Klarinet Archive - Posting 000492.txt from 2002/12

From: CBA <clarinet10001@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] problem
Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2002 12:02:07 -0500

Hmmm...rhythm unimportant? I think I missed out on that one.

SOME vocalists are very good musicians AND good readers. MOST
vocalists learn at LEAST a little by rote, and some sing MOSTLY
by directional pitches, as opposed to reading the actual notes
when singing.

There are good and bad of every subset. As a rule, the vocalists
wouldn't necessarily be a good match because there is a
different focus in instrumental musical emoting of a theme or
melody than a vocal one, since in the instrumental works there
are no words for emphasis.

I am making quite a generalization, but I AM a trained singer
myself, singing with the likes of Michael Tilson Thomas, and
Robert Shaw in symphony choruses over the last 14 years, and
also have sung in Catholic and Episcopal churches for 20+ years,
including 15 major cathedrals, with some of the best church
singers in the biz. I have met thousands of vocalists, and would
probably pick less than 10 in all my years I would want to
listen to me play to get feedback from that I could use for
coaching. Not saying they are bad singers...just not good at
relaying to me what to do musically as an instrumentalist.

Most vocalists wouldn't want feedback from a single line
instrumentalist, or even a pianist, if they had no vocal
background. A large percentage of vocalists don't even have
great piano skills, and have no wind instrumental skills
whatsoever, so their feedback would be different from what I
would probably need to incorporate into my journey in learning
the music.

Again, if those 10 vocalists I can think of that would be a good
resource to listen to me play and be able to give me feedback I
can use were even interested in doing so...they are usually WAY
too busy for something like that. The others are usually just
good vocalists...go with your strengths.

YMMV.

Kelly Abraham
Woodwinds - New York City
--- "Age E.Smies" <asmies@-----.net> wrote:
> Regarding taking lessons from a non clarinet player, I would
> think that a
> vocalist would be a great idea. They read single line music,
> they must
> concentrate on phrasing and interpretation etc. Of course we
> know that many
> vocalists don't have the best knowledge of rhythm but so what?
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "CBA" <clarinet10001@-----.com>
> To: <klarinet@-----.org>
> Sent: Friday, December 20, 2002 4:26 AM
> Subject: Re: [kl] problem
>
>
> > 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
> >
> >
> > Do you Yahoo!?
> > Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now.
> > http://mailplus.yahoo.com
> >
> >
>
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