Klarinet Archive - Posting 000146.txt from 2002/12

From: "Mark H. Weinstein" <mark.weinstein@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Benefit of taking time off
Date: Sat, 7 Dec 2002 19:28:33 -0500

I too had not played for 38 years, and have been playing for the last 3
years. I play better now that I played in high school. I now play with
two civic orchestras, trio for clarinet, cello, and piano, clarinet
choir, and take lessons. I also now have an Eb, A Clarinet, Basset horn,
Alto Clarinet, C Clarinet, and Bass Clarinet. I disagree that taking
time off makes me play better. If I do not practice for 3 or 4 days, I
do not play as well. Mark

Rhea Jacobs wrote:
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Roger Benson" <rbenson@-----.net>
> To: <klarinet@-----.org>
> Sent: Thursday, December 05, 2002 6:48 AM
> Subject: RE: [kl] Benefit of taking time off
>
> > Try taking off 40 years! Quit in 1961 and started again last year
> > playing is terrible but having a ball playing with my 2 daughters in
> > a church symphony...I don't come anywhere close to any of you folks,
> > but you know what...I don't care. I am doing the best I can and
> > trying to improve, and loving it...I even bought a Buffet R13. The
> > R13 is okay but not sure I would do it again. It's a lot more
> > instrument than I will ever use...it's just sooo nicely made I enjoy
> > that.
>
> I did something similar, having quit in 1962 and resumed in 2000, after
> retirement.
>
> I'm nowhere NEAR the player I was when I finished high school (the community
> band in which I play performed "Lincolnshire Posy" last year. I had enough
> of a challenge with the second clarinet part -- I've since moved back to
> third -- but looked in disbelief at the first clarinet part, remembering
> that I'd played it in high school!) . When I began taking lessons, I tried
> too hard to get back into shape and reached the point where I couldn't sound
> a note in the lower register. My teacher told me to remember that in many
> ways clarinet playing is an athletic exercise (I racewalk, and in my younger
> days used to run marathons) and that taking time off is a physical necessity
> to avoid overtraining. I've also had the experience of coming back from a
> day off feeling mentally as well as physically refreshed.
>
> Rhea
> rhea-j@-----.net
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------

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