Klarinet Archive - Posting 000030.txt from 1998/09

From: "Craig Earl Countryman" <cegc@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Children and Clarinet Playing
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1998 21:59:16 -0400

Yes, there has been discussion before, but that's OK. Personally, I don't
like the idea of little kids playing Eb clarinet for a few reasons.

1. Cost: why should the parent buy an Eb and a Bb when they could better
invest in a better Bb by just waiting a year?

2. Why should a kid become accustomed to the smaller instrument when he
will only have to change in a year or so?

3. What difference does the year really make? Two years of productive
study are better than eons of just fiddling around. Not to say that nothing
would be accomplished, but just that the extra time would not have that
great a bearing.

4. At a young age does a kid really know what he wants? Why not let
children just have a few years of freedom before starting them in with music
lessons and the like? That's not to say lessons are drudgery, but many
younger kids just aren't going to put in the time to make it worthwhile.
Let the child bring up the idea, not you (the parent).

I posted quite a bit on this issue the last time it came up, so that's a
synopsis of my viewpoint. I suppose I am partial because I started playing
in eighth grade (though I had previous experience on tuba dating from sixth
grade). The loss of time didn't hurt me that much (I think) because I
worked and worked and worked to come up to speed. It probably would have
been advantageous to have a couple extra years of experience, but I think
that there is a point where kids are just too young to start.

This is just my opinion. I suppose someone with personal experience in
teaching very young children may be of better help, but I thought I'd give
my two cents :)

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Craig Earl Countryman
cegc@-----.net
http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/YPP/Craig.html
http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/1711/
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