Klarinet Archive - Posting 000701.txt from 1995/06

From: Bob Kreisa <bkreisa@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Advice to new clarinetist
Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 14:18:33 -0400

You obviously don't know my private teachers! Starting private lessons
right away is not right! Oh, but it makes you so much better! No it
doesn't! It just puts unnecessary pressure on a kid! I'm not saying
don't take private lessons at all, I'm just saying don't take them right
away. What are you doing, trying to raise a kid to be a professional
musician? It may not seem like that to you but for an 11 year old,
that's what it will feel like! And never, ever, ever, ever, ever,ever,
ever, EVER criticize my private teachers! I know that at least one is on
this list, and I doubt that she'll be pleased with incorrect criticism!

P.S.- Isn't advertising frowned upon on this list? Trying to sell your
services as a private teacher is really sneaky!!!!!!!!!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abby Kreisa
bkreisa@-----.edu

On Wed, 28 Jun 1995, Chad Smith wrote:

> Abby,
>
> You have obviously been with the wrong private teachers! Starting private
> lessons immediately when learning a new instrument is something that I must
> advocate. Yes, I am a private teacher, but that's beside the point here. I
> have taught beginners for several years, and it depends on how one approaches
> the concept of teaching a child how to play a new instrument. I think that a
> good teacher is not going to put the pressure you referred to on a beginning
> student. Well, depending on the age. I'll put pressure on an adult who is
> learning the instrument for the first time, but an adult is mature enought to
> accept the responsibility and the constructive criticsm. Now for a child, I
> realize the he or she probably won't play their horn all the way through
college
> and that he/she also is experimenting with something completely new and
foreign.
> It is best to have a little fun and make learning as enjoyable as possible to
> a child. I would always make sure that when my student left his lesson, that
> not only did he know what I expected of him, but that he also knew that I was
> proud of his accomplishments throughout his last week of practice. Teachers
> should take care to make their beginning students feel happy with what they
are
> doing and that it is OK to make mistakes.
>
> Now, I'm not saying that the passive teacher is the best. Of course, one
should
> make sure that the beginner is making the correct embouchure, using proper air
> support, tonguing correctly, etc., but I feel that one should not get too
> caught up in all the technical aspects of learning the clarinet (or any other
> instrument for that matter) that the fun part of learning is forgotten.
>
> These are obviously general statements; there are those kids that you "just
> know" are mature enough to accept the extra responsibility of a little more
> "push". Further, you also "just know" when you've got a kid that shouldn't be
> taking private lessons. In the first case, I would push the child as far as I
> thought he could reasonably handle it, and in the second, I would talk to him
> to see if private lessons are something that he really wants to do and if
> necessary, discontiue them.
>
> ----IMHO----
>
> regards,
> -chad smith
> csmith@-----.com
>