Klarinet Archive - Posting 000483.txt from 2002/12

From: CBA <clarinet10001@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] problem
Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2002 04:26:18 -0500

Rebecca,

First of all, even if the teacher is one of the most world
celebrated teachers, you might not have good chemistry with him.
My suggestion is to stop going to him, even if you do not have
another teacher to go to. Better not to CREATE stress for you
when the audition will do that by itself.

What about the Clarinet Teacher at Marshall University? You said
you took a lesson there with that teacher. Could they help you
out with another lesson or two in the next two weeks? What about
a teacher in the closest big city? Could you get a lesson there
at a major university? I am not sure exactly where you are, so I
can't recommend a place in particular.

As far as taking lessons from a NON-clarinetist, I have done
this on MANY occasions. I find it to be a really good
experience, because, like singers who go to vocal COACHES for
musicality, and vocal TEACHERS for technique, and they are
totally separate, by going to a NON-clarinetist, you can get
musical ideas without the teacher maybe saying "it's ok" when
going over the break isn't the smoothest. A NON-clarinetist
doesn't care about the limitations of clarinets in general. They
just want to hear music from you. I also find that my MOST
critical lessons have been with NON-clarinet players. I would
suggest a wind player first, a string player second, and only in
a very desperate choice a vocalist or pianist, as they are not
used to playing single lined instruments, and would be a little
too far removed to help out with phrasing. Be sure to have
completed learning the technique for the pieces you are playing
before going in for a musicality lesson, as the coach doesn't
want to hear you play wrong notes. They are there to help you
project the music through the notes.

I would relax about the audition, and enjoy it. It is way too
early in your career to stress about auditions that will most
probably not make a difference to your college and professional
career later. You will have PLENTY of auditions to be stressed
about that WILL make a difference in your career later on...I
promise!

Kelly Abraham
Woodwinds - New York City
--- Rebecca Brennan <rjbrennan1221@-----.com> wrote:
>
> Lately I have been getting vI need to rant and get a bit of
> advise.
>
> I have my regular private teacher that I went to and plan to
> go back to
> after the new year, but right now I am seeing another teacher
> because I will
> not see my teacher until after my all-state audition because
> she only
> teaches the one day of the week that both the winter concert,
> snow,
> Christmas, New year, and everything else has seemed to fall on
> this month.
>
> On my all-state pieces I have has 5 professional opinons on
> it. My private
> teacher, my band director, an army band commander, and the
> clarinet teacher
> from Marshall University who all say I do an excellent job at
> it. Then there
> is that guy I have been going to. Every measure I play he
> stops and says
> something. To three of the people I just listed I cross the
> break very
> smoothly on the Rose study, but to this guy he says it sounds
> like I am
> chopping it to death. It could be that every time I have a
> lesson with this
> guy that I have a nervous breakdown and cry my eyes out and
> can't play for a
> day or so. I get very nervous around him and everything just
> goes blank and
> it is like I forget everything I know because he was so harsh
> on me at the
> first lesson. He also puts down my private teacher who plays
> with the West
> Virginia Symphony and whom is a very good teacher. Then today
> I learn that
> he doesn't even play clarinet at all.
>
> ery winded after a few minutes of practice and I can't do it
> anymore. I sit
> there and sulk because I CAN NOT practice. I don't know
> exactly what is
> wrong, but I constantly think of the comments I get from him.
> When I told
> him how I felt and that I didn't want to take lessons with him
> anymore he
> called me a baby.
>
> Does it sound like I am acting like a baby? I think in a way I
> am, but I
> really can't help it because I am so tore up over it. I have
> two weeks until
> my audition and the last day of school is tomorrow, so this
> means that I
> will be on my own. Is this a wise of me? I really do think
> that I should
> stop, but what if I am just a baby? I did make it on my own
> with no private
> instruction at all last year, would that make it safe this
> year?
>
> I don't know what to do! I try to talk to my band direcot
> about it but all
> he says is that it is because I am his best student and he
> tries to push me
> by insulting me.
>
> -Rebecca

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