 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Deranged Winner
Date: 2020-09-19 03:14
I haven’t been playing the clarinet seriously since I didn’t do as well as I had hoped in an important competition and left my high school band. When I was in tenth grade, I hoped that the master class clarinet teacher who had multiple students make the TMEA All-State band every year would help improve everything about my fundamentals such as embouchure and air support. I didn’t do lessons in middle school, but there shouldn’t have been any excuse for him not to improve my tone quality. I went to him once every week starting in November to prepare for qualification into the All-State band. Of course, I didn’t make it. I stopped doing lessons until July before my junior year of HS. I don’t know if this was a big mistake. I didn’t make the All-State band again in junior year. Then I continued taking lessons from him for the rest of junior year hoping that my tone quality and technique would eventually improve. By the end of junior year, I still felt that my tone quality was garbage despite doing his exercises so many times in warmups. It did not make sense to me how I didn’t improve when he was known as a great clarinet teacher in the state perhaps. What went wrong? Do I have any talent for the clarinet? Should I go to another teacher or would I be wasting my time having no improvements?
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Author: kdk
Date: 2020-09-19 04:59
You should listen to as much clarinet playing as you can to form a sound concept in your own mind. You're the one who makes the sound, not the master teacher. You're the one who has to translate what the teacher tells you (words) into the physical actions you do to create the clarinet's sound. What comes out of your instrument is your doing, not any teacher's.
Think back to what the teacher said to you. How did you apply it? Did applying it make a difference? If not, did you ask him why your trying to apply his instructions didn't change anything. Obviously, none of us was in the studio to hear what the teacher said or how you used it.
Teaching and learning are separate but closely related processes. Teaching is about diagnosis and guidance (or for some teachers, prescription). Learning is about actively solving problems, ideally with the teacher's help. He can diagnose your weaknesses and give you his best guidance. But if you reject his guidance or misunderstand and misapply it, you probably won't improve. If he misjudges the reasons - misdiagnosis - of whatever weaknesses (symptoms) he hears in your playing, his guidance won't help you because he's curing the wrong disease.
> Do I have any talent for the clarinet? Should I go
> to another teacher or would I be wasting my time
> having no improvements?
We can't have any idea if you're talented or not. Going to another teacher might bring a better result or it might not. Sometimes one teacher is better than another at diagnosing specific problems in a student's approach. Some teachers are better than others at expressing their suggestions in trying to guide the student to solutions. Some teachers' personal styles clash with those of their students and the relationship becomes adversarial. Your progress with any teacher will depend partly on how you relate to each other, how effectively the teacher expresses himself and how receptive you are to what he tells you.
But, aside from what you do about a teacher, you need to be the one who ultimately solves whatever problems exist in your playing. To do that you need first to decide what the problems are. What do you want to sound like? What is it about your current sound that falls short? The same thing applies to all the other aspects of playing - articulation, finger technique, etc.. You can't solve problems you don't hear, and you can't hear problems you aren't carefully listening for. Having a teacher point to the problems from an objective viewpoint can help, but he or she can't eliminate the need for you to be actively listening to your own playing to decide what improvements are needed.
Karl
Karl
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2020-09-19 05:35
I agree with much of what Karl has said. The "listening" on your part should be in real time (a bio-feedback loop if you will). Real listening must be objective (not just self critical). You must assess moment to moment what you like and don't like. If there are things you like, what is it that you do to execute those things? Can you do more of that? The objectionable things are the opposite of that. What did I do to get THAT sound?? How can I avoid that next time.
As for teachers, I would recommend going to as many different teachers (master classes, recitals............well, not now of course) as possible. My feeling is that a certain word one teacher uses in place of another teacher could completely open up your understanding of what you need to do to improve. I saw that happen with one student of mine where I felt I was beating my head against the wall. The student spoke to an previous teacher who just used a different way to describe something.........and low and behold, the student came back to the next lesson wondering why I never mentioned "blank." I cannot remember what the concept or word was but I had been harping on it for weeks!
