 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2005-08-01 19:54
I'm in the dreaded "offseason" of clarineting right now. Summer band finished two weeks ago. My chamber orchestra doesn't meet again until September. My woodwind quartet doesn't have a gig until the fall. And though I have a recital in January I need to prepare for, January just seems... so... far... away. It's been nice having a break from performances and rehearsals, but I'm starting to feel a bit disconnected from the horn.
I'm not the most disciplined practicer around, and if I'm not in the thick of a concert season, I have trouble keeping up the ol' motivation. Up until the municipal band season ended two Sundays ago, it had been a very busy summer on the clarinet with lots of side stuff going on, so the break is nice. But I'm starting to miss it.
Anybody else have trouble keeping the motivation up all by your onesies? Not looking for advice, as I'm sure most advice would be of the "man up, Nancy!" variety. Just wondering aloud.
________________
Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.
- Pope John Paul II
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Author: stevensfo
Date: 2005-08-01 20:35
I wonder how many other band members are feeling the same?
Do you have their emails/ tel numbers?
Why not get together? Could be fun!
Steve
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-08-01 20:55
Play for fun. Play along with the radio etc. Play by ear. Clean you horns.
Buy a new horn!!! Anything....as long as you play every day.
Bob Draznik
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Author: D
Date: 2005-08-01 21:09
If you are one of those strange people who actually 'like' doing concerts then why not offer to do some short concerts for charity. Residential care homes, school fund raisers, hospitals, church fete, senior sitizens club, etc. Go through your music, work out what you can play well enough to perform in public (with or without pianist/full orchestra) and then you are in a position to say yay or nay to any questions - or offer a selection from people to choose from.
Or you could try and make some money for yourself and put the money towards new bits of kit.....depending on the income laws of your country of course.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2005-08-01 21:12
One summer in high school, there were rehearsals for rising 9th graders to prepare them for the high school band. I sat in and learned to play flute.
If there's no organized place to play, get together with one or two other people and play for fun.
If you end up alone, get fluent in transposition by playing everything a step up for a month. If you get bored, read 1/2 step up and 1/2 step down, learn to read bass clef, practice transposing Eb parts (by reading low register fingerings in the clarion), and learn to read viola parts (in alto clef) by reading bass clef.
There's bound to be SOME music going on. There are always recorder players around. You can catch up with the average recorder player in a hurry, since soprano recorder fingerings are almost the same as clarinet clarion fingerings, and alto recorder fingerings match chalumeau fingerings.
Churches have music every week. Volunteer to sing or play in services.
Get a group together to play in the local mall, at nursing homes and at libraries. There are very nice oom-pah band books in 5 parts for playing at bars, BBQs and parks. Play the national anthem at ball games.
Talk with your band director, and the owner of the local music store, and your teacher, and the conductors of local professional groups.
There are infinite possibilities, most of which are there for you to create.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Burt
Date: 2005-08-01 22:19
My summer series runs through August 13.
I'm a part-time music student, and the audition material for fall band was just posted, so I'll be busy with that all month.
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Author: larryb
Date: 2005-08-01 22:40
Despite your plea to not receive advice, you seem to have gotten quite a bit.
All I can add is: "man up, Nancy" (have no idea what that means)
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2005-08-02 00:42
Get some kids together and play some simple -to-hard ensemble stuff. Clarinet quartets. Show them the way.
Bob Phillips
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-08-02 22:14
I've taken off pretty much every summer. Summer is my only relaxation time (if one can really call it that considering I still work through it) and I take this time to enjoy life (and during the early summer, allergies) outside the walls of a practice room, auditorium, etc.
I also do a lot of reflecting on how I've grown musically (was it a lot? Was it a little? Do I recognize playing better in June than I remember playing last September?) and I take this time to make decisions as to where I'm going to go musically. Do I want to play here or there? Do I want maybe branch out or really focus in? Etc. Etc.
I see no real harm in taking a few weeks off, provided you CAN get back up on the horse when the time comes. Or maybe after reflecting you've decided NOT to get back on the horse. I find the summer is my time to throw commitments to the wind and just relax and enjoy the warm (unBEARABLY warm up here in Jersey) weather.
Is what I do right? Probably not to a professional, but as a hobbyist, it works and keeps me sane and also keeps up my interest level when I delve back into things and set new goals.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: GoatTnder
Date: 2005-08-02 23:53
It is a little difficult to keep up a rigirous practice schedule when you're essentially playing for yourself. I used to put the horn down completely for three months of the year. Nowadays I'm playing essentially year round, so it's not as much of a concern, though summer stuff is less intensive so practice is less intensive. Most likely because currently my lessons are tied to the school year (discount rate plus college credit, how can I lose?!).
I figure the best way to get through summer is to play something that's at least mildly entertaining. I've been going through the Rose 32 etudes at a fairly brisk pace. One every couple days. And, though the technical aspects are recieving their due attention (i.e. making sure passages are played with the right notes in the right spot without extra grace notes in the middle, etc), the majority of my practice is focused on breathing, tone, and musicality. Because, really, it's the technical stuff that gets you upset. So don't dwell on it. Save that for your teacher to beat you over the head with. (Also moving through pieces this fast has the added bonus of not annoying the people I live with quite as much, since they aren't hearing the same passages over and over and over for days and days.)
Andres Cabrera
South Bay Wind Ensemble
www.SouthBayWinds.com
sbwe@sbmusic.org
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