Klarinet Archive - Posting 000700.txt from 2001/10

From: "Robert Moody" <LetsReason@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] When to teach voicing for altissimo notes
Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2001 19:53:49 -0400

> But what literature do you have them play Robert? Do you have them play
> repertoire? If so - what does the rest of the band play? Certainly you
> don't fill the period with altissimo teaching and stuff like that and
leave
> the children for whom you don't feel you are a specialist holding the bag?

No literature, Roger-it was by wrote. I had the other students working on
other things and preparing to answer questions I was going to ask them.
Sometimes I would take my handy-dandy duct tape and see which group could so
tape the others up that all sound would eventually stop except the cheering
of the winners and the squeaking of the clarinet players. Sometimes the
winners try to attack the clarinet players to make them stop the squeaking.
;-) Duct tape leaves a serious residue on plastic clarinet players.

> I certainly understand. What do they do with the altissimo G
> Robert? Especially when the brass are playing?

Usually they aim it and play it 5x louder. It almost becomes a weapon as
the brass players in my bands developed an unusual amount for respect and
fear of the clarinet players by years end. Anytime a clarinet player looked
mean at a brass player, brought the instrument to their face and was only
holding down "middle" keys/fingers, you'd hear the clanking of brass hitting
the carpet and doors slamming. Sometimes...I'd swear I'd hear a couple of
"Hail Mary"s being said really fast.

> I certainly appreciate what you are saying. The reason I don't feel I
> should "release my experience" (whatever that means exactly!) is because I
> haven't had any trouble with it. That's all.

Well, what it intended to get across was that maybe you can try to step
back, experiment with the idea in your head and give it a chance. I did not
intend to suggest that you give up your successful techniques, but consider
that maybe this approach is feasible if you explored it for yourself. Hmm?

> Since your description is
> not generally accepted as the norm, and because I haven't seen it work
> before - although I believe that it works for you - just not proof that it
> works without you - then I don't just immediately accept and endorse what
> you say as a good approach for young players. Pretty simple actually.

I can understand that. Well I hope you don't ignore the possibilities I am
claiming it has. It really can make the difference sometimes where a
student is painfully fed up with trying to understand how to play higher.
And it has made a significant set of tasks that are usually challenging for
teachers to teach and students to understand...easier to overcome.

> If I may ask Robert, how long did you teach public school? Did you also
> teach high school and jr. high? For how long? I am just curious to see
> how your approach worked on a consistent level - that's my reason for
asking.

I taught at Roanoke Catholic School (K-12) for 1 year. I taught at Ruffner
Middle School in Roanoke, Virginia for 4 years (6-8). I taught at various
summer performing arts camps from 1992 to 2000. I have taught privately
(4th grade-adult) for about 14 years (though I did not teach this technique
until some 7 or 8 years ago).

> I certainly understand your desire to be specific with the semantics. I
> had a lot of fun presenting a lecture demonstration to the Illinois Music
> Educators at the convention last year - it was entitled - "Extra Credit
for
> Squeaks" - so I want to assure I understand your enthusiasm for the use of
> that word.

Great! I hope to be able to address larger and more teacher oriented
audiences in the future as well. When I finish my DMA, I hope to build my
credentials as such to be asked outside of Virginia as well. We'll see.

I hope you play around with my approach and try it out. Maybe it can be
another tool in your toolbox for teaching if it works for you.

Robert

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