Klarinet Archive - Posting 000301.txt from 2003/10

From: Randy Ratzlaff <rratzlaff@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] [clarinet] reeds for beginners?
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2003 22:53:45 -0400

=A0Good Evening!

Wow!=A0 I was buried in my band director responsbilities today and could=20=

not respond to the postings regarding my postings on starting beginnners=20=

on size 3 reeds / mouthpiece=A0& barrel =A0playing / other "sins" I have=20=

committed as a clarinet teacher and "insane band director".
=A0
What is working for my students is not necessarily agreeable to everyone=20=

else.=A0 No problem. I knew that before I sent my posting.=A0 I just =
felt=20
another idea needed to be put out there.=A0=A0The fact that a number of =
you=20
disagree with me does not personally bother me.=A0 The idea of this =
forum=20
is to share ideas, strategies, etc.=A0 I have been reading posted emails=20=

for over a year.=A0 Needless I have learned a lot about what others are=20=

doing and why.
=A0
My only concern was the ridicule I took last night for my methods.=A0=20
Being told that my class sounded like "basic training rather than=20
learning to play the clarinet", insinuating my students are being forced=20=

to please me first rather than learn to love music, or my classes are "a=20=

chore or a military style duty to fulfill or a competition to=20
win"............gosh, just because I=A0am not=A0doing it like Christy, =
did I=20
really deserve all of that?=A0 Tell me you disagree.....no=20
problem......after 25 years of teaching I can=A0"get over it".....=A0but=20=

ridicule me for not doing it your way??=A0 What is that about?=A0
=A0
As I stated last night......my students have had a lot of success with=20=

what I=A0have been=A0doing for the past 18 years.=A0 If it was not =
happening,=20
I would be looking for other methods............................... (and=20=

probably looking for other means of employment).......not so we could=20
win contests, but for the students to enjoy their musical experience in=20=

band.
=A0
Thanks for letting me share.
=A0
Randy

On Thursday, October 9, 2003, at 01:15 PM, Sue Raycraft wrote:

>
>
>> Sue, Just for the record, I have also started kids in large groups=20
>> during
>> beginning summer band camps and I still give them the same =
information,
> tips
>> and attention that I give my private students.
>
> Christy,
> I agree that it is more common to start the kids on the whole
> instrument right from the beginning, even in classroom situations.
> But obviously it works for Randy to do it a different way.
> Since I've never tried it his way either, I really can't discuss it
> from experience. Maybe he will tell us more about it himself....
> Sue
>
>
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