Klarinet Archive - Posting 000714.txt from 1998/06

From: "Mr. Sheim" <fsheim@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Beginner students
Date: Sun, 21 Jun 1998 22:08:35 -0400

Now I'm really mixed up. Why don't we all just enjoy whatever the heck
we're doing!

Fred (fsheim@-----.com)

At 07:03 PM 6/19/98 EDT, you wrote:
>P: Awwhh Fred...My playing comes from the heart, my technique from
>arthritic fingers and an embrochure fiddled by a bridge on my upper
>teeth. Seems like I barely passed my jury BUT I just had a student (now
>adult) and I don't teach anymore, tell me how much he learned. I can
>"tell" you note by note how to make tunes sound from the heart, but I
>can't make ME sound professional. I still love to play though, and I
>think that's a basis for good teaching too.
>
>Paulette
>
>On Fri, 19 Jun 1998 09:49:59 -0400 "Mr. Sheim" <fsheim@-----.com> writes:
>>I tend to disagree with this. "If you can't play, then you can't
>>teach" is
>>quite different from "If you can't teach, then you can't play." True,
>>teaching is an art, but if you can't teach, you certainly can become a
>>great player- one has nothing to do with the other. However, "If you
>>can't
>>play," how would you know WHAT to teach? There is a great difference
>>between "playing the notes" and "playing from the heart." Great
>>players
>>imbue their performances with phrasing and emotion that comes from
>>beyond
>>the printed page. If those qualities are a mystery to you as a
>>teacher,
>>how DO you teach them. You can't. So "If you can't play, then you
>>can't
>>teach" really IS a valid statement.
>>
>>Fred (fsheim@-----.com)
>>
>>
>>
>>At 04:57 PM 6/18/98 -0500, you wrote:
>>>>Lets face it,
>>>>how many music "educators" on the 1-12 grade levels can actually
>>play their
>>>>OWN instrument, nevertheless teach ALL instruments? Most school
>>music
>>>>teachers I've run across can't play their way out of a wet paper
>>bag! The
>>>level of playing by the
>>>>music education majors at the local university (and other top
>>>conservatories
>>>>I've been around) is a horrendous joke. The level of mediocrity
>>schools
>>>are
>>>>willing to accept is amazing and befuddles me.
>>>
>>>I refer you to Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser's wonderful book, The Art of
>>Successful
>>>Teaching:
>>>
>>> One of the most popular phrases often heard in the halls of music
>>>schools around the nation is, "If you can't play, then you can't
>>teach."
>>>That always bothered me! Teaching is an art in its own right. A
>>great
>>>teacher can amass information of any kind and have students excited
>>and
>>>interested in a topic, not so much because of the topic, but because
>>of the
>>>presentation of the material, or, if you will, the performance of the
>>>teaching.
>>> Being and "expert"on any subject matter does not a teacher make.
>>We all
>>>have the example of our college professors who were the
>>"international
>>>expert" on the given subject matter and had written the definitive
>>text
>>>concerning that very topic. Yet, in the classroom, they failed time
>>and
>>>time again to teach...they simply lectured. There was no sense of
>>>performance or art in conveying this information; in fact, it often
>>seemed a
>>>burden to their schedule and they would much rather have been
>>researching
>>>or writing. Likewise, we have all experienced that enthusiastic
>>graduate
>>>student who could take the most elementary information and have
>>everyone
>>>buzzing about what a fantastic class they were having.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
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