 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: TomNY
Date: 2011-07-21 04:45
Greetings, everyone. I'm hoping someone can give me some feedback on a clarinet dilemma I'm facing at the moment.
I'm the father of an 11-year-old clarinet player (going into 7th grade). My son is a good musician--not a prodigy, but that's not the issue here. He's been given a piece by his clarinet teacher to prepare for next year's state music festival (NYSSMA, for those of you who know New York). The piece is Concerto in Eb for Clarinet and Piano, by Franz Anton Rossler (the second of the composer's two clarinet concerti in this key).
Here's my problem/question: I think this piece is way too difficult for a musician of this age. I'm a pianist, so I'm not sure what constitutes an appropriate piece for an 11-year-old clarinet player, but I thought somebody here might know. Of course I plan to bring my concerns to his teacher, but I'm hoping to hear what other experienced players think about this first. Are any of you familiar with this piece? In doing some cursory hunting around the internet, I see it listed on university websites (in one case, as an appropriate audition piece for the university). That in itself seems to substantiate my concern. But I'm not looking to be "right" here; I'm trying to find out if perhaps I'm way off base in thinking this piece is more likely suited to a senior high school student than a seventh grader. In reading the score myself, I thought it was a pretty busy piece. I've been listening as my son practices, and I know he's reading rhythms wrong in numerous places (his teacher says they'll clean this up later, but that makes no sense to me whatsoever), and his tempo is erratic overall. I think he's in way over his head, but I assume it's a NYSSMA Level 5 piece, which is what he's supposedly ready for at this point.
I know I've gone on very long here, and I'm grateful to anyone who's taken the time to read this and who might be able to help. Thanks for sharing your musical knowledge, and best wishes to everyone in this online community.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2011-07-21 05:25
I am a NYSSMA judge in New York.
The Rossler Concerto is listed as a Level 5 piece in the NYSSMA manual, but more importantly it contains many concepts and technical difficulties usually not yet encountered by an 11 year old clarinet player.
Aside from the length of the movement and the endurance it takes to complete it, there are also numerous trills, turns, mordents, arpeggios, etc... that usually have not yet been mastered by a younger player.
Also, there is a cadenza the end of the movement which will be scored very strictly as to technique and correct interpretation.
To me, it sounds as if the band director has suggested a piece far over the head of your son. Perhaps it is better to play a lower level piece and achieve a nice score rather than struggle to learn something which can better be enjoyed in later years (late Jr. High or High School)
Don't forget, the NYSSMA requirement for scales increases to all 15 on Level 5 as well as sight reading becoming more difficult with compound meters and advanced rhythms.
As an aside, we see far too many students attempting to play pieces which they have no right to play, primarily by being assigned incorrectly by their band director or lesson teacher. As a judge, I would have no problem making that point very clear in the student's evaluation.
...GBK
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Author: TomNY
Date: 2011-07-21 11:41
GBK--Thank you so very, very much for taking the time to write such a complete and helpful response! Your professional knowledge is a treasure, exceeded only by your generosity.
Your neighbor in the town of Roslyn....Tom
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Author: ThatPerfectReed
Date: 2011-07-21 12:37
TomNY:
I grew up on Long Island too. I did NYSSMA back in H.S. when the festival was held at the Concord Hotel in upstate NY--sigh---brings back memories...
OK--while I don't know the piece, I do know this.
A NYSSMA Level 5 piece for someone going into 7th grade? That's highly unusual unless Tom Jr. has Julian Bliss like capabilities.
It sounds like, from your initial post, that "Tom Jr" has talent, ability and potential, not virtuocity (yet?) --absoultely no offense intended.
Trying to give his teacher the benefit of the doubt, maybe there were other things he had in mind when he assigned "Tom Jr." this piece, NYSSMA notwithstanding. Otherwise, all other things considered, I think your son would get more right now out of tackling a piece more in the NYSSMA 3 - 4 range.
