Klarinet Archive - Posting 001089.txt from 1998/11

From: Dan Sutherland <dsuther@-----.ca>
Subj: Re: [kl] Absolutes locking horns
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 1998 01:54:18 -0500

At 23:35 27/11/98 GMT, you wrote:
>On Fri, 27 Nov 1998 08:22:47 -0600 (CST), rgarrett@-----.edu said:
>
>> On Fri, 27 Nov 1998, Tony Pay wrote:
>
>> > Two ways to be dogmatic:
>> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>> > (A) To tell someone what they 'should' do to achieve something on the
>> > instrument.
>> >
>> > (B) To tell somebody how they 'should' play something musically.
>> >
>> > Two circumstance in which this dogmatism *may* be counterproductive:
>> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>> > (1) On this mailing list.
>> >
>> > (2) In a one to one teaching situation.

How about being true to oneself. Say I feel that building an awareness
of forming an embouchure is more important than the embouchure itself. Or I
could hypothesize that the opening of a mouthpiece with a reed on it can
not adequately accommodate the volume of air most of us are capable of
trying to force through it. Therefore we would be better off thinking of
restricting air intake and output as opposed to maximizing it. Or how about
elementary rhythm and counting technique? Regardless of the level of
student I feel responsible for developing their rhythm skills. Don't get me
going on tonguing.
All hypothetical examples [not true]. What I believe a student is
buying is expertise, understanding and guidance. We fail them as much by
asserting our point of view to the exclusion of others as by not showing
conviction in our own beliefs. Or students benefit from what we truly
believe particularly when we acknowledge that other methods are succsesful.
In the end we can only answer to ourselves.
Respect and intelligence. From coaching 4 year olds in sports to grad
level performance majors. That SHOULD be the maxim. Details be damned, they
are up to you. Make them work for you. When they do, kindly suggest your
findings to the public forum.
Not really wishing to enter the duologue but hoping to deflect some of
the rancour.

Dan

>>
>> Tony, these are your opinions. You are welcome to them. I don't agree
>> with you - they seem narrow to me.
>
>I will read, and may respond later, to the rest of your post. However,
>note that already, in your first sentence, you have taken what is merely
>a division into categories to be discussed as a statement of opinion.
>
>Dogma is not necessarily a curse word, as appears later in my post under
>(B)(2).
>
>You may want to reread what I wrote and respond again. At the moment,
>I'm busy with other things.
>
>Tony
>--
> _________ Tony Pay
> |ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
> | |ay Oxford OX2 6RE
> tel/fax 01865 553339
>
>"...his playing soars so freely, one is aware of witchcraft without
> noticing a single magical gesture."
> (C.D.F.Schubart on the harpsichord playing of C.P.E.Bach)
>
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