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Pros in NABBA

Regarding professional players in NABBA bands:

(And let me hasten to point out that I think this issue is the extent 
of the controversy in the Honors Section. I don't think anyone has a 
serious quarrel with the way the judges placed the bands based on 
what they heard.)

This is a very sticky wicket, as Brian from the Illinois band has 
pointed out.  Clearly anyone who makes most of their income from 
playing their horn is a professional. But the Dominion people claim 
that while many of their members are in the military, and are 
musicians, they also (or primarily) have other duties and thus aren't 
playing full time. I think the board may need to delve into this a 
bit.

But what about others who work in the music biz, but don't 
necessarily play much? For instance, I'd be interested in knowing 
what percentage of the membership of other NABBA bands teach music in 
the schools for a living. If any of you know or have been school 
teachers, you realize that a music teacher doesn't just sit around 
playing her horn waiting for band practice. By the time adminstrative 
tasks are completed, plus bus duty, hall duty, cafeteria duty, etc. 
and oh, by the way, band practice and then off to the elementary 
school to do the beginners, there isn't necessarily a great amount of 
time left to play your own axe. Should these people be labelled 
"professional" for NABBA purposes?

And what about my case: I have two music degrees, but they are both 
in musicology; I haven't taken a lesson since I was a junior 
undergrad; I now work full time in a music library at a university, 
but outside of brass band rehearsal I don't play much. Am I a 
professional player?

I don't deny that the arrival of Dominion (re)opens a can of worms 
that needs to be dealt with. Everyone wants the contest to be on a 
fair footing. I know as I listened to Dominion, I thought that at the 
very least they belonged in the Championship Section. But our system 
allows you to go at whatever level YOU think your band belongs at 
(except for Youth, obviously). Maybe this needs to be addressed more 
stringently than the "3 wins and move up" rule. The problem is we 
don't have a whole season of contests in which to establish classes; 
we do this basically once a year (though other events are springing 
up).

If the board does opt for a "Professional" class, I hope they will 
word the rules so that while the players might be "pros," the bands 
will still be consitituted on a avocational basis. (In other words, I 
don't want to have to go up every year against River City, whose 
players are actually paid to be in that group!)

I hope there will be more discussion on this, and that the board will 
take all this input to heart.


And since this thread was initiated by a player from the Illinois 
group, let me extend my belated congratulations to the Illinois Brass 
Band on their win in the Championship section. I think "Dances and 
Arias" put you over the top; you guys really played the heck out of 
that.
And let me also congratulate Sheldon Theatre on a great performance 
of "Circius" (and the rest of your program). Nice to see y'all back.
Martin D. Jenkins	      mjenkins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Music Library Coordinator/     PH: (513) 873-4983
   Humanities Team Leader      FAX: (513) 873-3786
Wright State University
Dayton OH 45435

  If everybody insisted on playing first violin, there
    would be no orchestras. -- Robert Schumann


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