Klarinet Archive - Posting 000285.txt from 1996/03

From: B HUDSON <XDPW41A@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Children on smaller clarinets
Date: Sun, 10 Mar 1996 18:40:41 -0500

>I have little experience in the matter
>and am speaking only intuitively,
>but it would seem to me that starting a
>child on a smaller clarinet such
>as the E-flat or D is not an idea that
>looks to prove fruitful.

Here's two cents worth from the spouse of a person teaching in one of
Raleigh, NC's primary preparatory programs: it's definitely my observation,
and the observations of a good many professional musicians around me, that
at least in the strings, this preoccupation with getting kids started at
amazingly early ages, seemingly primarily inspired by the Suzaki tradition,
is grossly overrated. My wife teaches approximately 20 students at any
given time. She's had four go on to professional careers and consistently
has students that are among the top string players in this region. And it
is clearly the case that the benefits of those starting at the ages of five
and six compared with kids who start at nine and ten evens out amazingly
quickly-- frequently within the first two years after the older student
starts playing.

I forget what the impetus was when this thread started, and of course one
doesn't want to inhibit a deep, inspired desire. But I just wanted to
suggest there's more than one side to this equation.

Bruce Hudson@-----.com

Raleigh, NC