Author: sfalexi
Date: 2010-07-29 01:58
And not just cause he's a great player. Cause he's younger than me, and he's a great player. I've been doing some thinking, and he worked hard and studied, and got sent to a great university to play and learn clarinet when he was young. Less time on this earth than me.
And while I don't have the same opportunities, and I have other things in my life that may have to take priority, it goes to show me that it really just takes determination, guidance, and time. I'll be the first to admit, I do NOT have the determination to be a world-class soloist. But I have the time. And will hopefully have some guidance. And I DO have the determination to get better.
So really, I was inspired by his performance and Q&A. When asked how he learns hard passages, he responded with, "Slow it down, practice different rhythms" all stuff that everyone's told to do. It's just he took it to heart and did it with all the determination that it'll work. And when asked how he circular breathes, he gave a quick description of the mechanics behind it, a few exercises that would help, and then stated how it took him about "six months" to get to work well. It's just he took those six months to learn it at a much younger age than I am. And I just have to remember that it potentially WON'T work for six months, maybe longer. But if you stick with it, it'll learn.
So now I'm pretty fired up to get a teacher and start getting some guidance. I'm working on finding a good schedule to maximize practice time while still retaining family time and performance time (in the Army Band I have commitments I need to adhere to),
And if you think you can't get better or make it, just keep in mind that he was able to do it in less time. While you may think that's discouraging, I keep it in perspective. He was able to do it in less time, but with a world-class teacher, at an age where he didn't have a family of his own or a full-time job, and his goal from the get-go was to be the best in the world.
I may never have a teacher with quite as many CDs or solo performances under his/her belt, and I have to divide up my time amongst a few more people and events in my life, but I also have a drive to get better. And I will. It'll just take a little more time.
And if you're in middle-school or high-school and your goal is to be fulltime performer, take advantage of the time you have now. It may mean you have to sacrifice some hanging out time with the friends, but that all depends on your priorities. You have to make necessary sacrifices now to reap the benefits later. It is up to YOU how much you're willing to sacrifice. Just know that there's a direct relationship to how much you'll benefit.
Alexi
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The Clarinet BBoard
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