Klarinet Archive - Posting 000129.txt from 2006/03

From: Gary Truesdail <gir@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Help with teaching
Date: Wed, 08 Mar 2006 01:19:39 -0500

In the very early days of my teaching career I was a substitute. I came
across a student that was writing everything upside down. The top of her
paper was near her and her arm and hand was were curved completely
around. What to you and I would pushing the pencil up the page away from
the body, she was pushing the pencil in towards her because that was
where the top of her paper was. I could stand in front of her desk and
read perfectly what she was writing. Anything up close within arms reach
she saw upside down. Distance was not a problem.

Does your student see the lines? Can she read music better if it were
another color? Can she read music better if it were enlarged? Do both
eyes function equally well? I once had a blind student, euphonium, that
had all of his music translated into Braille by a local Society For The
Blind and a blind guitar student. The guitar student was not a problem
as I make fret-fingering charts on 3" by 4" cards and she would hold
them up to within 2 inches of her eyes and could read the info as
shadows. She never had to read a card a second time . She had her
printed music enlarged and managed to keep up with the class. Both
students were an interesting challenge and lots of fun.

They both had good memories. Had to explain something like which finger
on which string on which fret played which note. Rarely forgot.

GaryT

GrabnerWG@-----.com wrote:

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