nice guy. I think his name was David. We always called him Quack. I wonder if he is still a professional oboist.

Isn't there big moment pretty much when they hit the concert A pitch to tune the orchestra?

No, these kids are pretty accomplished musicians - at least the orchestra ones are. Many of them not only play in the school orchestra, they are in the Youth Symphony and about 10% are in NH All-State orchestra (a very competetive group). As a matter of fact, we put our daughter on the bus tonight to go to DC to play for some of the events being celebrated this weekend (including a lawn concert at Mt Vernon).

February 2013

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
          1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28    
The WeatherPixie
CURRENT MOON

About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by alicia published on May 27, 2004 10:23 PM.

Congratulations was the previous entry in this blog.

emergency prayer request is the next entry in this blog.

Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content.