Klarinet Archive - Posting 000193.txt from 2002/05

From: jmariesimon@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] Speak!
Date: Tue, 7 May 2002 20:59:04 -0400

I am talking about the teacher I had in 6th and 7th grade, My first
private lessons teacher. Of allt he students in his studion when he dies,
I am one of two still playing the others have quit.He used to punch us in
the stomach as well if we weren't supporting. And the memorization
punishment work was etudes and solos. Scales were suppoused to be
momorized anyway. My college teachers have been much different.
Jean Marie

On Tue, 07 May 2002 15:38:47 +0000 "Gary Smith" <asemsi@-----.com>
writes:
> Jean
>
> I'm hoping that what you mean is that some teacher in your past did
> all
> these things, not the current college-level instructor. Some of what
> you're
> describing sounds more like POW interrogation than a clarinet
> lesson.
>
> I can relate -- I had a rather agressive teacher once. I was paying
> him out
> of my own pocket as an adult getting back into the game, and he
> still
> treated me like an idiot - and I guess I was, since I kept paying
> him.
> Finally gave him the left hand of fellowship and moved on, but I
> know it's
> not that easy as a kid (or even a first year college student, if it
> was that
> recent).
>
> Unfortunately, the negative impact that this teacher had on you
> could be
> profound, esp. if he/she used memorization work as punishment. There
> are
> many things that need to be memorized as a clarinetist, such as
> scales and
> arpeggios in as many patterns as you have time for. Doing this
> shouldn't be
> punishment -- it should be presented in such a way that it's fun, or
> at
> least an understandable task that makes playing music more fun. If
> he or she
> was this far out, then he probably wasn't very helpful in other
> respects.
>
> However, congratulate yourself on having made it this far without
> quitting,
> which is what most people would have done. Pour that resiliance into
> forging
> better technique with a new instructor who sounds more enlightened,
> and move
> on. I would encourage the new instructor to *not* dwell on the past,
> either.
> There is a temptation, as a teacher, to dwell on the mistakes of the
>
> previous ones -- it gets you off the hook for the problems of your
> student,
> and it makes you feel superior as well. In short, it's a cop-out.
> You as a
> student have a right to ask him or her to focus on the page of music
> at hand
> and how to do better *now*.
>
> So forget the past, look forward to enjoying the future. It's never
> too late
> to correct mistakes, such as using the wrong fingerings, not
> learning
> certain core techniques early, or even laying the horn down for a
> time. I've
> done all of the above, and recovered from it all.
>
> To answer your questions from the last paragraph, I started in 7th,
> and
> didn't take lessons until 9th grade, as I recall. My h.s. private
> instructor
> was a freelance teacher from the community with a background as a
> military
> band player who also played a lot of jobs in the community. A very
> nice man
> who set me on the right road, and I had a lot of success in high
> school. I
> wish I had started earlier, but again you have to look forward, not
> backwards. I think ideally children should start somewhere around
> grade 5 or
> 6 (that's usually somwhere around age 9-10, for you global listers),
> when
> their hands get big enough for the instrument. Lessons should start
> immediately, in an ideal environment, but it's not a disaster if
> they start
> in a good band with a teacher who at least has enough time to show
> them the
> fundamentals first for maybe a year. (I know I've just provided
> enough
> debate material to last *two* years, so let loose the hounds of
> klarinet!)
>
> Good luck. May your college years be good ones - you're probably
> paying
> enough to insist on it, so start taking charge of the process so as
> to get
> what you want.
>
> >From: jmariesimon@-----.com
> >Reply-To: klarinet@-----.org
> >To: klarinet@-----.org
> >CC: klarinet@-----.org
> >Subject: Re: [kl] Speak!
> >Date: Tue, 7 May 2002 00:40:43 -0500
> >
> >My name is Jean Marie, I'm a college student in my second year. And
> I to
> >am new to this list.
> >My teacher this year has talked a lot about my very first lesson
> teacher
> >and a lot of tihings he may have done wrong. Like tap the beat on
> me
> >harder and harder if I couldn't keep time, or make me feel ashamed
> if my
> >lesson wasn't prefect in a week and punish me with memorization
> work. And
> >he's been trying to figure out to what extent this may have
> impacted me.
> >And I'm wondering what your first teachers were like. And what age
> did
> >you start lessons, I started in sixth grade, and had been playing
> since
> >third.
> >Thanks, Jean Marie
> >
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