Klarinet Archive - Posting 000345.txt from 1996/03

From: "Daniel A. Paprocki" <dap@-----.US>
Subj: Re: baby clarinets or The start of it all
Date: Wed, 13 Mar 1996 10:19:11 -0500

Walter,
Here's how I started (don't follow my example, please). I started
music or the clarinet in 2nd grade. I was very big for my age (played
center in basketball all through grade school). My first clarinet was
metal and I think in a year we got a plastic Vito. I started because my
friends were in band. My friend were all in 4th grade and oen had an older
brother who was 1st chair in band. I went to a Catholic grade school and
the band was about 60 strong. We did 10 to 12 parades a year (Christmas,
veteran's day, Polish independance day, etc). In grade school we all
recieved 1/2 hour group lessons a week for $1. If you missed the clarinet
group you could sit in on the trumpet group. Band rehearsal was 45 minutes
of either marching around the playground or concert band. We wore wool
band coats - yes in summer. I never practiced and yes the dog did eat my
lesson book. Honest!!
I didn't really take the clarinet seriously till high school. By
then I had bad habits coming out the window. I didn't have a real clarinet
lesson till I was a junior in high school. The band director that year was
James Wiersbicki, who was a fantastic clarinetist (sub with Milwaukee Sym,
MS from Cinn conservatory). Jim nowadays is the music editor for the St.
Louis Globe-Democrate - if it's still around.
Back to starting on the clarinet. If a child can cover the holes,
hold the clarinet right, and wants to then have them start. I still feel
that piano lesson before starting an instrument are really the way to go.
No reed, mouthpiece, or wind production problems to worry about. They can
just work on basic music notation, rhythm, finger coordination, and general
self-disipline to practice.

Dan
P.S. Yes I did march in the Pulaski parade. It started at Pulaski park and
went to Kosciusko park.

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Daniel A. Paprocki
dap@-----.us

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