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: Deranged Winner
Date: 2020-09-19 06:05
I did listen to my clarinet playing an uncountable amount of times in high school being as objective as possible. I know what I wanted to sound like, but it was too difficult to get a good tone quality for qualification into All-State. I sounded weak. I went through many different reeds in desperate attempts to better my tone quality, but nothing worked for me. I don't understand why I wasn't able to get a good tone quality despite my efforts.
I don't think that I learned the nuances of embouchure and tongue position from anyone. Too bad I didn't really research about it.
Post Edited (2020-09-19 06:07)
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Author: Matt74
Date: 2020-09-19 06:38
I understand where you are coming from. I had other problems in high school and it often seemed like I wasn’t improving. Some observations:
1. Ultimately getting into all-state has very little to do with your future in music. You can get into a good college program without it, and do just fine. When you apply for a job or audition for a gig, they won’t be interested in all-state.
2. A teacher is only good if they are good for you. It’s mostly about how well you get along. Their reputation or position is irrelevant if it’s not a good fit for you.
3. Only you can improve your tone and technique. It’s simple, but takes time. Do long tones, play scales, and practice your pieces (in that order). You can do that. Practice long tones every day. That is guaranteed to make you sound better.
4. If you aren’t improving right now, you probably need to change something. You need to find a way that works for you. Start by slowing everything down. You don’t slow down so that you can “work up to speed”. Playing slow is how your brain and body learn. If you can play it slow, you can play it fast. If you think you can play it fast, but can’t play it slow, you aren’t playing it well. If there is something that only frustrates you, put it aside for later. It’s better to practice a little perfectly, than a lot all messed up. Don’t keep playing something if you always play it wrong. Stop, slow down, and get each section right. If you play something wrong over and over, you are actually teaching yourself to do it wrong.
5. Make sure you always have good reeds, and a good mouthpiece - that you like. It doesn’t matter what the “cool” or “good” equipment is supposed to be if it’s not working for you. That said, find something and then stick with it.
6. Take your horn to the shop and have it checked for leaks, etc. It can make a huge difference.
7. Try to develop a clear idea of how you want to sound. Listen to people you like, but more importantly listen to yourself. It’s easy to think up of a way you might want to sound, but it takes time to figure out how you really sound best. You will change your ideas over time.
8. It sounds like you are pounding yourself into the ground. Find something fun that inspires you. I like watching “Nodame Cantabile” Live Action (it’s a Manga and Anime too). It always makes me want to play. Remember “Two Set Violin” on YouTube “Did you practice today?” Putting pressure on yourself only works if you are applying the right kind of pressure. Getting into all-state is ultimately beyond your control, because no matter how well you play, it’s an audition. That’s bad because you feel powerless. Put it out of your head for now. Focus on long tones, scales, and some pieces you like. Focus on what you can do today, and enjoy it. You can start preparing next year’s all-state audition materials, or your college audition materials (a good idea), but focus on the working on them now for their own sake, not on what happens later. A teacher can help you develop a preparation plan, which might help you feel more in control and confident.
- Matthew Simington
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Author: Matt74
Date: 2020-09-19 06:54
After reading your response: You are probably overthinking embouchure, etc. I’m the same way. It helps me to turn off that part of my brain, close my eyes and just listen to the sound that’s actually coming out of the horn. Focus on the sound and on your body. Don’t analyze it. If you are like me you are on the extreme “mind” end of the “mind/body” spectrum. You have to fight that tendency to get to the middle. You will NOT ignore, under-think, or forget what you know.
- Matthew Simington
Post Edited (2020-09-19 06:59)
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Author: Ken Lagace
Date: 2020-09-19 17:19
Another approach.
*Try double lip embouchure. There are many videos on YouTube to learn it. This forces you not to bite and use side muscles and air more.
*Take more and less mouthpiece and hear what changes it makes.
*Find a store to try many different mouthpieces.
Use this time to experiment. You seem to want quick answers.
