Posted on 09/25/2012 11:58:09 AM PDT by Altariel
ll 11-year-old Camille Cruz wanted to do was play in her sixth-grade orchestra class at a Farmington, N.M., middle school using a violin her grandmother bought her.
This instrument is definitely different: Not only does it have sentimental value, it’s purple -- and that was where school officials drew the line. They insisted Camille had to play a violin the same color as everyone else’s, or she couldn’t play at all.
The student’s violin of a different color now has the town of Farmington (pop. 45,000) in a tizzy. After the local Daily Times newspaper published a story about Camille and her violin, online comments flooded the newspaper’s website. Folks are now discussing the story at coffee houses and over backyard fences.
“It’s been the talk of the town,” Daily Times reporter Ryan Boetel told the Los Angeles Times. “The reaction has been incredibly mixed. Half the people say an orchestra is a team that should come together as one. Others say that anything that prevents a child from joining a school orchestra is a bad thing.”
For Camille and her mother, Sherry Lopez, the brouhaha is all about standing up for who you are, even if the color of your violin is different from everyone else’s.
"This whole thing is like telling Axl Rose he has to use some guitar from Kmart," Lopez told The Times. "He doesn't want to use that. He wants to use his own guitar. And so does Camille. It’s a sense of pride. This violin is hers. She wants to use her own instrument. But the school was just so adamant. She didn’t match. She stood out. It was all about the color of the instrument and not her talents as a musician.”
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
To be a competent and ABLE TO PERFORM with some aplomb in public, a certain amount of egotism is expected. And yes, artistic temeraments are given passes. An orchestra is not the place to teach conformity.
I see I’ve run across another brainless Philistine who knows nothing about music.
I see I've run across someone who likes to attack others without reason - @SSWIPE!
You are obviously an egotistical pianist - the kind I abhor. Your previous ignorant comment about Steinways shows how big your head truly is - and not filled with brains.
Name me ONE string player in a major orchestra who is not a principal or assistant-principal and plays on a distinctly different color violin as a matter of course. They don't exist - ignoramus.
Please don't think that you're the only one in the world with a music background - you're not...and there are an ENORMOUS number of gifted pianists who would put you to absolute shame!
Yes, in many of Europe’s majors you’ll see stringed instruments of all hues.
BTW, I’m right about current Long Island Steinways. If you must have one make sure it was made in Hamburg.
But they still cant hold a candle to the “Three B’s”, Baldwin, Bosendorfer, and Bechstein.
Egotistical? Somewhat....but you should see Gavrilov or Kissin in full meltdown mode for something truly entertaining.
Name me one player that can be verified. I was just over in Germany and the Czech Republic and saw nothing of the sort (especially blue).
BTW, I’m right about current Long Island Steinways. If you must have one make sure it was made in Hamburg.
I agree, but the Hamburg manufactured Steinways can be fine instruments
But they still cant hold a candle to the “Three B’s”, Baldwin, Bosendorfer, and Bechstein.
Newer Baldwins can be terrible. I agree that Bosendorfer and Bechstein can be great instruments if well maintained.
I’m sorry I read that incorrectly.
However, I know there are a lot of crappy instruments these days that are colored and “look cool”.
http://musicalwholesale.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=116
They are known to be horrible!!!!
I play the flute, and my daughter has played it for years.
She might have received passing glances from the audience, but most people focus on their own kids/grandkids at school concerts.
No private school would allow a purple violin in a classical ensemble. You should be applauding a school district that has some principles.
Classical ensembles are about blending in and letting the music speak. They are very conservative in terms of appearance, and that is the professional standard..
If you’re doing pops, rock, etc, it’s a different matter.
“No private school would allow a purple violin in a classical ensemble. You should be applauding a school district that has some principles.”
Orchestras do NOT have instruments that all perfectly match in color, etc, even given the same type of instrument.
Conformity for the sake of conformity is inappropriate.
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I took some violin in school, I had a Stradivarius. The fiddle didn't sound good because I didn't play very well. Some of the other kids who had (mostly) Suzukis sounded a lot better.
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