Klarinet Archive - Posting 000231.txt from 2002/06

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: [kl] 'Pushing' and 'leading'
Date: Fri, 7 Jun 2002 12:16:04 -0400

I'm going to edit the following post made earlier today by Don Yungkurth
in which he quotes Dee Hays -- so the bits in [] in what follows aren't
by them, but by me, and I've left a couple of their words out, one in
particular.

I hope they'll forgive my presumption in using this rather unusual
technique.

> In response to Lelia Loban, Neil Leupold and others, Dee Hays said:
>
> > The budding professional should be [led] as far as their teacher can
> > take them. When they reach that teacher's limit, they should be
> > handed over to a more advanced teacher. The teacher needs to
> > emphasize the importance of practice shedules and so [on]. Of
> > course the teacher can't be a slave driver or remove the fun but it
> > does need to be a more serious, structured approach. Theory should
> > also be heavily incorporated. [The importance of communicating the
> > joy of music to a public, what achieving that communication might
> > involve in detail, and the necessity for the professional to possess
> > a complete technique so as to do justice to the music in the
> > process, should always be emphasised.]
>
> > The person who is aiming at lifetime amateur or indicates that they
> > have no interest in being a professional should [also] be approached
> > from the joy of music outlook [, but this time less emphasis need be
> > placed on the public perception of what is achieved. The joy
> > experienced by the student is held as more important. It is
> > essential that the student understands that in the nature of the
> > situation the music makes its own demands, but] if the student wants
> > to work at a slower pace or different repertoire or doesn't have the
> > desire to practice two hours a day, that should be considered ok.
> > The student just needs to be enjoying the lesson and making some
> > improvement. Theory doesn't need as much attention. After all you
> > don't need to know what an augmented 7th chord is if you just want
> > to play in a community band [and no-one is listening].
>
> I understand this distinction and feel that often teachers *do* make
> these decisions, but perhaps do it too early in the study of an
> instrument. In my case, it would have been a great help in my
> lifetime of amateur clarinet playing, if my first teacher had made the
> effort to find out how serious I was about playing the clarinet well,
> for whatever reason.
>
> While I was taking lessons during my high school years, I essentially
> did whatever I was asked to do by my teacher. I don't ever recall
> having to repeat exercises because I hadn't done the work necessary.
> In retrospect, he should have found out how much I was willing to do
> and [represented more clearly to me what 'better', and even
> professional playing, involved]. I certainly didn't know at the time
> what would be useful to me in later years as a player or know enough
> to ask intelligent questions, but he certainly should have. He had
> serious professional training (with Simeon Bellison) and was a fine
> player.
>
> I doubt very much that being [taken more seriously] by that teacher
> would have made me decide to go into music professionally, but it
> would have made my life as an amateur easier.
>
> I guess my point in all of this rambling is to take a slightly
> different stance than that of Dee's first sentence in the quote above.
> I would modify it as follows:
>
> The music student (rather than the "budding professional") should be
> [led] as far as the teacher can take them. It shouldn't matter
> whether the student ends up as a dropout, an amateur or a
> professional. The teacher should give him/her whatever possible at a
> pace that the student will accept. After all, in the early years of
> music lessons, neither the teacher or the student probably has a clue
> how music will play a part in the student's life.

Comments?

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE http://classicalplus.gmn.com/artists
tel/fax 01865 553339

... Does this condom make me look fat?

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