If you have a target, you need time and experimentation to get to it.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2020-09-19 18:18
Quote:
Was my lack of improvement of my tone quality my fault or my teacher’s fault?
Ultimately, you need to consider- who was playing the instrument?
Post Edited (2020-09-19 18:20)
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Author: brycon
Date: 2020-09-19 21:39
A lot of assumptions in the OP.
Quote:
When I was in tenth grade, I hoped that the master class clarinet teacher who had multiple students make the TMEA All-State band every year would help improve everything about my fundamentals such as embouchure and air support.
I made the TMEA bands and orchestras in high school and taught in Texas for a couple of years in between degrees. So I have a good understanding of how it all works.
1.) Just because a teacher has students make the all-state band doesn't make him or her a good teacher. Moreover, it certainly doesn't necessarily make him or her a good teacher for you.
2.) If you feel your fundamentals are lacking, look at the players who's fundamentals are where you want yours to be. Find out who they study with, what sorts of things they practice, etc.
Quote:
Then I continued taking lessons from him for the rest of junior year hoping that my tone quality and technique would eventually improve. By the end of junior year, I still felt that my tone quality was garbage despite doing his exercises so many times in warmups. It did not make sense to me how I didn’t improve when he was known as a great clarinet teacher in the state perhaps.
3.) Is your tone quality and technique actually garbage or do you just feel that way? Have you played for other qualified people and got their opinions? Perhaps it isn't your tone quality but something else that's holding you back in auditions. In TMEA auditions, the panel is usually made up of a couple former clarinet players and the remainder could be whatever--saxophonists, trombonists, and so on. Realistically, the nuances of clarinet tone aren't going to be what they're primarily listening for. Audition committees--and especially ones that don't play your instrument--are much more concerned with the largely objective things, such as rhythm, intonation, and dynamic contrast.
4.) When the teacher gave you these exercises, did he or she explain the purpose of them? What you should be striving for when you practice them? Or do you just go through the motions of doing the exercises and hope for eventual improvement?
5.) Again, just because a teacher has students make all state does not make him or her a good teacher. Perhaps the students are coming from very strong music programs and would make all state regardless of who their teacher was, perhaps many of the teacher's students reside in a competitively weaker area and therefore have an easier path to all state, perhaps the teacher works with many students across many districts and because of the sheer teaching load has numerous all staters regardless of his or her skills as a teacher. Alternately, perhaps he or she is a great teacher but isn't explaining the concepts in a way that gets through to you.
There are just so many assumptions here. You absolutely need to go play for other teachers (it's easier than ever now with Zoom). Maybe even have a lesson with an indisputably "good" teacher--perhaps someone at a university, conservatory, or symphony orchestra near you with a proven track record of helping students achieve a level with their fundamentals similar to what you want to achieve with your own playing. See if it confirms your previous teacher's diagnosis of your playing or not; see if the concepts, exercises, and practice strategies match your previous teacher's. At the least, it will bring you a little clarity with the situation.
Post Edited (2020-09-19 21:44)
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Author: Slowoldman
Date: 2020-09-19 21:46
Speaking from my own experience: As a young average amateur player (playing in band in through college), I remember my teachers seeming to stress fingers and speed more than tone production or musical concepts. I was going through exercises, but without clear intention or guidance.
When I resumed playing after a 34-year layoff, my embouchure and sound picked up where I left off--Thin, inconsistent, etc. The first teacher I found again seemed to expect me to just play the repertoire pieces, without much attention on his part to tone.
A change of teachers (in my 60's!)was absolutely life-changing for me. In the first lesson, my new teacher improved my tone simply by finding an explanation of breath support that made sense to me; and identified that I was biting (and using a too-hard reed to go along with that bad concept!) to make up for poor support. He had lots of new ways of looking at what I was doing versus what I could be doing. Instead of telling me to practice, he taught me HOW to practice. Example: Not "play scales", but HOW to play them to get what I need (or what he wanted) out of them.