He's apt to have a better chance at finishing it at the level I assume him to be a based on his age and your descriptiont, and not get frustrated in the process. And if he finishes it, he can perform it: something he should be doing as much as possible to prepare for being judged by others (read: NYSSMA).
Two more suggestions: you've heard of Music Minus One (MMO)?? Maybe he could tackle a piece for which there's an album. (Even if there isn't, downloadable piano accompanyments are all the rage now.)
If you don't feel like ordering online you could take a trip up to my Westchester County neck of the woods and visit MMO at their Tarrytown headquarters.
Second, consider Weiner Music, ifyou haven't already done so, for you son's clarinet needs. They're at 168 Jericho Tpke in Mineola, a bicycle ride from you in Roslyn, I imagine, between Mineola Blvd and Willis Avenue.
weinermusic.com
The store front isn't impressive, but this is a highly focused internet woodwind outfit that I've been dealing with since I met Fred (Weiner), oddly enough, at a NYSSMA conference, (before it seemed there was electric and running water) back in 1981.
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Author: TomNY
Date: 2011-07-21 22:42
ThatPerfectReed: Thank you for all your insight and helpful suggestions. Once again, I feel somewhat affirmed in my thinking. I'm ready to talk with my son's teacher and see what he thinks about all this. If his teacher (who, BTW, is a private teacher, not associated with our school district) is in agreement, it will make convincing my young musician a little easier. When I broached this topic with him, he was unfortunately (and typically, I'm afraid, considering his age) very defensive about his ability to handle this piece. Parenthood....what a trip. Anyway, thanks again for sharing your expertise--it means a lot!
In other responses... I had to smile. We had our Senior Weekend/Prom at the Concord Hotel back when I was in high school. *Sigh* indeed....
Thanks for the tip on Weiner Music as well. We've been using Lewis Music (on Jericho Tpke. in Mineola) at least in part because I'm longtime friends with the owner; he & I were in college together, actually--sat next to one another in our very first "Harmony, Counterpoint & Keyboard Skills" class. Still, it's good to have options locally, especially when it comes to looking for scores, instrument repair, etc. My little Virtuoso-in-Training also plays Bass Clari, and between the two instruments, we're always in need of something.
Best Wishes to you up in Westchester, from your neighbor down south. And may all your reeds be perfect ones (yes, I know....fat chance.) Tom
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Author: ThatPerfectReed
Date: 2011-07-22 03:29
More thoughts---depending on where you are in Roslyn, more Northern Rosylynites might prefer Port (Washinton) Music, at 938 Port Washinton Blvd.
Jonathan Wright, the store's proprietor, if memory serves me correctly, worked for Weiner Music before branching out on his own--so his shop is bound to have a woodwind focus to it--especially since Jonathan's a woodwind player himself (Bassoon I believe).
Second: here's the angle I'd take in getting your son to be more receptive to less challenging pieces. It's a paraphase of Stanley Drucker, principal clarinetists for the NY Philharmonic for 60+ years.
'There are plenty of technical players out there. People who have sat with the metronome over the course of years mastering difficult passages, fingerings and staccato. Technical ability comes with time. But artists--musicians who don't simply play the notes on a page, but tell a story, they are much more rare.'
Tom Jr. needs to work on pieces with his grasp, if not slightly above it right now, so he can learn to become an ARTIST, rather than somebody just looking to make it through the next 5 bars without an error---so bogged down with technical demands, that he can't see past them and into the intentions of the composer------not just another single reed player who manages the 16th notes at the end of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto's first movement.
More Drucker: In http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E42bO7_30k , Stanley gives praise to his teacher, the late great Leon Russianoff at 5:29, for not giving Drucker "to much orange soday" a metaphor he explains for "not overburden [me] him," with too much too fast.
Barring good reasons for Tom Jr.'s teacher to have chosen a NYSSMA 5 piece, let's not give Tom Jr. too much "orange soda" right now.
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