 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Laur
Date: 2001-02-26 21:02
Okay, here is my tenitive schedule, i'm proposing to Guidance tomorrow :
English*
History*
Heath*
Gym*
Band/Orchestra
Choir
Music Theory
*'s are required courses
What else should I be taking my Senior year ( high school ) ? I want to go into Music Education- Should I take a 4th year of Spanish ? Should I look into Psych ? I want to go to either New England Conservatory, Crane school of music, Fredonia, possibly Ithica - I'm also auditioning for Juilliard ( Never know unless you try.. ) Help !
Laurie
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Author: Francesca
Date: 2001-02-26 21:28
My school lets certain students be teachers aides at the elementary schools. I was and aide for the middle school 7th grade band and it was a blast. The learning experience was great too. I saw first hand how kids think and what teaching techniques work. Hopefully your school offers something similar.
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Author: William
Date: 2001-02-26 21:28
Take fourth year spanish and learn all you can. Many universities will let you take a proficiency test in the language of your choice, and, if you pass, will give you the college credits for free. Lots of our high school graduates take advantage of this oppertunity at our state university and some get as many as 12 credits without ever attending a single class--and for free. Lucky them--when I went to high school (back in the "dark ages" when people lived in trees), no foreign language classes were offered, so that when I went on to college, the only foreign language I had a "head start" on was Canadian!!!! Good luck with your Senior year, and enjoy!!! Good clarineting.
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Author: Bob Curtis
Date: 2001-02-27 02:35
Laur:
Your choices are very good providing you have all of your other required courses covered. You indicate that you desire to become a teacher - Teacher of what? Band, choir, orchestra, you will have to make a choice. Chose the school you go to based upon which one can offer you the best courses to equip you to become an excellent teacher of your chosen field. This is my suggestion after teaching band for 37 years in Texas. I wouldn?t change it for anything. Good luck in your future choices.
Bob Curtis
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Author: Laur
Date: 2001-02-27 02:38
I want to become a teacher - 4th grade, begining band.. - the litt' ums.
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Author: Bob Curtis
Date: 2001-02-27 16:44
Laur:
I believe that you will have trouble starting beginners in the 4th grade as their fingers, etc., are just not developed enough to handle the instruments. Fingers won't close the holes on clarinets., arms won't reach the lower trombone positions, etc. I would recommend either the 6th grade or as early as possibly (?) 5th, but be careful of 5th because of the same reasons - fingers, etc. Some individuals start some classes on the Tonette in the 4th grade in connection with their elementary music classes, but a continuous class in this type of instrument class (Tonette) may be a little more difficult because of their attention span, etc. My speciality for the last 20 years of my 37 year teachning career was beginners and Junior High, so I do know a little about it. This can be a very rewarding area because you can get them started correctly if you don't rush what you are doing at first and insist that they do it correctly to avoid later problems. You can really see them progress day by day and week to week. Good luck in your future endeavors.
Bob Curtis
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Author: Laur
Date: 2001-02-27 20:00
In my school district we start in the summer of 4th grade. I have been student teaching, clarinet, flute and trumpet for the last 3 years.. They do have some problems covering the holes, but that is learned over time.
What is Tonette ?
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-02-27 21:47
You might want to investigate possible college choices in depth. Since your goal is to teach young students, some of the colleges you mention, while extremely strong in performance, may or may not be suitable for someone who's goal is elementary music education.
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Author: Chrissie
Date: 2001-02-28 02:07
How many classes are you allowed to take?! We only have a 7 period day at my school, and in general people are supposed to take 1 period off. I got away with 8 classes during my junior year by booking that *and* taking a zero period, but that was killer. That's pretty neat if you guys have enough time to have that many options....
As for what you should take..... take something interesting, fun. It's your last year of a free education. =) Let things start applying to your major when you get to college. You've got enough music to cover your bases. I also want to be a Music Major (though I'm not sure in exactly what field-- performance if I can pull it off!) and my senior year schedule consists of AP English, Spanish 3, Honors Gov/Econ, AP Calculus and Wind Ensemble. Just a little bit of everything. =)
Good luck in whatever you decide though!
Chrissie
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Author: Stephen Froehlich
Date: 2001-02-28 03:46
One thing to realize, Laur, is that this is your last chance to get all of this for free. Placing out of as much Spanish as possible in college will be really helpful. Language classes are almost universally time consuming, hard, and fast paced in college. Get it out of the way now.
If I were you, I'd drop the theory class in favor of Spanish. Chior is great, singing almost always helps your playing. I guess the exception to this is if music theory is going to be just you, the band director, and one or two other people or a normal class. If its a small group and can move at a brisk pace it might be worth it. Most all schools accept language AP exams, but I don't know if the conservatories will accept music theory AP's.
Note: I entered school with 21 hours. (One short of being a sopohomore.) Its one of the main things that gave me the freedom to pursue music in college while I got my fizix degree.