Fast-forward 6 years: I will never be a "star", but my playing has improved many-fold, to what my teacher compares to "conservatory level". I have learned the difference between playing clarinet to "be in the band" versus being a musician. Most importantly, my enjoyment of playing clarinet has increased tremendously; and I can't imagine life without it!
Assuming that you have at least some aptitude for playing clarinet, I am a firm believer that a change of teachers can lead to big changes in your playing. But (as other posters have said) there's no "best" teacher--It's a matter of finding the one who's right for YOU, who is willing to address your concerns and can "speak your language" and be creative with various exercises and concepts to help you improve.
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Author: RKing
Date: 2020-09-19 21:56
I don't know where you live, but the All-State competition during my high school days was very hard. The winners were usually students who started in grade school and took lessons (and practiced hard) all the way through.
You didn't take lessons in middle school, then signed up for lessons and expected this teacher to whip you into shape to make All-State in a few months? That was a lofty goal, but might have been a bit unrealistic. How did you learn to play? Did you have a teacher at the beginning to help you develop your initial embouchure and tone? I feel like I missed the beginning of this story.
At best, the teacher is a guide and an honest critic. But the teacher doesn't play the horn and the teacher probably doesn't monitor your practices, so the bulk of the work is always up to you.
I suggest you go back to the basics as others have suggested. Long tones, scales, and etudes played slowly are still the best way to improve your embouchure and tone quality. I know this sounds boring, but these exercises should give you a better chance of becoming a good musician.
You could also try a few different mouthpiece and reed combinations. Our faces and mouths do change a little as we grow older. I played a Vandoren 5RV through school, but fell in love with a Kaspar (then Fobes) Cicero later on. Then early last year, I discovered how good a Vandoren M15 sounded and it is what I am using now.
I still play slow scales with a tuner every day to make sure my tuning and tone quality are okay. Then I'll speed them up to warm up my fingers before I look at the pieces I am working on.
I am sorry you didn't make All-State, but most of us didn't and it's not the end of the world. I still enjoyed a nice career as a pro musician before I finally went back to grad school to switch careers. Now I hope to play again for fun and gas money at dinner theatres and such when the COVID pandemic ends.
Cheers,
Ron
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Author: Ed
Date: 2020-09-19 22:53
Quote:
Moreover, it certainly doesn't necessarily make him or her a good teacher for you.
That is a great point that people do not often consider. The teacher has to be the right fit for you and your needs.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2020-09-19 23:25
brycon wrote:
> You absolutely need to
> go play for other teachers (it's easier than ever now with
> Zoom).
I agree with everything you say in your post except your parenthetical reference here to Zoom. My own experience with listening to instrument students via Zoom is that the two things that come over least well are tone quality and dynamic range. The youth music organization I conduct for tried to run auditions last April over Zoom. It took one day to send us to recorded auditions instead.
You can hear technique, articulation and rhythm (which might help Deranged more than he realizes) well enough in a virtual setting. But if I tried to teach over Zoom, I wouldn't know where to begin in evaluating the student's tone quality, much less in diagnosing what he needed to change to improve it. Is your Zoom experience different?
Karl
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Author: brycon
Date: 2020-09-19 23:56
Quote:
I agree with everything you say in your post except your parenthetical reference here to Zoom. My own experience with listening to instrument students via Zoom is that the two things that come over least well are tone quality and dynamic range. The youth music organization I conduct for tried to run auditions last April over Zoom. It took one day to send us to recorded auditions instead.
You can hear technique, articulation and rhythm (which might help Deranged more than he realizes) well enough in a virtual setting. But if I tried to teach over Zoom, I wouldn't know where to begin in evaluating the student's tone quality, much less in diagnosing what he needed to change to improve it. Is your Zoom experience different?
You're absolutely correct. I meant easier than ever insofar as 1.) many players and teachers aren't back to their full work loads and are looking for students by way of Zoom and 2.) you can connect with great teachers and players who might not be within driving distance from your home.
I taught an online clarinet course this summer, however, and found that with good microphones and speakers (on both the participants' parts), you can tell a lot about a student's tone. Voicing, for example, can be easy to address because it usually comes across to listeners through the intonation. But unfortunately, good online setups aren't possible for many people.
