Klarinet Archive - Posting 000563.txt from 1998/07

From: "Mark Charette" <charette@-----.org>
Subj: Re: [kl] More solos....
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 00:39:34 -0400

>My teacher wants to move on with more solos. And I need new ones for the
many
>contests I do throughout the year. I'm not allowed to do repeats. Trust
me,
>I know that these are pieces not to toss off without serious study. I've
>studied them quite seriously.
>Chris Hoffman

Chris, then your teacher should also be helping with the suggestions. As to
your really serious study of these pieces: Going through the pieces phrase
by phrase, learning not just the notes and articulations but the meaning of
the music and the phrasing, really does take time. At your age (16, if I
remember right), you haven't had enough time to really study all those
pieces, even though I'm sure you studied them seriously. For your
competitions - did you do all the movements?

Try the Rozsa Sonatina, one of my favorites. Technically difficult, but
wondrously musical when done correctly. I know my son (17) has been working
on this piece for quite a few months now, and even though he can get it
technically correct at tempo all the way through, it won't be "ready for
prime time" for quite a while - at least not to my (or his, or his
teacher's) ears. I heard a grad student do it for a Larry Combs master class
at U of Mich. Even at that level it's a real tricky piece to get right!
(especially with Larry Combs critiquing it :^)

Beware, also, of too many competitions. Are you doing them to learn about
the music you're playing, to compare yourself with others, to please your
teacher, to please yourself, to build your resume', or amass trophies? All
are valid reasons - just know _why_ you're doing it.

You don't need to answer any of these questions - they're just food for
thought for yourself and others.

Cheers,
----
Mark Charette, Webmaster, http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet
charette@-----.org

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