Klarinet Archive - Posting 000536.txt from 1997/10

From: Randy & Aimee Kratofil <kratofil@-----.com>
Subj: Re: music ed questions
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 1997 11:56:50 -0400

Response to 1):

I would ask the teacher, nicely, what would improve with the stronger
reeds. And I think it is important to try what the teacher suggests, if
you choose to continue with the teacher. If you don't agree with the
teacher, it would be best for all if you found a teacher more
compatible. Personally, I only have kids use stronger reeds is their
sound is thin, and the reed sounds too light to me. If it kills them,
we switch back. Sometimes it is just that the student doesn't want to
work. I'm not for work just to work, but I do push them, if the work
produces a notable improvement.

> 1) My daughter just began lessons (11 years old, sixth grade, in her
> third year of playing) and while I'm pleased with the teacher (even
> though she is a die-hard Rubank advocate), I have run into the old dogma
> that my daughter's previous school instructor embraced: the harder the
> reed, the better, and the sooner the student works up to a 3-1/2, the
> better. No mention of mouthpiece design or personal variances, just
> straight-out harder-is-better. Any suggestions on how to argue against
> this without jeopardizing a good relation with the teacher? Or should I
> just keep my mouth shut? By the way, she (my daughter) uses a Clark
> Fobes Debut mouthpiece, which we (my daughter and I, and apparently the
> new teacher) feel is wonderful.

Response to 2):

I cannot speak to music ed in California, but here in Western
Pennsylvania, we are seeing a big decline in music ed in the public
schools. Some schools are doing well, but many are not replacing
retiring music teachers, cutting time for rehearsals and lessons, etc.
IMHO you are right to be upset with the one year of lessons, then band.
There is so much to learn that is best learned outside of a rehearsal.
Rehearsals go much better when kids have the skill or guidance to
prepare ahead of time, so it is my guess that these brilliant strategies
are from the administration, hopefully not from the music teachers.
Sorry, this isn't very encourging, but it is a growing reality here. I
have many kids for the summer only, b/c the parents are buying the idea
that the short, group lessons during school are good enough. So much is
overlooked. I could not teach that way. It is not ideal. Whatever you
do, keep your daughter in private lessons!! And keep expressing
concern. I wish there were more parents with these ideas!

> 2) We just moved from a small middle-class town in Upstate New York to
> Fresno and a very affluent school system, supposedly one of the best in
> California. Here they don't begin music instruction until fifth grade,
> not fourth, and for the sixth grade, there are no group instrument
> lessons, only full band lessons twice a week. That's right, they teach
> them the rudiments in fifth grade, and just leave them hanging the next
> year and presumably pick them up in intermediate school the next year,
> assuming that they are still playing. Is this nuts or what? With the
> sports mania here, I can see absolutely no explanation for this bizarre
> attitude. Is this occurring elsewhere, or is California leading the
> nation in trashing music programs along with public education in
> general?

Aimee Kratofil
Greensburg, PA
>
> Bill E.