Klarinet Archive - Posting 000513.txt from 1997/10

From: "Lou Polcari" <polcari@-----.net>
Subj: Re: music education in Calif.
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 1997 01:48:18 -0400

Hi Bill.

>When I described the situation in this part of California (Fresno), I
>didn't mean to impugn the skills of the music teachers! I think both
>the school band director and my daughter's private teacher (who also
>teaches in another school) are great, and deserve a lot of credit for
>doing a Herculean feat with minimal support. By the way, it isn't the
>Fresno school system, but a neighboring system which includes the more
>affluent parts of Fresno. If most of these people can afford BMWs,
>Mercedes, and Lexuses, plus their SUVs (I drive a '92 Escort, by the
>way), why are there 35 kids in a class and no instrumental instruction
>for the sixth graders? I think we already know the answer.

I think the answer includes problems of no elementary general music from
k-4 or 5, and weak
instrumental/ vocal program from 4-6 and 7-8. If we can fix that here in
CA, we might affect some positive change.

>Some people wrote me to defend the Rubank series, which I too grew up
>with, but it hasn't changed in sixty years - my daughter's brand new
>copy includes a fingering chart with a drawing of a metal Boehm system
>clarinet on one side, and an ALBERT SYSTEM fingering chart on the
>other! It's dated 1933. Yeah, it's worked for a lot of people who
>became fine players later, but correlation is not causation, and it's
>still boring, boring, boring. Her teacher, fortunately, was wise enough
>to include a supplementary melodic tunes book by Rubank (also ca. the
>1930s), which is a very good idea for anyone who wants to maintain
>interest by the young player. Of course, there are no Spice Girls
>pieces in it.

Funny thing about the Rubank book, is that I have come back to using it in
my teaching. I teach Clarinet and Sax, and have used the Heim book and
other for young players, but I have gone back to using the Rubank. It is
good until the student can play from the Klose or Baermann for tech
studies. I do also have the student use the Rose 32 etudes book but one
needs the scales and thirds, fourths and fifths studies presented in the
Rubank. As far as it being out dated, I would not be too concerned about
that as a good teacher can show the students the correct fingerings and
fingering chooses anyway. Everything else is quite sound.

>Thanks to all for the responses,
>
>Bill E.