Klarinet Archive - Posting 000267.txt from 2000/06

From: Audrey Travis <vsofan@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Students in general, was Re: [kl] New Student
Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2000 19:35:58 -0400

Joshua
Please consider the possibility that the student is not telling you
everything, or was not paying attention when these lessons were taught or was
absent or that the student just didn't absorb it or was distracted or found
the concepts difficult or boring or... endless possibilities. This is NOT to
exonerate all band directors (I'm one, as well as a budding clarinetist), but
to let you know that while there are are overworked or perhaps ill informed
directors, there are also plenty of students who do, in fact, miss what is
being taught for one reasons or another. I think I'm a very good teacher,
but my classes are large and homogeneous and I do find that some students
must have that one on one personal teaching or they may not get it. Your
student's band teacher MIGHT have taught her left hand usage and she maybe
found it hard and didn't want to work at it , so now she saves face by saying
she wasn't taught...possible? There are some lousy band directors out there
who know very little and know even less about how to impart knowledge, but
the majority I know are exceptional musicians and teachers, and what they
don't know about the instrument, they go out and learn. . But - a band
program, even with the very finest and most industrious and knowledgeable,
gifted teacher cannot impart wisdom if the student is not willing to listen,
or is not ready at that particular moment. Nor can a band director spend the
time coaching one student at a time as in a private lesson.

Over the last several months, we've had several posts about incompetent band
directors. Please remember that most directors have a Performance Degree in
one instrument and those sections of their bands are probably top notch (if
the person knows how to teach). Most prepatory programs give teachers a
chance to learn basics of other instruments and the fine director/teacher
goes out and learns even more on his/her own. It is unreasonable to insist
that one who has a degree in trumpet, for example, should know as much as you
do about clarinet - basics, yes; learn as much as you can, yes; teach
breathing technique for all wind instruments, yes = but if the student isn't
paying attention or isn't ready to learn that, they simply won't. The good
band director keeps trying, but unless there are sectionals or unless there's
an opportunity for one-on-one work, it may not happen.

So please don't immediately blame anyone, not the student and not the band
director. Maybe try speaking to the band director about that student. Why
not even attend the student's school band concert? You'll learn a lot about
the program and director by just listening. There are lots of reasons why
students don't learn, and they don't always tell you the full story (maybe
they don't remember the lessons being taught). It seems to me that when we
blame the band director automatically, we make ourselves (the true experts)
feel better about ourselves. Is this a case of putting other people down in
order to make us feel better about ourselves?

I certainly can't speak for all band directors, and here in Canada, we do
virtually no marching band, but here in Vancouver, we have some top notch
teachers and programs, and all the directors I know work as well as they can
with the time and money restrictions imposed on them.

Hope this presents another point of view.

Cheers.

Audrey

"Joshua M. Coleman" wrote:

> I think it's funny how this thread began. I've been in lurk mode for
> about two years (?), after having posted quite a bit my first several
> months on the list. I now have an enormous studio (two students!!!). The
> first student I began teaching outrightly refuses to use the keys on the
> left side, other than E/B. Now, I'm not sure of the reasoning, but her
> band directors have never taught her that the left pinky keys are vital to
> clarinet playing (with the exception of that E/B key). As well, her band
> seemed to have never taught her any type of breathing mechanics -- other
> than "blow," that is. My question is, how many of you private teachers
> have encountered this? I know a major factor in this sort of thing is
> that some high school band directors are more involved with marching band
> competition in the fall and concert band competition in the spring that
> some of these basics are unfortunately overlooked. My student is in her
> fourth year of playing and only knows a few alternate fingerings (those
> that I've taught her). Her breathing has improved after she and I went
> through proper breathing mechanics. But I'm still concerned. Is this a
> common problem?
>
> Joshua M. Coleman
> Future Music Educator of America
>
> "Why put off 'til tomorrow what you can put off 'til the day after that?"
> -- Mark Twain
>
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