Klarinet Archive - Posting 000191.txt from 2001/11

From: "Robert Moody" <LetsReason@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: clarinetist's block
Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2001 10:44:28 -0500

----- Original Message -----
From: "Virginia Anderson" <assembly1@-----.com>

> on 4/11/01 9:15 pm, Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay) wrote:
>
> > What I remember of my early days of playing the clarinet was the joy of
> > reading through wind quintets with friends on Sunday afternoons; of
> > bashing through the cl/pf repertoire after school with my schoolpal (we
> > got as far as the Ireland Sonata eventually); and playing in local
> > orchestras, Gilbert and Sullivan, and so on....
> >
> > In the end, I practised only in order to be able to *play* better. And
> > that wasn't demanded by anything other than that the music just didn't
> > sound good enough, to me and other people, if I didn't.
> >
> > I still don't practise very much unless I have to play something. You
> > might be the same.
>
> But Tony, I bet you also passed your Boards to grade 8 or so, thus
ensuring
> that you had worked out proper fingerings and appropriate solo literature
> and sight reading in a systematic fashion early on when muscles are easily
> trained, and thus ensuring that you technique would only have to be sped
up
> and refined at university. I'd imagine that David and other American
> teachers find such rigorous programmes necessary due to the chaotic
American
> musical education (often lack thereof) before university. There's a steep
> learning curve for talented students whose only education consisted of
> marching and concert band music.*
>
> Having said this, I can't imagine such a routine would give a student a
> renewed love for the instrument, nor is it always the way to progress
> technically. I agree with your suggestion for Jess to "do it" - it's just
> that I can understand why some people don't.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Virginia
>
>
> *Yes, there are good band directors out there who encourage students to
take
> lessons and require scale and arpeggio studies as part of progress in
band.
> Most of the band and orchestra directors on this list are here because
they
> maintain an interest in music education, but there is no system to ensure
> such responsibility at all schools. Since the British music programmes
were
> taken from the education authorities some years ago, more and more
students
> here will fall through the cracks as well.
> --
> Virginia Anderson
> Leicester, UK

This is an interesting subject that I think spans much more than simply
playing the clarinet (but I will stay on topic here) ;-) .

I find that after a period of intense development and hard work that a
"break" does me good. Sometimes trying to work "through" a plateau has
gotten me more discouraged than encouraged and did less good. Somehow,
little bad habits try to creep in as through osmosis even though I am
"drilling" my way to "perfection".

Three times in my clarinet "career" I've had it expressed to me that I will
need a period of 6-weeks to 6-months where I practice 5 to 6 hours a day and
just build up a reservoire of technique and control over the instrument.
Once as a senior in highschool, once in reading and once recently in my DMA.
Well, after the highschool and reading experiences, I decided that the
summer prior to my auditioning for undergraduate degree program that I would
take that summer to do just that-I practiced for about 5 weeks for about 5
hours a day. [My parents were in the process of moving that summer and had
let me stay in the old house during the summer. This allowed me to practice
anytime I wanted without restriction due to time of day or night.]

I learned the Nielsen Concerto, the Debussy Premiere Rhapsody, Stravinsky
Three Pieces, and went through the Klose scales and arpeggio section. This
was all in preparation for the audition though, and so I was motivated. My
former teacher had given me recordings of Stevensson and Deplus for these
pieces and I tried to emulate their style and sound (though I was no longer
taking lessons) so I was motivated. The audition went well and I eventually
got back into school.

But do you know when I felt the real progress made from that work? Not as
much at the audition but rather AFTER I had taken a break (actually about 2
or 3 weeks) from playing my clarinet at all. I got all caught up in making
money to go to college that I put the instrument aside. When I picked it
back up to "get ready" to start school, I felt renewed and things that I was
"pushing through" to make ready for the audition seemed to come back to me
and improve with such ease that I serious thought I'd be a Pay or Cohler one
day ;-) .

Of course, other "plateaus" have come and gone. But I have found that
sometimes, and each person has to be sensitive to when it is right for them,
that if I put the instrument down for a weekend or so during these
"plateaus" and my frustration, I can come back and "move on", so-to-speak.

Something to think about. Maybe someone else has had these experiences? I
know the people who have returned after a LONG hiatus have remarked on
certain characteristics coming back and being as good or better than before
in a relatively short time. I think, sometimes a little "break" does a body
good.

Robert

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