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Author: nellsonic
Date: 2020-09-20 05:11
You don't mention anything about actually enjoying music or the clarinet, only the desire to make the All-State band. While such goals can be powerful motivators, they are only sign-posts along the way - they are not the journey.
You said you quit band over this. That's a red flag. What's really going on here? Why was making All-State the end-all and be-all for you? What did you think you would gain from it? If you are not in band now are you even eligible for All-State?
If your pursuit was purely for the thrill of competitive victory I would recommend that you find something else to devote yourself to, something that provides some satisfaction to you just in the act of spending time doing it.
That doesn't mean you should stop playing clarinet altogether, it just means you should figure out why you want what you want so that you can make sure your aims are in alignment with what might actually make you happy. Accomplishments in and of themselves are hollow unless they are a natural result of a passion for what you are doing.
For me making these groups was always about two things 1) the actual experience of the music and the people involved and 2) my growth as a musician in the process of preparing for them and participating in them. Sure, I was also competitive by nature but I was lucky enough to have understood that competition at that level is just a tool to be used for improvement and not a measure of my worth as a person or a musician, for better or worse.
The answer to your question probably doesn't matter until you explore your reasons for what you do more deeply. My guess is that your current attitude about your playing and what it represents would make you nearly unteachable by just about any teacher. I'm sure that comes across as harsh. Perhaps it's not as dire as you make it sound, but I can only respond to the tone and content of what you wrote here.
Ultimately your attitude is the biggest limiter of your altitude if it is not optimistically directed towards your goals, regardless of your most recent results.
Yes, we all get down on ourselves from time to time but if that's not a passing and relatively rare phenomenon that's likely where your real problem is.
By all means try some other teachers. That's probably a good idea. Just be sure that you are ready to enthusiastically explore and apply what they will offer.
Anders
Post Edited (2020-09-20 13:00)
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Author: Ken Lagace
Date: 2020-09-20 05:45
A long time ago I auditioned All-State for many years and I NEVER put sound at the top of the list of priorities. My top was what would be best for the band or orchestra and included;
Rhythm accuracy,
Tuning accuracy, especially high notes.
Scales
Confidence level
Being able to do what was asked.
These are all the skills that makean ensemble play and sound well together.
The best players, maybe up for solo chairs, were judged for sound.
A player playing in the lower 2nds or 3rds can have any sound and it wouldn't degrade the section at all if all the other skills were good.
I think you cannot blame your failure to be accepted for your sound.
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Author: Deranged Winner
Date: 2020-09-20 06:15
Thank you for the replies.
I did enjoy playing music in my high school's full orchestra, but I have always felt that my technique and tone quality was holding me back. It was probably a huge mistake leaving my former clarinet teacher in tenth grade, and now I will have to start all over with a new teacher. My former clarinet teacher, from my perspective, had the biggest ego that I've ever seen. He implied to me that my thinking processes are mediocre, and that my way of doing things is bad. I don't really know if this was a mistake, but I asked him to wait for me to work and speed up on my etudes on my own then I'd come back to him when I'm ready one month after the All-State etudes were released. He told me that he finds this as a sign of disrespect and asked me to leave him. I don't understand why he decided to do this to me when I trusted him to help improve my playing. Maybe it was because I told him that I wanted to destroy my clarinet rivals at another school at All-State in an email; it came harsh, I believe. It's such a disappointing experience as I expected him to fully support me in my journey to All-State. It was as if he gave up on me. I kindly asked him to lend me an R13 for the All-State audition, but he bluntly refused to. What a horrible relationship. Then I didn't make All-State.
I missed a few notes in my audition for All-State, but that's because I didn't have the clarinet (the R13) that I wanted for the best tone quality that I could have gotten. It was demotivating for me to have such a bad tone quality at the audition, and I don't want to go through that again. I didn't squeak at all like a few people who did make All-State.
