Klarinet Archive - Posting 000229.txt from 2004/04

From: CBA <clarinet10001@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Favorite music
Date: Fri, 16 Apr 2004 01:14:25 -0400

Patricia,

This is something I have been "infusing" into the lesson plan
for students of mine who don't necessarily like the stuff we are
studying at the time, or who aren't particularly interested in
learning a piece. There are pieces that are fun to play, pieces
that are great to listen to, pieces that are both, and pieces
that are neither. I try to steer away from teaching ones that
are *just* grea to listen to for lessons, and have them do that
in their own time (pop music transcriptions would be a good
example of that for me) and I also steer away from the ones that
the student isn't interested in listening to or playing (we try
to do a little with the piece first, if I think there is a merit
in learning the piece anyway, and then abandon it for other
things that can be more fun for the student *and* challenging
with a learning experience attached if it's still not a match.)

Before anyone flames me for my subjectivity, I am not making
blanket judgements about music in general, mind you. I am
subjective about my teaching with my students and their tastes,
and do specifically try to expand their horizons on tastes in
music, while not "beating a dead horse" if they aren't open to
that particular genre of music. Many of my students are VERY
jazz oriented, and others are very much classically bound, so we
expand horizons without making them hate it.

I have found in my own studies that I enjoy technical work to
practice, prefer linear melodic things to play in a polished
state, and am rather uninterested in music that doesn't
challenge me at this point in my career. I have other musical
outlets for the less technical musical pursuits (I'm a karaoke
junkie...lol) so I do get the dessert pieces along with the meat
and potatoes.

My 20th Century Composition teacher in college used to tell us
that we shouldn't listen to things we like, but only things we
don't, so we can expand our horizons. Although I do think we
should expand our horizons by doing things we wouldn't normally
do, there is a huge repertoire for clarinet, so even if we only
did the things we liked, we can still have a world of musical
expansion. I fall in the middle of the two worlds (like most of
us) and think we should do enough of both to enrich our lives
while also keeping us happy in our musical pursuits.

Kelly Abraham
Woodwinds - Computer Geek
New York City

P.S. I love *playing* Brahms, but fall asleep listening to
anything by Brahms. I love listening to Gerald Finzi, but am
less fond of playing Finzi pieces, even though I like the end
result. There is something to say about the big clarinet
composers like Mozart, von Weber, and Brahms, who all had some
collaboration with a professional clarinetist when writing their
pieces. Their pieces seem to be very accessible for playing
*and* listening for most. Some people are better at musical
result, some at technical result, and some at both (usually ones
with knowledge of the instrument who happen to be a good
composer too, or who collaborate.) No one has to like all the
music for playing and listening. Glad to hear others with
similar takes on it to my thoughts!

--- "Patricia A. Smith" <arlyss1@-----.net> wrote:
> Ormondtoby Montoya wrote:
>
> >Patricia Smith wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> >>and [I] hope I never have to play any of his
> >>stuff again (Music to "The Magic Flute" and
> >>his other operas excepted). I don't mind
> >>LISTENING to other players playing Mozart
> >>[snip] Seriously, though, I just find other
> >>music more enjoyable to play, personally.
> >>
> >>
> >
> >I assume you mean that, if you're sitting in an orchestra or
> large ensemble, you can't hear the other instruments in their
> intended balance, and therefore whatever portion of the
> composition that you *can* hear may not sound pleasing to you?
> >
> >But to discuss solos or duets or small ensembles --- and I've
> wondered from time to time if we listen with a different
> 'pleasure center' while playing, compared to listening without
> playing; and perhaps we enjoy the sound of a composition in
> one 'mode' of listening, but not in the other?
> >
> >
> Hmmm, this is an interesting question. Very interesting.
>
> For me the answers are yes and no, not surprisingly. With the
> operas,
> part of the reason I do find them enjoyable to play is 1) I
> haven't
> "played them to death" nor analyzed them to death; and 2) I
> find opera a
> lot of fun dramatically; I ADORE Rossini's works, mostly
> because I was
> introduced to them via high school band playing transcriptions
> of the
> overtures, and got into them that way! I find the melodrama
> just lots
> of fun! OTOH, for sheer playing enjoyment, as well as
> compositional
> techniques utilized, I simply enjoy playing more modern works,
> as
> opposed to those of the period of Mozart. Copland's Concerto
> is also a
> favorite of mine - though I imagine plenty of people also
> think that has
> been beaten to death by now as well. I enjoy the types of
> harmonies and
> rhythms late 19th and early 20th century composers employ, and
> so my
> personal preferences. Guilty as charged, in this respect.
>
> I do think that while playing in "work" mode, I am going to
> "enjoy" the
> music on a certain level a bit less - I'm more likely to
> concentrate on
> aspects such as blending with the other instruments in a
> particular
> manner, achieving the particular tone color the composer
> wanted, or
> (most likely) attempting to perform in such a way as not to
> gain the
> attention of a conductor who is likely to throw a tantrum my
> way.
>
> Patricia Smith

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