 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2008-05-30 14:33
Spring concert this past Tuesday my son Michael (5th grader) was asked to play a solo in it. I put it up on youtube and he starts around 1 min 30 seconds (trumpet duo before him....)
It was played on a Legere Student Strength 2 1/2 reed. Used Legere for it as I didn't want him to have to deal with the reed being dry, overly wet, warped, broken.
The Barrel is his elem graduation gift (cocobolo). Probably one of Backuns youngest customers. He's played since 4th grade but his mom who he lives with mostly encourages his Electric Guitar practice as she's the one paying for those lessons.......
http://youtube.com/user/blummy24x7
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
Post Edited (2008-06-03 11:21)
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2008-05-30 15:04
Very nice, too bad the band isn't playing behind him, they coudl at least finger-sync
--
Sylvain Bouix <sbouix@gmail.com>
Post Edited (2008-05-30 15:04)
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Author: C2thew
Date: 2008-05-30 15:46
kudos to him
Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. they are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which was already but too easy to arrive as railroads lead to Boston to New York
-Walden; Henry Thoreau
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Author: seafaris
Date: 2008-05-30 21:49
Very good. It is very rewarding to watch the kids perform.
...Jim
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Author: donald
Date: 2008-05-30 23:53
very good idea to use the Legere for school type performances- often the students have to sit/wait around for ages with no opportunity to warm up properly. My experience is that the Legere is perfect for these situations.
Also, if the student is too tense then they "clamp up", if they are on a cane reeds it's always "oh no, i've got to play but my reed doesn't work" and they come running to me... or "i don't know what to do" etc etc
If they are using a Legere they can't blame the reed for magically changing just as they were about to play, so in my experience they then adjust their playing to the reed without a huge huh-hah and get on with the job.
As for the tone....
in the last few weeks i've had a Genusa student model mouthpiece in my case, a number of students have tried it with a Legere 2 (not the special "student strength") and in almost every case were able to sound great.
My experience is that the Legere doesn't sound as good as most of my cane reeds, but that the Legere almost (there are exceptions) always sounds better than my students reeds!
dn
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Author: mamashep
Date: 2008-06-02 03:37
Not to mention, I have a few....um....less experienced players in my middle school band that seem to have an appetite for reeds. Every time I go through the section to check reeds, these certain students seem to have eaten the tip off! And I go through the section every other day!
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Author: Bartmann
Date: 2008-06-02 13:49
David,
Your son sounds excellent!
But his excellence has me wondering....
I assume he has had the benefit of a professional teacher (Mr. Blumb'g) for most of his life, because what better gift to give your child than the gift of music. This gives him a great advantage over his peers (as evidenced by his capable playing).
Does this mean that to become a professional orchestral musician, one has to have a lifetime of music learning and talent?
I think of Anton Stadtler whose playing was so beautiful he inspired Mozart. Yet I am pretty confident that the average conservatory player today would easily exceed his playing (In the same way olympic athletes today are clearly better than those of 50 years ago.)
So in order to succeed musically today, are the basic requirements a parent devoted to music and innate talent?
Just wondering.
Bartmann
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Author: Keith P
Date: 2008-06-03 05:04
Wonderful job! Thanks for sharing =).
Bartman,
I think you are missing the point of this. We are celebrating and reminiscing of the early years of playing. Sure he is talented and he has had great instruction, but he is by no means more prone to excel as a professional as any other young player. Sure his early start and strong instruction will most definitely help him in middle school and high school, but he can be out worked by other kids who put in more time on the horn. It's all about motivation, discipline, and dedication.
Please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe Anton Stadler used a more primitive horn and equipment than we do, as well as a much less competitive environment.
So simply, to answer your question, no. =).
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2008-06-03 11:21
He started last year and didn't practice much at all. His mom pushed the Electric Guitar as that was what she pays for lessons. So when he stays with me he would bring his instrument and even then not always practice as I don't want to push him.
He got fired up just this past February when his band director picked him and 2 others to participate in junior district (regional) band (grades 5&6). He got to see what other kids who were into playing and what good music was all about. Then he started to work hard on his own. His band director picked him to do a solo at the concert 3 weeks ago and then the "real" work" started. He started practicing like he should have been all along and now is seeing what that can actually do.
He most likely won't major in music as if/when the time comes that the direction may be considered, I'll give him the whole picture and make sure that he knows just how hard a life it really is.
I'd consider All State Band as being a long term goal if that's what he wants to do. It's got to be about enjoying making music and appreciating it.
But the women and the fame sure are irresistible!
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
Post Edited (2008-06-03 11:31)
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2008-06-03 13:10
David, congratulations to your son, and to you and your wife for giving him the opportunity. Getting picked for a solo must be one of the most rewarding *and* inspiring things that can happen to a young music student. It means he doesn't have to worry that he's only fantasizing or hearing proud parents build his esteem. The solo means he's recognized. It means he's got concrete evidence, from an unbiased source, that he really can do it. He can build on that accomplishment.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2008-06-03 13:46
My X wife doesn't ever tell him to practice. She's from a sports minded family and to her the "band geek" stigma is something that she doesn't want.
My wife (His stepmom) laughs at the situation as she is very pro music and gets a kick out of the situation. Its poetic justice to her.
We just bought him a Sax this Sunday. He wants to make middle school jazz band in the fall. I didn't want him to try lower than a D, but he took that as a challenge and got a Bb. I taped the lesson so that he can have it when he is old enough to appreciate it.
I have a tape of me playing at 3 months, squeaking, squaking at a fast rate with my Beagle howling in the background.
Priceless....
Burnout is always a concern with a talented student, so it has to be him, not me that drives it.
Good bonding though!
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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