@Ken Lagace, I did do all of the things that you had priority on. It was mainly my tone quality that didn't get me through.
Post Edited (2020-09-20 06:16)
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Author: donald
Date: 2020-09-20 09:19
Five letter word, begins with T, explains everything.
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Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2020-09-20 10:11
I'm experiencing some PutnamFellow161 flashbacks.
"I haven’t been playing the clarinet seriously since I didn’t do as well as I had hoped in an important competition and left my high school band."
Serious question: were you playing for the love of playing, or for some other reason(s)? I'm asking because there are a lot of playing options out there for folks who simply love playing. The entire clarinet world isn't encapsulated within the realm of strictly-structured classical music. I've seen many classically-trained musicians struggle to adapt to other types/styles of music, and vice versa. If you love playing, then perhaps finding a style/type of music that ignites your passion and fits your learning/style is the answer?
Best of luck in finding what you're looking for though...playing music is a great thing if you can find what works for you...and it is a blast to share with other people.
Fuzzy
;^)>>>
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2020-09-20 10:18
You've given us a comprehensive list of all the things that you did wrong or didn't do. Presumably those who did make the all-state band did them right. It seems obvious to me that the biggest problem you have is you. If you had done all that you were supposed to then you could have got good tone quality from just about anything. Ninety nine percent of tone quality comes from the player.
Tony F.
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Author: Deranged Winner
Date: 2020-09-20 10:51
It would have made things a lot easier had I gotten the clarinet that I wanted. I was definitely trying to find out what was causing the bad tone quality, and I believed it was the clarinet. If I did get the clarinet that I wanted and still got horrible tone quality, then the blame would have been on me but sadly there were others who had to make things much more difficult than it should have been for me. Hell, I even did the exercises that my former clarinet teacher told me to do many times in hopes that my tone improves, but it didn’t.
Post Edited (2020-09-20 10:57)
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Author: Deranged Winner
Date: 2020-09-20 10:53
@donald, Trust? I don’t know? Ah, toxic is the word.
Just like those clarinet rivals who made fun of me when I made first chair at the All-District contest in tenth grade then treated me like garbage when they made All-State when I didn’t for the next two years? It is a very good thing that all they have is music and nothing else, and most of them aren’t even going into music in college.
Post Edited (2020-09-20 11:06)
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Author: nellsonic
Date: 2020-09-20 12:43
Troll is the word. You'll find folks here very generous with great advice and encouragement if it seems to be having any kind of helpful impact. Otherwise, we've been through this before and not that long ago. Pity parties can probably be found elsewhere. Life is too short and music too interesting to let the fun be ruined even if it has been kinda quiet around here lately.
Anders
Post Edited (2020-09-20 12:44)
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Author: Ken Lagace
Date: 2020-09-20 15:11
He wasn't your father. It is part of life that some people won't like you and that's OK. You don't need those people around you - just ignore them. It is part of life and it may happen again.
I still don't think your sound was the problem, and I think if you had that R13 or a million dollar clarinet, you still would have lost. I would never loan my clarinet to a high school student for an audition either. That is cheating! Then go to play and you use your own clarinet? That is mus-represdentation.
You are looking everywhere for someone else to blame. What happened is part of life and I hope you have learned something valuable from it.
Time to move on to the next challenge.
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Author: Deranged Winner
Date: 2020-09-20 15:24
No, my former clarinet teacher had many clarinets for rental, and I was willing to pay. He refused. Also, it would have been very nice to probably check off the clarinet as a cause of poor tone quality. I would have stopped worrying so much about it and look at other possible explanations. That was the whole purpose of this, and I would have made All-State.
I was never trolling here. Why would I troll? This is a genuine concern, and you can't disrespect people like that.
Post Edited (2020-09-20 15:42)
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Author: kdk
Date: 2020-09-20 17:23
Deranged Winner wrote:
> it would have been
> very nice to probably check off the clarinet as a cause of poor
> tone quality. I would have stopped worrying so much about it
> and look at other possible explanations.
You should not have started worrying about it at all and learned to make the best sound you could on what you owned.
