Klarinet Archive - Posting 000320.txt from 2001/05

From: rgarrett@-----.edu
Subj: Re: [kl] Article: Breathing and Support
Date: Fri, 11 May 2001 08:27:50 -0400

At 07:12 AM 05/11/2001 -0500, R Garrett wrote:
>There are ways to teach "correct" voicing/tongue position without having
>to actually deal with the tongue.

In all fairness to Tony, he did report Wheeler's assertion that there is no
easy way, other than
playing the clarinet, to ascertain whether your tongue is in the correct
position, and that teaching methods need to take account of that fact, and
allow the student progressively to discover the correct tongue
placements.

The Stubbins approach is a teaching method that takes this into account and
allows the student to progressively discover the correct tongue placement -
it does not actually describe a tongue placement or oral cavity. I suppose
I am trying to make sure, after receiving my own post, that no one thinks I
was challenging Tony's statement - he is essentially quite correct.

However.........

"Teach" implies the instructor doing it to the students - or providing
specific information the student acts upon. "Discover" implies the student
uses information the teacher provides to put the pieces of the puzzle
together. My guess is that there is quite a bit of both going on when I
use Stubbins' book with a student and we really get into it!

Best wishes,
Roger Garrett

Roger Garrett
Clarinet Professor
Director, Symphonic Winds
Illinois Wesleyan University
School of Music
Bloomington, IL 61702-2900
Phone: (309) 556-3268
Fax: (309) 556-3121

"A man never discloses his own character so clearly as when he describes
another's."
Jean Paul Richter (1763-1825)

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