Klarinet Archive - Posting 000697.txt from 2001/10

From: Nichelle Crocker <nichelle@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] 25 year hiatus (was Off Topic Chat)
Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2001 18:21:35 -0400

Thanks for your feedback, Dee. I noticed a lot of the same things in my
own playing. I was away from the clarinet for five years and have found
that after about two months of a structured daily practice routine, I'm at
roughly the level I was at when I left. (In fact, upon returning to my old
university, I was greeted with compliments on my progress over the last
five years. I decided to simply smile and say thanks.) I notice that my
'musical ability' (or 'musical maturity') has grown quite a bit. I have
also taken a more thorough and patient approach to practicing than I ever
had and my improvement on the instrument is really noticeable from week to
week.

The things that slipped badly: sight reading, endurance, tone quality, and
finger/tongue coordination. Finger technique, for me, did not seem to
deteriorate much at all.

I had a lot of the frustration you mention from not being able to play at
the level that I musically and intellectually understand. It has certainly
given me an good idea of how to help someone like myself who is returning
to the clarinet after some time away.

I think I've been a lot more confident in my playing since my return to the
clarinet. I don't feel like I have as much to lose or as much to
prove. It feels great to be back.

Nichelle Crocker
nichelle@-----.com

Dee Hays wrote:

>Yes I had a 20+ year hiatus from clarinet playing. Much depends on how good
>you were in the first place. I found that everything was still there but
>very, very rusty. I could sight read but not as fast. I remembered almost
>all the notation and almost all the technique but again technique was
>slower. That was frustrating in a way because I knew what it was supposed
>to be like. However, these things return with practice and I did not have
>to "re-learn" but drill, drill, drill.
>
>On the other hand, the 20 years of life experiences improved by
>interpretive, "musical" ability and when I returned to the instrument gave
>me a much greater appreciation and thankfulness for the ability to play an
>instrument for myself rather than being limited to listening.
>
>Dee Hays
>Michigan

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