Klarinet Archive - Posting 000485.txt from 1998/01

From: "line ringuette" <lringuet@-----.net>
Subj: RE:orchestra "drones"
Date: Sat, 10 Jan 1998 02:03:39 -0500

>
> About 10 years ago I was contemplating music as a career when I started
> getting not-so-sublte hints from my instructor (who, for the time, will
remain
> nameless but is a member of the Detroit Symphony) that I would end up
> hating music if I did it all the time. Well, I love music too much so I
became
> a software engineer instead. However, I recently discovered that the
minimum
> salary for DSO musicians is $85K - that's quite a bit more than my
salary!
>
> This same instructor had plenty of talent but did seem to lack a true
feeling
> for music. He had several musical "formulas" that were to be applied to
various
> situations but usually didn't reason *why* a phrase should be played this
way
> or that. He seemed more hip on technique than style.
>
> On the other hand, I do know professional muscians that have an absolute
> passion for music and are great orchestra players as well as soloists and
> all-around musicians (I'm especially thinking of the DSO's principle
flutist,
> Irving Monroe).
>
> Kevin Bowman
>

I think this message does bring up a few interesting points:
As students, we should always "audition" a teacher before commiting
ourselves to studying long term with someone. There are no two
players/teachers that are exactly alike, therefore it is up to the student
(here I am referring to a university-level student, or very mature high
school student) to figure out what they want to learn and then to find
someone that will help them achieve their goal. Each teacher will have
something special to share with the student, it is our responsibility to
seek out the right teacher for us at the right time in our own musical
journey. Personally, I have been very successful with my choice of
teacher....after completing my undergraduate degree, I had some lessons
with various teachers, and after one lesson with my current teacher, I KNEW
- there was no doubt in my mind, I HAD to study with this person! He has
helped me correct all of my nasty problems, and I now play much better than
I ever imagined I could... I now feel ready to ask other clarinet players
I admire for some lessons, as I feel there are alot of great techniques and
musical ideas out there that I want to learn.
As for encouraging/discouraging a student in terms of career choices, that
is very difficult [and very different from encouraging musical progress]:
one cannot do either without considering the many issues. There are only a
certain number of principal clarinet positions available, and there are
going to be many disappointed people... Sometimes students can romanticize
the idea of being an orchestral player: "it's so great, lots of money, you
play all the time - what a wonderful life" sometimes it's easy to forget
that the people onstage/pitt are WORKING; they may feel tired of playing
the Nutcracker for 20 shows in 2 weeks, every year for their whole lives!
And those conductors! After reading "The Maestro Myth" by N. Lebrecht, I
felt very disappointed and depressed. But in every job there is good and
bad, and I still think that playing music is the greatest thing one can do
with their lives.
As for reasons behind phrasing, sometimes there are musical conventions
(just as there are in musicology and theory circles) about playing that are
elusive and inexplicable... I too have been frustrated with this sometimes,
but it usually hits me after a few months "ah, so THAT's what is was all
about". I'm not saying the word of the teacher is the word of God, but I
have learned (the hard way) that battling with an experienced orchestral
player when one is not, is counterproductive. :) Questioning is good, as
long as it doesn't stand in the way of progress....

p.s. I don't know if we are speaking of the same person, but I currently
study with the principal player in Detroit, and he has been nothing but
GREAT for me... I know that I would not be playing the way I am now if it
weren't for him... and I try to make the most of every lesson I have....
studying with him was the best decision I ever made.
Line Ringuette
Grad student - Wayne State U.
lringuet@-----.net

   
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