> That was the whole
> purpose of this, and I would have made All-State.
>
Maybe. I'm with Ken on this. Unless your sound was 90% noise - rushing air and saliva sizzle - which is not caused by the clarinet, you missed the mark somewhere else.
> I was never trolling here. Why would I troll? This is a genuine
> concern, and you can't disrespect people like that.
>
Why does anyone troll? For attention. We've had a few posts over the years like your initial one, and I have to admit, my first reaction was that you were back from the past using a new screen name. What all of the others have had in common has been an unwillingness, after asking for advice, to accept any that is offered. You have a wealth of varied reactions here. If you're genuinely interested in self-improvement and not just craving the continued attention, now would be a good time to step back, consider all of it, and stop returning like a bad pop tune to the same words over and over again.
Karl
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Author: Deranged Winner
Date: 2020-09-20 17:48
What makes you think that I'm unwilling to accept advice?
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Author: rmk54
Date: 2020-09-20 18:04
This thread reminds me of a kid that came for lessons a month or so before his All-State audition for coaching on the Mozart Concerto.
When he played it for me, 90% of the notes were wrong and he had no sense of rhythm. When I tried to make some corrections he said "But my band director told me it was perfect".
We agreed to disagree...
He could have had the best clarinet in the world and it wouldn't have made a difference.
There is none so blind as those who will not see.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2020-09-20 18:10
Deranged Winner wrote:
> No, my former clarinet teacher had many clarinets for rental,
> and I was willing to pay. He refused. Also, it would have been
> very nice to probably check off the clarinet as a cause of poor
> tone quality. I would have stopped worrying so much about it
> and look at other possible explanations. That was the whole
> purpose of this, and I would have made All-State.
> What makes you think that I'm unwilling to accept advice?
You keep coming back to your tone and not having had the clarinet you wished you had. And the inflated importance you've given acceptance to All-State. If you're looking for self-improvement, put the past behind you, make today the first day of the rest of your life, and go on from here. Consider the advice you've been given, take it or ignore it, but stop arguing with it.
Karl
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Author: Deranged Winner
Date: 2020-09-20 19:09
All right. I will.
@rmk54, but I'm not like that kid. I was never like that kid.
Post Edited (2020-09-20 19:09)
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Author: EbClarinet
Date: 2020-09-21 04:18
What is your set up? What model of clarinet r u playing on? Which reeds and mouth piece r u using? Which specific tone(s) r u trying 2 get? There r MANY tones of the clarinet.
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/mbtldsongministry/
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Author: Jeroen
Date: 2020-09-28 13:43
As with everything in life, blaming other people or your equipment will often result in negative reactions. Even when it might be true, you are the person that is responsible for everything you do. (Also never use the excuse "Sorry, I have a bad reed" to a conductor ;-) )
IMO, it doesn't help that you have choosen "Deranged Winner" as username. That might deter some people as it seems very biased.
BTW, I think you did receive a lot of well meaned constructive advices too!
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Author: bradfordlloyd
Date: 2020-09-28 16:33
It's easiest to blame equipment, circumstances, and others for our failures. All of those things may, in fact, be true.
In the world of sports, it's common to say "Champions overcome all obstacles" when faced with less than ideal conditions. I think that this is something that translates nicely over to music as well. But please keep in mind that identifying the obstacles can be the first step in overcoming them.
Good luck to you as you face the obstacles in front of you. And, as I tell my aspiring musician son each day: Make sure that your attitude isn't one of those obstacles.
Peace.
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Author: rmk54
Date: 2020-09-28 17:43
I was fucking betrayed by my former teachers
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I could have been a contender...
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Author: Deranged Winner
Date: 2020-09-28 17:47
How was I supposed to overcome my obstacles then? There was no way that I could have gotten the R13. If my useless, former teachers weren’t so incompetent...
Post Edited (2020-09-28 17:48)
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2020-09-28 18:56
Enough of Deranged Whiner. It's boring.
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The Clarinet Pages
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