Klarinet Archive - Posting 000705.txt from 1995/06

From: Chad Smith <csmith@-----.COM>
Subj: What?!?
Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 15:14:13 -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!!!!!!!!!!

WHAT?!?!

Abby, I did not intend in any way to belittle your private teachers. Have you
read the other responses in regards to your original post? Every single one
advocates as I do the importance of beginning lessons as soon as you begin
learning a new instrument! You said:

"Starting private lessons right away is not right!"

This is an untrue statement to say the least. How can you possibly claim this?
There are SO many things that can go wrong for someone trying to learn the
clarinet for the first time, that one should definitely have the proper
guidance. I never said that guidance had to come from a slave driver! So far
the only reasons you've given me for claiming this is that it just puts
unnecessary pressure on a kid. What puts unnecessary pressure on a kid? The
teacher, of course! I was just stating that I don't put so-called pressure on
my beginning 6th graders. Is this trying to sell my services as a private
teacher? I don't think so, and I resent your implying that. If you'll go back
and read my letter again, I was in no way being derogatory to you or your
teachers; I merely gave my opinion on what a teacher should do with a young
beginning student. Anyway, back to the pressure... Yours is a very weak
argument for not taking private lessons as a youngster. I would like to talk
toany one of your teachers to see what in the world caused you to have such a
distorted view on lessons! This idea had to come from somewhere, and that
somewhere could not have been!
from a teacher who works well wit

h young kids. Now, you also said:

"What are you doing, trying to raise a kid to be a professional musician?"

I'm not going to even acknowledge this with a response. You obviously didn't
pay much attention to my original argument...

"And never, ever, ever... EVER criticize my private teachers!"

Well, if you thought I did this, you are wrong, but one of two things is true:

1) This is all one big hoax, and I've taken the bait and gotten involved
in a silly argument that has no foundation, which I hope is the
case here.
2) I do criticize your teachers for making you feel that private lessons
are unnecessary and (this hurts) "not right!" for youngsters.

For case one, I feel silly that I've gotten involved in such an argument, and
for case two, well, that's the way it is; if that makes you mad, so be it, but
you have a very narrow view (that happens to be totally wrong) on lessons.

-chad smith
csmith@-----.com