Klarinet Archive - Posting 000712.txt from 2000/07

From: Jay Webler <webler@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Fwd: Re: [kl] enthused musings upon Mozart Concerto
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2000 20:51:25 -0400

correction,

In the 6th sentence "over expectation" should be "over all expectation.

Jay
>Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2000 20:25:26 -0400
>To: klarinet@-----.org
>From: Jay Webler <webler@-----.net>
>Subject: Re: [kl] enthused musings upon Mozart Concerto
>
>James and all,
>
>Your testimony of the situation in solo competitions tells the rest of the
>story that I am not familiar with, .
>because I haven't done any adjudicating. I can understand why some
>would have a negative view about young players performing these pieces if
>this is what they are subjected to. Personally, I would never send anyone
>to a solo competition if they were that ill prepared. They would have to
>do it
>without my blessing. I'm curious as to the reason why anyone would want
>to show up when they're that ill prepared. Do you think it might have
>something
>to do with the level of over expectation in the field of education in general.
>It does seem as if many young students seem to expect praise no matter what
>level there performance is. It's the old, "I should receive praise for
>making the
>attempt". This may be the one thing that will chase me away from attempting
>to teach anymore. I've heard on a few occasions that people think that I am
>trying to develop 1st chair players, when, in my mind, I am only seeking
>to help the child play the instrument in a correct manner. I actually expect
>them to practice what I give them, I expect them to work on their embouchure,
>I expect them to play their exercises evenly and accurately, I expect them to
>learn how to move smoothly over the break, I expect them to learn the
>difference
>between playing mechanically and musically, etc, etc, etc.
>
>Granted the time it takes to achieve these expectations varies from
>student to student, and
>I will have to vary the lesson material at times to help them achieve this
>end. But, I do not
>believe that the expectation itself should be lowered for the sake of
>merely making someone
>feel good. The students who accept this have stayed and improve, the
>students that don't either
>quit or find another teacher. I must admit when I started at one of the
>stores I teach at, I was a
>bit timid. I was told that I needed to handle the kids with kid gloves
>and not expect to much
>or the kid would complain to the parents. (The area that this store is in
>a well to do area). I found
>that I had altered my entire approach. Thankfully, it only took me about
>6 weeks to get over those
>initial fears, and as result I have lost some of the more rebellious
>students, but better ones have come in
>to replace them.
>
>I apologize for rambling but I have found the reality of the acceptance of
>mediocrity quite frustrating. What in the world
>have we as a generation been doing for the last 30 years to create this
>kind of situation. A situation
>in which everybody thinks they deserve praise just because they're breathing.
>
>Jay Webler
>Jay's Clarinet and Percussion
>
>At 05:28 PM 7/20/00 -0400, you wrote:
>>I judge solo contests quite frequently here in Texas. I have not been able
>>to award many first division ratings on the second movement of the
>>Mozart. I
>>am understanding of the fact that it is a high school player performing and
>>they will not sound like Marcellus, but they have got to have some
>>understanding of the music. Many play it in six with the eighth note at
>>less
>>than 60 beats per minute with no crescendo or diminuendo and when it
>>comes to
>>the 32nd's they play unevenly and cannot get through them without fumbling
>>even at that slow tempo. It becomes an endurance contest to sit through it,
>>but I will not stop a student then give them less than a first division. I
>>think they play it because, like someone else posted, somebody told them it
>>is easy.

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