NY selection

[Bdshull@aol.com]

>From someone who hasn't been to NY in a few years:

I have been following this discussion with interest - and finally have to put
in my two cents, for what its worth:

You are all correct, but the politics of the situation drives what we can do
in NY.   Usually we know the professors we will travel with well enough to
know whether or not they care what we say.  Many of you have been fortunate
enough to work with piano faculty who respect and understand your role;
others know it might be better to just smile and utter "sweet murmurings".

If we go, we can make the observations many of you have suggested.  These can
be easily appreciated by any pianist, and we will not be competing to be their
equal academically (perish the thought!).  It will not take much time.  Most
of us are able to quickly grasp the essentials and break them down for our
faculty with a certain amount of confidence.   It might prevent a situation in
few years where they might come back to us and say, "Why didn't you steer us
away from that one?" 

Still, it is possible that at one of my schools, I would not be invited along.
Their problem, not mine (except for missing NY).   The school now has several
expensive bad choices, and had I been there for those choices I might not have
swayed them.  

What to do?  If I WAS invited - I would probably go and have fun....and try to
make a difference, if I could.

Bill Shull
University of Redlands, La Sierra University
Loma Linda, CA