Klarinet Archive - Posting 000208.txt from 2004/10

From: Diane Karius <dikarius@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Differing skill levels in community groups
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2004 23:39:26 -0400

I've started running sectionals every other week for
our clarinet section - strictly voluntary. They serve
two purposes:

1) if we are playing difficult literature in the
up-coming concert, we'll work on those parts - there
are only two of us who I know practice regularly (she
takes lessons from the same teacher I do :-).
Sometimes this means we end up taking things very
slowly and giving the beat to the 8th note, but it has
improved the section tremendously.

2) if we are playing a lighter concert or just need a
break, I bring in chamber music for clarinets and we
play those (some parts may be doubled, some parts may
not get covered, depending on how many people show).
I have everyone hand their part to the next stand
after every movement, so that everyone gets to play as
many different parts as we have time for.

This has been great for getting to know everyone's
strengths - as I noted before, we too have a few
people who are far better than they think, while there
are those whose self-confidence exceeds their
abilities to some extent. Those players got a major
shock when they were thoroughly out-played in
sight-reading by one of the other members of the
section who they perceived as less capable then they
were...

As an aside - We read through most of Sean Osborn's
Quartet No. 1 for 4 Bb clarinets and it was excellent!

Diane Karius

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