Klarinet Archive - Posting 001045.txt from 1998/11

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Absolutes
Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1998 22:15:33 -0500

On Thu, 26 Nov 1998, Tony Pay wrote:
> I'm not sure I understand what you mean by this, Roger. Perhaps you'd
> like to explain further.

I meant that you were not clear about which level of instruction you were
referring to in your former posts. Then I related that to the issue of
stating absolute opinions in a specific way, which alluded to your first
post on the subject.

> What I wrote was not meant to suggest that, were I more involved with
> younger players, *all* I would do would be to play duets with them,
> though I certainly think that imitation is one of the best ways to
> learn, and a duet is an excellent context in which to expand your
> awareness beyond what you're doing and listen to all of it. It's how we
> learn to speak, after all.

I was not responding to the issue of playing duets - the value or
otherwise. Simply the content of the post and the ambiguity of former
posts.

> No-one tells a young beginning speaker to
> concentrate on where to put his or her tongue. In fact, I think there
> are better metaphors than direct instruction in precisely this case, of
> articulation.

I'm not clear on what you mean here - do you mean no one tells a young
beginner where to put his or her tongue on the reed when using duets as a
teaching tool? Or do you mean generally. If the former - I'm not sure
that is correct, if the latter, I guarantee it is absolutely inaccurate.
Telling a young player where to place their tongue on the reed is
extremely important!

> Anyhow, my post about 'communication and how we communicate on this
> listserv' was just pointing out that *here* we have no way to use the
> feedback from listening to the student's efforts to backtrack and try
> something else. Therefore, to present an instruction *even if it is in
> some ways the right instruction* in a dogmatic way may do damage.

I understand what you are saying, but it contradicts the issue regarding
flexibility doesn't it? Doesn't it also invalidate the issue of a student
trying to arrive at a conclusion on their own.....with minimal
information? I seriously doubt that anything said on this listserv could
damage anybody's playing.

> Some people here do it very well. David just did a brilliant job,
> talking to Diane, I thought. Just judging by what you say, you probably
> do it well too, with your students.

You have a terrific way of making people feel good! I would say that,
even though I enjoy the spirit of arguing......I tend to agree with most
of what you say - if not all.

LOL

Roger Garrett
IWU

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