[TPIN] Adults playing in student productions

[Rich Uchytil]

In my high school we ALWAYS tried to use students in the orchestra.  If 
a student wanted to play, they played.  Only if we didn't have one to 
play the part did we get someone else, like an adult.  AND then they 
played the lower parts as well as helping us understand our parts 
better.  When we did West Side Story, my friend played 1st, I played 
2nd, and the adult played 3rd - no other student wanted to play.  (As 
for getting kids from another school, well, high school rivalry was 
pretty big then and I doubt we would have welcomed someone.)  At first I 
couldn't make it all the way through the show, my chops just weren't in 
shape enough.  I practiced a lot and by the end I had no problems and 
had plenty of chops left over.  After I graduated college, I played two 
productions for my old high school.  Again, the students played the 
upper parts and I played the lower.  I also worked with the kids to help 
them play those harder parts.

The only time I would have a problem with adults playing is if the 
people putting on the production would not let students play.  Sure, it 
might not sound as good, but this IS a student production and they 
should have the chance if they want.  Plus they'll probably be better 
players when it is over.

Rich Uchytil

mike magers wrote:
> The downside to insisting it be kids only is the likelihood of the teachers cutting the orch altogether.  Some schools like to do big productions, don't have the students who can carry off playing a major musical and wind up doing it to CD or just piano accompaniment.  I have seen that happen.
>
> There have been some good comments made on all sides.  I tend to settle down to the view of one of the excellent posts yesterday.  If you are going to use adults to perform alongside the students, make it a learning experience for the students.  If that is the goal and it is done, I don't see any problem with mixing adults in with the students in order to pull off a program.
>
> Mike
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: "JFDonaldsn at aol.com" <JFDonaldsn at aol.com>
> To: tpin at tpin.okcu.edu
> Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2007 10:00:03 AM
> Subject: Re: [TPIN] Adults playing in student productions
>
>
> I think that student productions should be done with all students. I think 
> the drama department and music department should work together to find or modify 
> the production so that it can be done by all students. This means that the 
> school may not be able to put on West Side Story and/or the band director is 
> going to have to re-write some parts to simplify or lower them so that the 
> students can play them. There is nothing wrong with that and the only people who 
> will notice will be anybody in the audience who has previously played the part 
> and remembered it (that would be no one in most instances). The audience will 
> notice a failed attempt at playing very difficult music.
>
> There are exceptions to this where the school or program is very small and 
> the choice is to augment the orchestra with adults (or students from other 
> schools) or not have a production at all and deprive the students of the entire 
> experience. 
>