[CAUT] bummer

[Wimblees at aol.com]

In a message dated 5/2/07 3:50:40 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
jtanner at mozart.sc.edu writes:

Music can be like a drug.  It is habit forming.   Addictive.  Being addicted 
to music can cause one to be disconnected from  reality in much the same way 
that addition to drugs or alcohol are.  I  look at many of the people I work 
with and wonder how they could possibly  survive in this world without academia.


Watch them.  They tend to be clueless about what has to happen  around them 
to enable them to live their dreams.  And they expect  everyone else to give up 
life and family to further their pursuits, because  that is what they have 
done.


I also sent Wim a private email, but will reiterate here, Wim, that you  and 
your wife will be in mine and Paula's prayers.


Jeff



Jeff and everyone else
 
You have a very good point, Jeff. The woman who is behind this is the head  
of the piano area of the School of Music. She is a native of Tuscaloosa, earned 
 a BS at some small college in Virginia, came back to get her MS in piano  
from UA, and was hired as soon as she graduated, in 1954. She's been here ever  
since. She honestly thinks no pianos students will come to UA if she  leaves. 
That is why she doesn't retire. (She can actually make money as a  retired 
person, than she is making working). And she is, what Jeff described,  addicted 
to piano playing and teaching. 
 
She teaches 25 students a week. Most of them are "grand students".  (Students 
of students of students she taught when she first started). The  problem is, 
she is not a good teacher, and her players are mediocre at best. So  guess 
what, the students she get are the same, and so forth and so  forth. She is also 
in charge of the piano scholarships, and she hands them  out to only her 
student's students. As a result, really good player  bypass UA, and go else where. 
And the cycle continues. But she still thinks  she is the greatest teacher in 
the world.  She does have some  very good Asian graduate students. I've talked 
with a few of them, and they  are better players than her, and know more, but 
only stay because of the free  ride to get their graduate degrees. 
 
For some reason she doesn't like my tuning. She also told me I should know  
when there is a problem with a piano. Not like a broken string, or something  
obvious, but when she plays F6 at pp with the shift, and the hammer bobbles  
slightly, she thinks I should see that when I tune the piano, and fix it.  And 
when she does tell me about a problem, it's usually the wrong note. (E2  
sticks. When I try to see what the problem is, and can't find anything, she  
complains again, only to find out it's B3) 
 
As Elwood said, ( and as I said to the chairman of the department), the  
music department will suffer. But at this point, I really don't give a S#$%^. On  
the one hand, guys, (and galls), it's a bummer to get fired. On the other 
hand,  maybe it's good riddance. Yes, I am very depressed right now, but I know  
something will come through. 
 
Thanks again,  everyone, for all you prayers and good wishes. I might  be 
down, but I am certainly not out. Unless something terrific comes along that  I 
can't refuse, I will be in KC. See you then.
 
Wim 



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