Klarinet Archive - Posting 000593.txt from 2003/10

From: "Stacy-Michelle" <stacy-michelle@-----.com>
Subj: Re: Re: [kl] Starting a youngster
Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 23:40:13 -0400

Wow I didn't realize that many felt so strongly about the age of a
beginning clarinetist... I will teach anyone who is interested,
regardless of age. I wish I had started at 7, or even had the OPTION
and resources to start at that age. I wonder where Julian Bliss
would be today if people thought 4 was too young... *shrug* To each
his own I guess...

Stacy-Michelle

On Wed, 22 Oct 2003 20:57:07 -0600, "Christy Erickson"
<perickso@-----.net> wrote :

> I must add my own opinion here and I do agree that 7 is probably
too young
> for a full-size clarinet. You may have better luck with an eefer
but I
> would stronly advise starting the child on piano. I'm a bit
biased since I
> play and teach both instruments but I think all kids ought to
start with the
> piano. They learn their notation, the keyboard, rhythms and all
the other
> basics they need to learn to play any instrument. Once they can
read the
> music, most kids have a very easy time learning to play just about
any other
> instrument. My daughter knew how to put the clarinet together and
how to
> make a sound at around 4 or 5 but she was simply not big enough to
play it
> seriously. I waited until she was in 5th grade and had her start
along with
> her friends and most of the band director's kids I know do the
same. I did
> have a student once who couldn't produce a sound on the clarinet
for the
> first month of lessons. She was a third grader(about 8 at the
time).
> However, once she did figure it out, she did very well.
Christy
>
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
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>

--
Soulfully,

Stacy-Michelle Valentine
http://clarinetvibe.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ClassicallyBlack

"Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If
you
don't live it, it won't come out of your horn. They teach you
there's
a boundary line to music. But, man, there's no boundary line to
art." - Charlie Parker

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Klarinet is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc. http://www.woodwind.org