Erin Bates with Greg Howlett interview

[Noon]

Maybe for the sake of...learning? Lots of people take classes here and there in things that interest them, without pursuing degrees. Just because they aren't being applied toward an Associate's or a Bachelor's doesn't make them any less useful.

In the philosophical sense, no they aren't useless. It's silly to pretend they're as useful as real college classes though when:

1) Unaccredited schools often have lower teaching and learning standards, so she'll likely be coming out with less knowledge overall.

2) An unaccredited degree will be far less useful to her if she ever wants or needs to strike out on her own later in life. God forbid she's widowed or wants to leave the lifestyle sometime, and has to support a family on an unaccredited degree.

[TinyDancer87]

My degree was unaccreditted (forensic anthropology). And now I have a job with the government, making way more than the average person. I don't even think my employer looked to see if my degree was valid; my working experience weighed more. The Department of Justice is my first job straight out of college, and I'm 24.

[Noon]

That's wonderful TinyDancer, but the fact is that you're *very much the exception to the rule.* Most industries have minimum educational requirements to enter, and you need to have pretty stellar qualifications to jump that queue. And in other industries, no matter how much experience you have, a degree is non-negotiable.

The fact is, unless you're in a very special position, an unaccredited degree...at a minimum...heavily reduces your competitiveness in the job market. And in a recession, everyone needs all the cards they can get.

[Daenerys]

Maybe Erin actually enjoys learning and, knowing that she would never be allowed to go to a real university, decided unaccredited college was better than sitting at home. That's how I'd feel in her position, anyway!

[kunoichi66]

Thankyou for the correction BayLee_10; the surgery was on her hand not her wrist.

from http://gilbatesfamily.com/blog/page/4/ last July;

SURGERY

posted by Kelly

Erin had surgery on her hand this past Wednesday. Erin plays the piano with vigorous enthusiasm, so we’ve had quite a few visits to our favorite hand doctor (Dr. Calhoun from Knoxville Orthopedic)! She is in a cast, so she can’t play the piano for a few weeks… which is probably the hardest part for her… But Dr. Calhoun is confident she’ll be back to normal soon! We are grateful for his expertise!!

I still don't think that any musician should be having surgery at 20.

[formergothardite]

Maybe Erin actually enjoys learning and, knowing that she would never be allowed to go to a real university, decided unaccredited college was better than sitting at home. That's how I'd feel in her position, anyway!

That is true, but the fact that her parents deny her a real education because they are terrified she might learn some opinions other than Gothard's doesn't make them any better than the Duggars.

[debrand]

And it's hard thinking about the adult children making money for the family, but many normal families in the US and the world do this. Honestly, only priviledged families don't depend on their children to pitch in with the family finances. Yes, I said priveledged. Because even in an American family's yearly income of $40,000 is still signifacantly higher than the average of this world. Financial sharing amongst children and parents is very common in the world, whether we ethically agree with it or not.

Keep in mind, I don't mind a chid having to help if the family is not doing well. What bothers me with the Bateses is that they chose to be poor. Both parents have degrees. They could have decided to have less children and for Kelly to work. Their poverty is caused by the parents. Most people do not purposely decide that they will remain in poverty and that their children will do so also.

I grew up among rural people. Many of members of my family would be considered poor. Until I came to this board, I never heard of anyone deciding to be poor.

Under the condition that the Bateses have chosen to live in, it is cruel and selfish to take money from their children. Remember, Kelly would still get pregnant if she could

[debrand]

That is true, but the fact that her parents deny her a real education because they are terrified she might learn some opinions other than Gothard's doesn't make them any better than the Duggars.

My problem is with the parents. Erin has talent and obviously a desire to learn. Her parents have made the outside world appear terrifying to her. We roll our eyes over her comment about the possibility of sitting next to a green haired boy but think about what her shallowness says about her parents' training(and I purposely used the word training) They've taught her to fear the world to the extent that she feels comfortable judging people on something as silly hair.

Perhaps, with a more open family, Erin would still choose to remain home but at least the decision would be hers.

[apple1]

An overuse injury at age 20 should not be happening.

My take - all the excessive and less-than-well-executed runs and arpeggios. And these are not on the music; they are things she puts in because to her ear and/or her brain they seem good. One of those things that a little of might be good, but a lot is not so good. The musical equivalent of an item of clothing covered in poorly sewn-own embellishment, ruffles, and lace.

She could become an excellent pianist, with good teaching and guidance.

[Seven Severn]

An overuse injury at age 20 should not be happening.

My take - all the excessive and less-than-well-executed runs and arpeggios. And these are not on the music; they are things she puts in because to her ear and/or her brain they seem good. One of those things that a little of might be good, but a lot is not so good. The musical equivalent of an item of clothing covered in poorly sewn-own embellishment, ruffles, and lace.

She could become an excellent pianist, with good teaching and guidance.

^^This.^^ I wonder if she could play a two-part invention with a metronome. Her brain might start itching.

I wonder if she inserts all those obnoxious arpeggios because she doesn't know how to have an emotional connection to the music.

[VVV]

An overuse injury at age 20 should not be happening.

My take - all the excessive and less-than-well-executed runs and arpeggios. And these are not on the music; they are things she puts in because to her ear and/or her brain they seem good. One of those things that a little of might be good, but a lot is not so good. The musical equivalent of an item of clothing covered in poorly sewn-own embellishment, ruffles, and lace.

She could become an excellent pianist, with good teaching and guidance.

+1.

I'm a professional violinist, but I had ten years of piano lessons with an excellent teacher as a young person and I completely agree with apple1's assessment. There is a youtube video of Erin accompanying her sister on the violin, and yikes. I think they both have potential but are far from polished and need much better teachers than whoever they currently are studying with.

[nolongerIFBx]

Oh- I am familiar with Kim Collingsworth and Stan Whitmire (and Dino...) who were mentioned by Erin in that interview. Erin's skills aren't even remotely similar.

Faye Lopez and Shelly Hamilton are both affiliated with The Wilds/ Bob Jones University. I believe that Don Atwood is as well, though he has also studied at other universities. I think it is his version of "Be Still My Soul" that our choir sings.