Klarinet Archive - Posting 000407.txt from 1996/12

From: Gary Young <gyoung@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Playing well
Date: Sat, 14 Dec 1996 13:47:08 -0500

Laura:

I assume that you want to continue clarinet in addition to your =
profession in psychology (or medicine, or business, or law, or teaching, =
or whatever), rather than make music your career. If so, Ian Dilley is =
absolutely right. Like Ian, I stopped playing for twenty years and then =
started again. You will get your skills back. But you have to alter =
your expectations to avoid frustration. If your work and family =
obligations turn out to be like mine, there will be times when you can't =
practice -- sometimes for many months. So you need to develop =
strategies to recover from such layoffs. =20

Most important, be patient and do not expect a lot of yourself at the =
start. To begin, make your practices short, and then increase their =
length, to rebuild your embouchure gradually. If you had the Nielsen =
Concerto under your belt when you stopped playing, don't use it to get =
back in shape -- you'll only frustrate and depress yourself. When you =
practice, stop if it hurts or if your frustration or anger at slow =
progress impede your contact with the music and the instrument. (For =
anger: Stop for a minute of awareness of your breathing.) Don't pick up =
your clarinet if you know you can't sustain regular (almost daily, but =
short) practices for a few weeks, or you'll just reinforce the =
expectation that you can't get back to your earlier level of playing. =20

You work full-time and are a full-time student, so you must learn to use =
your practice time very efficiently -- develop a routine for warm-up, =
exercises (Kroepsch is nice for short practices), and then some =
satisfying music; don't just sit down and play whatever you feel like =
playing. You can get quite a surprising amount done in (say) 20-30 =
minutes a day if you are prepared and focussed. Try to find a reed =
fairy who will leave perfect reeds as surprises in your reed case. If =
you must practice late at night, after all else is done and you are =
tired, expect to find your practice less satisfying, and adjust your =
expectations accordingly -- but still do the practice, it will make a =
difference.

Where to get started again? You like orchestras and bands, and maybe =
you'll be lucky and find one with an opening for clarinet. What does =
your college offer? Is there a community band or orchestra? But you =
should also consider chamber music. Are there other students (perhaps =
non-music majors) at your college who would like to explore chamber =
music with you? Are private lessons an option for you?

After you graduate, if you still want to play clarinet, you should =
continue to keep chamber music in mind. If there are good =
nonprofessional musicians where you are or will be, try to hook up with =
some of them to read music and perhaps perform. Do duets, trios, =
quartets with other clarinet players. Find a pianist to work with. If =
you find a decent cellist, be especially nice to her/him -- the =
repertory for piano, cello and clarinet is very worthwhile. =20

It was my great luck that at about the time I started playing again, a =
group of lawyers in town who were musicians manque decided to meet =
monthly at each other's houses to perform for each other. This informal =
group -- which still meets monthly after thirteen years, with a =
constantly changing membership -- gave me a great incentive to practice =
and perform. It gave me contacts with capable musicians who wanted to =
explore chamber music. You could try forming such a group (you need a =
place with a piano, but you don't need lawyers to start one, thank =
heaven; we have very few lawyers left). We've done things I never would =
have imagined, including the Stravinsky Septet, the Prokofiev Overture =
on Hebrew Themes, the Hindemith Quartet (with clarinet, cello, violin =
and piano), and the Mozart and Brahms Quintets. An incredible way for =
a non-professional to grow musically, and a great way to meet lots of =
good people.

So: Ian is right -- at your age of 19, it is hardly "too late"! Keep =
playing! You've got a long life to enjoy music and grow musically; =
don't waste twenty musical years of it as we did.

----------
From: Laura A. Slavis[SMTP:SheCub@-----.COM]
Sent: Saturday, December 14, 1996 7:59 AM
Subject: Playing well

Hello...

I am new to this discussion list, but I would like to ask a question.

I started playing when I was 8 years old. I was always at the top of my =
group
all the way through school. I considered attended college as a music =
major,
but I withdrew because of fear of competition.

Now I regret some of those decisions. I am almost 20 years old, working =
full
time, attending college full time (Psychology major) and regreting every
minute of it. I loved playing the clarinet, and now I feel it is too =
late to
do anything with it.

I picked it up the other day to try it out after a year and a half. I =
was
astonished and hurt that my playing ability has declined so drastically =
in
such a short period of time.

Does anyone have any advice for me? Where to get started again (I adore
playing in orchestras and large bands), how to get to my previous =
condition
somewhat quickly, anything? Thank you...

Laura A. Slavis