 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Meri
Date: 2004-12-28 22:09
Have any of you dealt with the issue of a high school-age student who you know has outgrown their student-grade instrument, but won’t, or doesn’t want to upgrade their instrument? It is not a matter of money (I have found a good intermediate instrument for $50 more than what I could get for his) or even having a buyer for the student’s instrument (I currently have two potential buyers for his).
I know an instrument upgrade will allow him to expand his dynamic range further, it’s like he’s much more able to get the really soft and really loud dynamics so much more easily. (I had him experiment with dynamic range on my instrument compared to his)
The same student also plays a lot (school band, Toronto Concert Winds, private lessons, lots of practicing), but neglects the care of the instrument in terms of getting it adjusted. His current instrument has not been adjusted for at least a year (I have constantly bugged him and his parents about it), it currently needs one pretty badly, but, their parents have not taken the instrument in. His dad has kept promising me that they would, but never have, and won’t let me do it for them.
Ideas?
Meri
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2004-12-28 22:30
Back off. You're lucky you still have this student. You've let them know the problem.
There's probably a very good personal reason why the clarinet hasn't been upgraded (just because someone looks like they're doing well financially doesn't mean they are!).
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2004-12-29 00:26
I agree with Mark. A student isn't going to tell you the truth if his parents are having financial trouble, or just unable to spend the extra money on the instrument. If he doesn't want it enough to do odd jobs or raise the money, he wouldn't take care of it anyway.
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Author: 3dogmom
Date: 2004-12-29 00:40
I agree with the above. Your student and his parents are obviously getting what they want from his performing. Be glad that he is making music and leave it at that.
Sue
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Author: allencole
Date: 2004-12-29 05:41
This, along with your other two threads prompts a couple of thoughts:
1 - Try to examine whether you are trying to be too controlling with your students and their circumstances. A number of people have advised you to back off and I would second what I see in their posts.
2 - If the student himself doesn't desire the upgrade, I see no point in pushing it. The repair situation is more curious, but maybe he doesn't feel like he can let go of the horn long enough to put it in the shop. Is there anything minor that you can adjust to buy him some time?
3 - Your description of this student included "lots of practicing." Try to be thrilled by this, and shelve your complaints. Whatever produces 'lots of practicing' is something you want to keep.
4 - Be careful how pushy you are with various issues. Once they are brought to the students' and parents' attention, you have done your duty. How to decide when to press an issue? Ask yourself what issue you would be willing to lose the student over.
Allen Cole
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Author: Gandalfe
Date: 2004-12-29 15:31
I had the same problem with a fifth grader (who has been playing sax for three years). His high notes are painfully out of tune. So at the last community band concert (yes, he has an exception to be in the band) I wouldn't let him play loud on the high notes.
So we moved him to tenor this year and continue to work with him on his intonation. His parents bought him a beautiful Selmer SA80 series II tenor off e-bay that he was having problems with. The parents thought it was the boy. So went the came to pick him up from a lesson, I had him play a piece with my tenor. They were floored at the difference and took their son's sax in that week for maintenance.
Sometimes a demonstration is worth a thousand protestations. :o)
Jim and Suzy
Pacifica Big Band
Seattle, Washington
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2004-12-29 18:56
There may not be money for repairs. It sounds like the parents are trying to "save face" as far as telling you about getting the repairs done and then not doing them. There may be a lot of pride in this family and it would embarass the student greatly if you pushed too much about this issue. Let him do the best he can with what he has until he volunteers to get repairs done or get a better instrument. My bet is he's a wonderfully talented kid with no extra money available for anything beyond his lessons.
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Author: pewd
Date: 2004-12-29 19:35
i used gandalf's trick - swiched my student's mpc to my r13 when the parent was 1/2 asleepin the next room ; the parent jumped up as soon as the kid started playing my horn, the sound was that much improved. the result was a brand new pro horn for the student.
unfortunately the local economy is still suffering, at least among some of my students. some receive lessons through their schools band parent organization, and a few literally can't afford reeds, much less a decent mouthpiece, basic repairs, upgraded instruments, etc., or in one case, can't even afford cork grease. and thats the one with the most raw natural talent.
one even made all region on a horn i'd throw in the dumpster.
so we just have to plug along and work with what we have. i do wish i'd find a source of wholesale reeds, mouthpieces, swabs, etc. for my broke students... i do repair their horns for them, but there is only so much we can do. maybe bill gates will set up a trust fund for broke artists some day...
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: Meri
Date: 2004-12-29 21:28
Gandafe: Oddly enough, something similar happened late this morning to my student--he called me just before noon ET to tell me that his low E/F and the twelfth B/C were not working properly anymore (air leaks), so he and his dad are taking in his instrument tommorrow to get the adjustment done. Actually the people who handle the adjustments and repairs of my instrument and my students do the adjustment while-you-wait for no money, which other places would charge at least $20 for. But I send them lots of customers for instrument purchases anyway, once a $4000+ one.
As for the instrument upgrade, that will be held off for a while, the student is getting braces put in tommorrow. (the other reason he called me, about braces and clarinet) That I can understand.
Meri
"There is a difference between being flat and sounding in tune, and being in tune but sounding flat. The first I can live with; the second I cannot."
Post Edited (2004-12-29 21:55)
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