Klarinet Archive - Posting 000435.txt from 2002/03

From: "Tony Wakefield" <tony-wakefield@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Julian Bliss TV prog.
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 2002 06:31:58 -0500

All clarinet prodigies,
I watched the first part of Julian Bliss` documentary TV prog. I`m not quite
sure whether part 2 is also about him next week. But an interim report is
here as I see it.
He`s OK, and he`s having a wonderful time in school in the mornings`, and
then off to the University for afternoon and evening sessions with Howard
Klug, sometimes, we were told, till 10.00 pm. He`s 12 years old, and he
seems to be coping very well indeed. Klug has a way with him, (on camera
anyway) which puts the boy immediately at ease, both in his clarinet
studies, and as part-time parent, losing in a game of Battleships in one
scene. Bliss played his pieces in his performances (for a grading which I
don`t know - American I would think) almost as tho` he was thinking of
something entirely different - another game with Klug? Klug was sitting at
the back of the room looking quite relaxed, as tho` he knew that Julian
wouldn`t slip up. We were informed that Julian would not be given any
benefits due to his immature years, albeit mature talent. I think (it wasn`t
too clear on screen) Julian had memorised all his recital works. An moving
arpeggio up to double high C was secure, if a little wobbly. At present, he
still uses a clarinet sling. He has been at Indiana State uni. for about 12
months now, and what cause some considerable sadness for me, was that his
education in America has split the family into two. It most definitely
showed, in interviews with Julian`s brother, living back home in UK with his
father, (who is carrying on with his motor bike business), and even more so
with Julian`s mother, who, to me, on camera looked and talked almost
suicidally, relating how much she misses the UK and her family. With Julian
away for most of the day, she is struggling to find a way of life she can
relate to, to bring her some happiness, in the quest to educate Julian as he
would want.
A reason why Julian has been taken to America, related by an English horn
professor who is also a family friend, throws some disgrace onto the British
teaching profession. When searching for appropriate higher grade tutors, the
family were confronted with teachers who did not want to teach "precosious
children".
This attitude, if true, does not hold out much hope for the future of
British kids wanting to admire the British music education system, and I
would say that it warrants some investigation.
Like some sports personalities, it could be that Julian will be educated in
US for his entire youth, and maybe eventually taking up US citizenship, his
hand on his heart when speaking the daily allegience to the US in school,
not causing him any homesickness for his mother country. Unlike his mother,
in many ways, there remains a great dilemma in the family heirarchy, almost
to the extent that (from what I observed) his parents might have wished to
some degree that he didn`t have this amount of talent.
There maybe more next week - I`m not quite sure yet.
Tony W.

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