Author: redwine
Date: 2007-06-11 12:12
Hello Mags1957,
Perhaps you did not read my post precisely. I never said "just a band director". In fact, I've met quite a lot of band directors throughout my life and there are only two that had complete knowledge of every instrument to the point of knowing about mouthpiece curves for clarinets, for instance. I don't imply in any way that band directors are inept, to the contrary. However, with having to deal with flutes, horns, trombones, etc. (not to mention school administrative duties) there is simply not the time in the day for a band director to have the knowledge about every instrument in their band class, unless their band is incredibly small. Please don't take personal offense, but I do stand behind my remarks and hope that you'll reread them without thinking that I am criticizing band directors. I'm merely giving my best advice that (and there are exceptions) a band director is not the person that should be giving clarinetists advice, unless that band director happens to be a clarinetist. The same is true for a trumpter, etc.
We don't know the motivation behind this teacher's comments. Perhaps the teacher is a private teacher, or a clarinetist band director. Perhaps he/she hears that the student is playing a soft reed. There simply is not enough information to know exactly what is going on. Until we do, all of these posts are speculative.
By the way, Mags, I googled you. I can see that you are one of the people to which I refer (the two band directors that know all of the instruments). On your website, I see that you are proficient in all instruments. You are the VERY rare teacher that can do it all. I must assert that simply because other teachers do not have your proficiency (and therefore intimate knowledge) on all instruments, they are not bad teachers. I think the best scenario for a young student is to have a good band or orchestra director AND a private instructor.
Ben Redwine, DMA
owner, RJ Music Group
Assistant Professor, The Catholic University of America
Selmer Paris artist
www.rjmusicgroup.com
www.redwinejazz.com
www.reedwizard.com
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The Clarinet BBoard
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