Klarinet Archive - Posting 000702.txt from 1995/06

From: Bob Kreisa <bkreisa@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Advice to new clarinetist
Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 14:28:26 -0400

Okay, I know I've replied to this twice now, but I didn't finish reading
so as not to forget to defend my private teachers. How can you be
certain that a student can handle that little extra "push"? I have a
lesson teacher at school who thinks that I can handle that little extra
"push", and sometimes even if you are a good player and can handle the
responsibility, the criticism and attempts at making you work harder yet
can get to a person! I've gone to my next class near tears because it's
bothered me so much sometimes, and it's not that he's mean, it's just he
can't tell that I can't take all the criticism all the time.

---------------------------------------------------------------------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
>