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Author: Jim
Date: 2001-02-28 04:11
A Tonette is (was?) a plastic "modern" version of a recorder. It resembles a fat black cigar, about 10 inches long. It is pitched in c and covers the c major scale + d above and f#. I haven't seen one (except for the one I own) in 35 years! (A similar instrument was the "flutophone" which was white and sported a bell!) I was started on tonette in 3rd grade, and on clarinet in 4th.
Bob, here in South Jersey students are started on many instruments in 4th grade as was I and my son as well. Routinely 4th graders are started on clarinet, flute, trumpet, alto sax etc. Generally they are switched (if desired) to the larger instruments a year or 2 later as they grow, but it is amazing to sometimes see kids playing instruments almost as large as they are! I've seen string players start in 3rd grade or earlier, but on smaller student versions of the violin.
If students waited until sixth grade, there would be no bands/ orchestras in Middle/ Jr. High Schools, and High School bands would be full of less experienced players.
Obviously, any good instrumental teacher matches as closely as possible the physical attributes of students with the most suitable instruments.
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Author: Chrissie
Date: 2001-02-28 04:53
Starting in 6th grade isn't all bad...
I didn't have an option to start any earlier and although I would have loved to, I don't think our middle school band program suffered too greatly.
But then, there *was* 4th & 5th grade band a couple years before I got there..... stupid measure 5 and the budget cuts....
6th grade bands probably do have more potential for kids to be able to fit on the instrument they choose, physically and maturity wise. However, 4th and 5th grade bands would provide great introduction to music and playing it in general, so I think it can go either way easily enough.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-02-28 10:47
Jim wrote:
>
> A Tonette is (was?) a plastic "modern" version of a
> recorder. It resembles a fat black cigar, about 10 inches
> long. It is pitched in c and covers the c major scale + d
> above and f#. I haven't seen one (except for the one I own) in
> 35 years!
They are still made. I've seen them in music stores and a couple of years ago bought one as a nostalgia sort of thing myself. While they belong to the same family as recorders (i.e. fipple or block flutes), they aren't a modern version of the recorder but a separate entity.
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Author: Don Poulsen
Date: 2001-02-28 16:03
Fourth year Spanish would be good. Showing a high degree of proficiency in a few areas is impressive to college admissions people. Save the psychology for college.
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Author: Laur
Date: 2001-02-28 19:35
Hi !
Thanks for all your responces. Umm, I made my schedule up today, but I have another appoitment in "guidence" in 2 weeks to make some changes. I have all my classes that are mandatory.. my electives are Band/Orch, Choir, Music Theory and Multimedia. Right now I am taking 9 classes.. that's a lot for sr. year.. I don't even a lunch period.. I am thinking of dropping Multimedia and Choir. - I know these are both great classes, but I'm not dropping Theory or Band.. Is this wise ? I am friends with my choir instructor, ( I play flute for choir occassionaly.. ) and he said that he'll help me prepare for my sight singing audition.. and I have permission from the head of cultural arts to take voice lessons even though i am not in choir. Multimedia is a cool class.. My band director teaches it.. - I have a confict with one of the people in it, so i'm not sure.. - I have to take music theory. The class is small. This year in my Music Theory II class there is only 10 students. The dropout rate from year to year is incredible. My director wants to work with me so I could place out of Theory 1 in college.. so, who knows. I'm continuning with Spanish, so.. it's okay -
Dee - What colleges do you recommond for Music Education.. I want to stay in NY, A NY teaching lisence is supposvly better ? and i've been told Crane School of Music ( suny potsdam ) and Ferdonia are the two best schools ~ What's your opinion ?
Thanks !!
Laurie
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Author: Amanda Rose
Date: 2001-02-28 20:35
Here's my senior year schedule!!! (everyone else is sharing) We have 9 periods. And I've already taken music theory.
AP English
AP European History
AP Calculus
Spanish IV
Wind Ensemble
Jazz Ensemble I
Middle School Band Tutor
I'm looking forward to the tutoring... but I really don't know if I can handle going as a music ed. major.
Adios!
Amanda Rose
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2001-02-28 21:23
Music theory will be taught yet again most probably as required subject in your college. Dropping it in your senior year shouldn't be an impediment.
If you don't play keyboard I highly encourage you to start. It'll be required somewhere down the line, and those that can't play a keyboard are at great disadvantage - not only will they have to take their primary instrument courses, but will also have to take a (very difficult & condensed) keyboard course.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-02-28 22:25
My field is engineering so I can't really advise you on music schools. I simply wanted to encourage you to look at schools in depth based on your own personal goals since performance and education are quite different.
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Author: Bob Curtis
Date: 2001-03-01 02:40
Laur:
In college you learn all the rules in Music theory I the first year and learn how to BREAK all the rules in year II. All the music courses you can take will help and be good for you and give you an edge when you get to college. You might want to watch out for one thing - the method of theory you learn in high school as opposed to college. This might cause some confusion as to nomenclature, etc. Shouldn't be too hard, though. Not sure about no lunch period - dont forget that the body and soul both need food! Thanks to all for the explanations about the "Tonette."Good luck during your senior year, Laur. Graduate with honors!!
Bob Curtis
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