Klarinet Archive - Posting 000552.txt from 1997/08
From: aqrlw@-----. Walzel) Subj: Re: Ray Chapa Date: Thu, 14 Aug 1997 16:50:53 -0400
Regarding Ray Chapa's upcoming clinic at your school, I think you will get
a lot out what he has to present. Ray has been teaching public school age
students for about 25 years and has a lot of great ideas that really work.
He has a number of former students that have been quite successful. Most
any successful teacher has a somewhat individual approach to teaching good
fundamental concepts to their students and Ray is no exception.
His video tape, Clarinet Gymnastics, is very concise with excellent graphic
demonstrations of the ideas he presents. To hear his students play on the
video is a testament to the quality of his teaching. The 2 bones of
contention I have with the video, which I have discussed with him before,
are 1) not enough emphasis on the importance of how the air is used and
manipulated while playing, and 2) the idea that the top lip actually pushes
down on top of the mouthpiece to the point of allowing the teeth to come
off of the moputhpiece slightly.
The emphasis of the video is to describe what he calls a "high C"
embouchure and is somewhat a justification for not discussing air to the
extent I would. As far as allowing the teeth to come away from the
mouthpiece, you might ask about that in the clinic. I think he is correct
in emphasizing that the top lip needs to push down on the mouthpiece, but
allowing the teeth to come away from the mouthpiece within the context of a
single lip embouchere is dangerous, I think.
A number of my former students have experienced Ray's clinic and have found
it useful for their own teaching. I'm sure you or anyone else would also.
Good luck and let me know how it goes.
Bob Walzel
>I would like to hear some opinions on Ray Chapa and his clarinet clinics.
>He is coming to our school district to give a clinic and I wanted to know
>what was the opinion of other's out there on what he does. I'll stick my
>neck out and say that for some reason I don't like him. I wish I could
>remember why. Maybe after seeing him again the reason will change or come
>back to me. Obviously my opinion for clinician was not asked for. I would
>have rather had Bob Walzel or Carol Jessup. I eagerly await replies.
>
>Patricia Medina
>Angleton, Tx.
Robert Walzel, Festival Coordinator - ClarinetFest '97
Texas Tech University School of Music
PO Box 42033 Lubbock, TX 79409-2033
ph#806-742-2270 FAX#806-742-2294
ClarinetFest '97 http://www.ttu.edu/~music/clarinetfest
|
|
|