Klarinet Archive - Posting 000708.txt from 2001/01
From: "Benjamin Maas" <benmaas@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Sounding like your teacher...
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 12:44:35 -0500
/Soapbox On
I've been reading these posts about sounding like your teacher... People
mention David Weber and Jon Manasse. Mitchell Lurie was mentioned way
earlier... Now I have to bite.
I have been very fortunate to have studied with some of the great teachers
out there. At USC (and because I grew up out here, High School), I worked
with Yehuda Gilad and Mitchell Lurie. At Eastman, Peter Hadcock, Eli Eban,
and Ken Grant... One of the overriding comments that *all* off these
teachers made is something I take very seriously. It is: Sound like
yourself. You can have concepts of tone, etc... but it is a physical
impossibility to sound exactly like another player, so don't even try. It
is important to have a centered, focused sound that is *yours.*
Mitchell Lurie tells a story of a student that came in one day playing the
Halsey Stevens Concerto (if you don't know this piece you really should...
It is a great work). Mitchell said that the student sounded exactly like he
did on the recording. There was not an original thought in the entire
performance. He became upset that this student did this as it wasn't their
true playing. They were just emulating him. He sent this person home and
told him to relearn the piece. Next week he wasn't to hear a single thing
in the performance that was the same as his.
I realize this is somewhat extreme, but it goes to show how seriously he
took this concept. Every player must sound as an individual. While I was
at Eastman, I was given the opportunity to study with Jon Manasse. I turned
it down. Why? After all, he is a great person, he cares a lot about his
students (they keep a very close relationship), he's a great player...
Because I had his students coming up to me extolling the virtues of sounding
*exactly* like him. They would have tapes with the great players performing
standard repertoire given to them. They would come up to me in the practice
rooms play the tape and then play the exact same passage live. They would
sound just about identical. Then they would ask "Wow! Isn't this great?!
I sound like [fill in the blank]." I couldn't believe that this was being
sanctioned by the teacher. In his defense, I never actually had a lesson
with him so I cannot say with certainty what was said.... However, I do
know that it was with many of his students that this happened.
So I guess this is my very long-winded way of saying. Your teachers provide
a great reference. But use it as that... Don't emulate it. Be yourself.
/Soapbox Off
--Ben
Benjamin Maas
Freelance Clarinetist and Recording Engineer
Los Angeles, CA
benmaas@-----.com
http://www.fifthcircle.com
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