 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: kc261
Date: 2008-06-25 18:47
My 11 yr old daughter is starting clarinet, and I want to do everything I can to get her a good start. Unfortunately we are very limited financially so something like private lessons every week just is not an option. So my question is, how can I get the most bang for the few bucks I have to spend?
Her soon-to-be band director (starting in the fall) did spend a little time with us to see what instrument she was interested in and seemed to have a natural talent for. So he did show her the very basics and she was even able to play "Hot Cross Buns". He uses SmartMusic, so we will be using that, but during the summer the director won't be available, so it will be just the computer program, without the direction and feedback of a human instructor.
I have researched and it seems like Essential Elements and Accent on Achievement are recommended method books which are on the SmartMusic system. So we will probably buy one or the other of those books and follow along with it using SmartMusic. Since she has been shown how to get a note and we can find fingering charts, we could in theory go with just that.
However, I am concerned that without someone to *see* what she is doing and give personal feedback, she might pick up some bad habits which will have to be unlearned later. I am thinking that even 1 or 2 lessons with a good instructor might go a long way towards preventing that. Is 1 or 2 lessons enough to be worth it?
Does anyone have any other suggestions?
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2008-06-25 18:54
I could imagine that during the summer there are a number of music students eager to brush up their savings with lessons, rather than just mowing lawns, flipping burgers or walk dogs.
--
Ben
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2008-06-25 19:47
I think that getting one or two lessons is an excellent idea. Several adult amateur musician friends have taken a few "brush-up" lessons without signing on for a lengthy commitment. I have the impression that many teachers are happy to make limited arrangements, especially in the summer, when some of their regular students take a break from lessons for a few weeks to go on family vacations. (Professional musicians probably understand limited budgets better than just about anybody.)
For instance, about a week ago, I wrote a complimentary e-mail to a harp teacher, because she'd posted an exceptionally helpful article online about how to compose for the harp--an instrument that's a complete mystery to me. She wrote back and offered to put me in touch with a harp teacher in my area. She suggested I take a couple of lessons to learn something about how this instrument works, even though I don't own a harp and don't plan to learn how to play one. It's an excellent suggestion and I may follow through on it. I'd be happy to pay for the teacher's time in order to learn how to avoid composing something unplayable--a big problem for harp players, apparently!
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: Tobin
Date: 2008-06-25 21:01
Kc261,
One, two, or three lessons with someone who really knows how to teach beginners could be the difference between early (and even late) success, confidence, and dedication vs. frustration and painful growing pains.
The money would be wisely spent with the right teacher.
I use and teach with Smartmusic, and for all that it CAN do, the formative fundamentals that are idiomatic to a given instrument are not included.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2008-06-26 03:14
How about a lesson every two weeks, and maybe get a uni student to teach her, which should probably have a lower price. Or something similar to that.
>> ...or walk dogs
Actually I know a professional player (soloist) who walks (not his own) dog, but obviously not for the money 
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Author: D
Date: 2008-06-26 09:10
If you are looking at Uni students there might be millage in trading lessons for laundry services or something similar that they find time consuming and difficult living in dorms. I used to have lessons with a uni student and it worked out well for all concerned. One of her main needs was that lesson times fitted around her lectures, rehearsals, coursework and school teaching practice etc. and would often change every week. It could be a matter of matching up with someone whose needs fit in with yours. Money isn't the only currency. Bartering was invented first!
Near where I live it is not unheard of for adult community bands to have a junior section in which they teach younger players. You might find she receives better instruction this way that at school in the band.
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Author: clariniano
Date: 2008-06-26 18:25
Another idea is to purchase some good clarinet recordings, or even dowload the mp3s that are out there of much of the standard repertoire. I did not take private lessons until I was 20 years old (because I couldn't afford to pay for them at the time and my parents were unwilling to pay for lessons) but my teacher at the time at my very first lesson asked me if I listened to recordings (which I did--a lot) and he said it was obvious!
As a teacher myself, I would certainly consider certain services other than money in exchange for lessons. I've actually posted ads online that my boyfriend and I were looking for someone to clean our place in exchange for lessons, as I totally hate doing it myself, with a venegence. I would also consider having someone prepare our meals two or three times a week in exchange for lessons. If someone was an a tight budget I'd also consider alternative pyament structures, instead of monthly which I normally do, I would let them play every other week if they prove a real need. Sometimes in exchange for part of the fee I have students work for me, like folding brochures, working as page turners for concerts, my concert mailing list, among other things.
After all, where there's a will, there's a way. Even when I first started taking lessons, I explained to my teacher my situation, he normally charged $60/h for lessons but we agreed on $40 (but we exchanged a lot of music and I did various other things for him. He let me pay at each lesson, but sometimes I would pay my teachers for two lessons in advance. He was even known to give much more than I had paid for I "paid" for an hour, but 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours was quite common, a few times 2 hour lessons. The days of the two hour lessons, I offered to pay him for the time, but he refused it! A shorter lesson might also be possible. Most of my students take 45 min lessons, with 4 students who take hour long lessons and three (very young piano students) who take half hour lessons.
But, and this I've learned from the transfer students I receive a lot: don't go to a music school (I mean the ones focussed on young children) I have found that while they do get cheap lessons, the students lack in a lot of skills.
Meri
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