Klarinet Archive - Posting 000143.txt from 1997/08

From: lep@-----.com (Lauren Peterson)
Subj: Re: Kids Today
Date: Tue, 5 Aug 1997 22:00:51 -0400

I know how you feel, Sarah. My band instructor's "main" instrument is the
flute, so she only knows the basics about clarinet. That's why I wanted to
go to Blue Lake this summer. And even the instructors at Blue Lake didn't
bother to tell us
that some clarinets come with a "beginner's" mouthpiece. How was I supposed
to know that? I've only been playing for 2 years. Unfortunatly, my was one
with the special mouthpiece for beginner's and I had to find out from a band
instrument technition who works at the studio where I take private lessons.
It just really bugged me that no one even bothered to tell us anything about
that kind of stuff.

~Lauren
lep@-----.com

> What's the matter with *kids* these days? Well, speaking as a
>kid whose first band director never told me how to do anything with my
>instrument, I ask what is the matter with band directors these days. I
>never was even told how to choose a reed or how to correctly swab my
>instrument until our school hired a real woodwind two years later than I
>started. The first director played trumpet and couldn't even put a
>clarinet together, let alone teach us how to care for it.
>Sorry, I just had to vent. I am so sick of being told that because one
>kid did something a bit questionable (as this bathtub thing was), I am
>stupid or rude or cynical. I maintain straight A's, and am president of
>a debating society. I started in JYR when I was in second grade, and was
>elected president when I was in fifth. This society is for members aged
>7-18, and the high schoolers who made up the majority of the club thought
>I was responsible so they elected me as their leader.
> I know this was probably left as an off-handed remark, but I
>think you could have ended the otherwise well-meaning thought with a more
>appropriate closing. I am sorry, this was not meant as a chastising
>message, but I really dislike generalizations when more appropriate
>conclusions could be made.
>
>Sarah
>benevolent1@-----.com
>
>On Tue, 05 Aug 1997 18:03:41 EDT hlandry@-----.com (Harvey G Landry)
>writes:
>>
>>True story: A friend of mine who is a band teacher told me once that
>>one of his clarinet students tried to wash his instrument in the
>>bathtub. And it was a WOOD clarinet. What's the matter what kids
>>these days?
>>
>>Mel
>>hlandry@-----.com
>