Klarinet Archive - Posting 000149.txt from 1999/09

From: Audrey Travis <vsofan@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] 52 year old 'beginner' needs help - please!
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 18:40:06 -0400

Richard Bush wrote:

> Gary,
>
> I would agree. One of the most obvious differences is that adults are much
> more sophisticated musically because of all the years they have listened to
> music. Sometimes this makes life harder for them because they know what they
> SHOULD sound like and realize how crappie they sound when learning or
> relearning their instruments. Kids don't know, and any progress is very self
> rewarding.
>
> Another big difference is that adults are often distracted by dumb things
> like cutting the grass, going to work, getting the car worked on and stuff
> like that. Kids will tell you how busy they are but they often have a lot
> more free time to practice, and mothers there to hound them until they do.
>
> That can go the other way, too. Adults have longer attention spans,
> analytical skill and problem solving skills that young players have to learn
> as they go.
>
> Gary@-----.com wrote:
>
> > This subject comes up at regular intervals. There seem to be quite a few
> > "mature" adults who take up the clarinet for the first time and even more
> > who played through school and return to it after a long layoff.
> >
> > I would speculate that what works best for these two groups in learning or
> > relearning the clarinet may not be exactly the same approach used for
> > younger students. I believe that this would be useful area for study by
> > one or a group of clarinet professors looking for a research project.
> >
> > Gary

Richard - you are so right! I'm the 52 year old beginner and I wrote asking
for help because I'm musically quite sophisticated, but my lack of technique
frustrates me. As an elementary school band teacher, I'm way ahead of my
students, but I'm frustrated that even after 2 years, I STILL don't sound like
Robert Marcellus!! Seriously, if any of you clarinet profs or aspiring profs
want to do some research on the subject, you can start with me.

Audrey Travis
vsofan@-----.com

>
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