Klarinet Archive - Posting 000983.txt from 1999/10

From: James Leonard Hobby <jhobby@-----.Net>
Subj: [kl] re: playing the Clarinet from behind the student
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 15:01:12 -0400

I've been thinking, since this was first brought up, that it was a
incredibly poor idea, especially given the
make-charges-and-hang-'em-now-and-decide-guilt-later attitude in the
world/schools today. The very idea gives me cold chills. (I changed
from the profession of music to that of court reporting, and I've seen a
LOT of this sort of thing pass by me.)

Even 30 years ago, when I was teaching public school band, I would never
have considered standing behind someone, male or female, as close as would
be necessary to hold the clarinet in position. The practice I've always
seen was to turn the mouthpiece backward. This allows the instructor to
stand in front of the student and play the fingerings. (You can also
control the angle of the mpc into the mouth from that position.)

I hope whoever it was that did the stand-behind positioning thinks very
long before doing it again -- or at least, I wish them the best of luck in
their aggravated sexual battery case!

Jim Hobby

===========================

>Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1999 21:31:11 -0400
>From: David Blumberg <reedman@-----.com>
>
>Mark wrote:
>I knew of a teacher who would stand behind the student and hold the
>clarinet for him/her while the student had the clarinet in their mouth.
[snip]
>Yes, but how many MALE students did the teacher try that on? ;)
>You don't have to do it from behind, just turn the mouthpiece around. I use
>that technique to show my younger students how higher notes feel when the
>fingers are covering properly. They don't squeak, and find it to be very
easy.

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