Klarinet Archive - Posting 000953.txt from 1997/10

From: SDM@-----. Morrow)
Subj: Re: Differing styles of teaching
Date: Fri, 24 Oct 1997 10:46:41 -0400

>On Tue, 7 Oct 1997, Terry Summa wrote:
>
>> This teacher was narrow in approach and was not open to other methods
>> other than his own. In my teaching, what works best for the individual
>> student to attain a good sound and articulation is fine with me.
>
>This is a big dilemma for most teachers. On the one hand, we all realize
>that every student is different, and that it is not our job to turn out
>carbon copies of ourselves. However, it is also true that what we can
>best teach is what we know best. I can teach my students the ways that I
>do things, and also some other techniques that I know. However, I can't
>effectively teach a style or approach which may be diametrically opposed
>to what I know how to do.
>

I apologise for being so behind on my e-mail!

I have not had a lot of experience teaching clarinet (I just
started with my "first" student last month!), but my experience in learning
and teaching other techniques (mostly lab techniques) is that the student
should learn to do something the way the instructor does it FIRST (and,
more importantly, WHY it is done that way!); there is usually a reason why
it is done that way! Then, after working with the technique for a while,
the student is free to make "improvements" if there is a good reason to do
so!
It mostly comes down to two rules:
1) You don't have to reinvent the wheel.
2) You shouldn't NOT learn it the accepted way just because
you're lazy! (for altering an accepted technique, "easier" IS a good reason
- but it has to be balanced by "better".)

-Scott

Scott D. Morrow
Department of Biochemistry
School of Hygiene and Public Health
Johns Hopkins University
(410) 955-3631

SDM@-----.edu