 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ashley
Date: 2001-10-01 02:18
Here I am at college, having the time of my life. Only problem...I'm not good enough. I'm in the clarinet studio, I'm the worst one of the about 14 clarinet majors. theres 4 freshman, I'm the worst. I'm on the very bottom of the totem pole and it's humiliating. I was in a practice room today, getting extremely frusterated at my inability to go from C6 to E6 smoothly or play anything above that without squeaking or getting an undertone, when just as I'm about ready to go insane, what do I hear but another clarinet major going at it in the next room. I dont know who it was, whether it was a grad student or an undergrad or who, but they were awesome, and I realized how much I actually suck. This is incredibly frusterating and humiliating...I hate being the worst one...I'm almost considering changing majors this is getting so frustrating. Even though I have no idea what I would do if I wasnt a music ed major..........anybody been through this here? I'm about ready to go crazy........
~Ashley~
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Author: sarah
Date: 2001-10-01 02:54
I'm a freshman majoring in clarinet performance, and i feel kind of the same way. Sometimes i feel embarased to work on music in practice rooms when it is busy because i think everyone will hear my misakes. My teacher is always correcting my fingerings and i am am just starting to work on the rose 32. I think it will get better (i hope). As far as squeeking goes, i have this bad habbit of backing away, as my teacher calls it. He tells me to play very loud, but not overblow, when i am doing my scales. This actually helps. If i start to fell embarassed i just think to myself "who cares". I dont know if anyone would recomend doing that, but it seems to help for me. I dont know how my comment could help you, but i felt i should say it anyway.
sarah
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2001-10-01 03:06
Don't worry about it guys.
It is not the level at which you enter college that matters. It is the level at which you get out. You are there to learn, so what if somebody has already more skills than you? It is not uncommon to have players do tremendous progress in very little time. The right teacher, the right pratice discipline and you'll be just as good as the rest before you know it!
Hang in there!
-S
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Author: Allen Cole
Date: 2001-10-01 03:14
Before you get too worried about how much you 'suck', ladies, consider a few things:
1 - You WERE good enough admitted to a music school, and at least one of you may have met additional requirements to be a performance major.
2 - You're in faster company now. You have left a world where you were probably top dogs in your high schools, and have entered a world where EVERYONE was a high school champ.
3 - Some or much of your established skill may be TEMPORARILY sidelined because you are studying with a new teacher, who has his/her own methods and preferences, and whose job it is to take you to a new level. Many students undergo big changes in embouchure and technique their freshman year.
4 - You're freshmen, and it only makes sense that the upperclassmen are ahead of you. While your egos may be initially bruised by it, the quality of your upperclassmen may reflect the quality of your school and instructor. Would you want to go to school where the upperclassmen play poorly?
Keep it steady, and play a lot of chamber music. You'll be okay.
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Author: Carmen Izzo
Date: 2001-10-01 03:20
Feel proud and lucky that you are one of the accepted few who get to undergo the task of being a music performance major. Remember, failure is the key to succeess.
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Author: Mike Harrelson
Date: 2001-10-01 03:31
Try not to worry about how you sound to others in the practice room. Very often the best players sound the worse in the practice room. Why? The best players work on things they can't play!
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Author: Jim
Date: 2001-10-01 04:19
In high school you were a "big fish in a small pool." Now the fish is the same size, its just that the pool has gotten bigger. I'm sure that you will soon grow to fit your new environment. Best to you!
Carmen, if "failure is the key to success," I've just spent 51 years working in the wrong direction!
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Author: Sneakers
Date: 2001-10-01 04:39
I went through a very similar situation. My first semester as a freshman I played third clarinet in the second band(there were only two), however, by the time I graduated I had made second chair in the first band and was offered the chance to play first clarinet in the 1st orchestra. When I started as a freshman my tone was awful, my technique poor and my rhythm was very(unusual??). By the time I finished school my clarinet teacher told me I had one of the best tones of any student he had ever had. I also recall playing a piece in band that had a part at the beginning with 5 woodwind soloists. The rhythm was difficult, but despite my past problems with rhythm, the band director said I was the only one playing the rhythm correctly. I don't say these things to brag, but to show you that if you really want to play the clarinet well and are willing to work hard, you won't always be at the bottom.
Some of the things that helped me, were practicing 3 hours a day instead of the 2 required, paying lots of attention to the good clarinet players around me, learning how to practice properly, spending lots of time on scales and making sure that I had a good mouthpiece, clarinet and reeds.
Good luck! Don't give up if this is what you really want to do.
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Author: HAT
Date: 2001-10-01 04:40
I don't want to discourage you, but let me just say that what you are going through is an awful part of the harsh reality of real life. The good news is that it is not too late to do something about it that will help. The first step you have already taken care of, you noticed that there was a problem.
If you are going to catch up to your classmates, you have to outwork them. It is as simple as that. Now is a good time to ask yourself the question "how badly do I want this?" The answer has to be "So bad that I will practice however many hours a day I can possibly practice without hurting myself." If that isn't your answer, you should consider quitting, because if you practice only the same amount as someone who is already more advanced and who may be more talented, you'll never catch up.
Talent is not distributed equally among humans, there will be students who practice 2 hours a day and play rings around everyone easily and win a principal job in a major symphony the day they graduate. But there won't be very many of them. For the vast majority of students, who are not blessed with an overwhelming amount of talent but have some, it comes down to how hard do you work?
Also important is what and how you practice. Since your problems are basic and fundamental, I would recommend 2 hours a day practice from Baermann 3 and the Stark Arpeggio studies (with a metronome!!!!). After that you can practice your lesson and performance materials.
In 6 months, your playing should change dramatically. If there is no change, it is time to rethink the whole issue again.
David Hattner, NYC
www.northbranchrecords.com
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Author: Eileen
Date: 2001-10-01 05:11
Your post said that you were a music ed major. Often those who are the best technically are not the best teachers because they can't relate to the students who need to struggle to learn something. If you plan a career in education instead of performance, hang in there! You might well become a far better music teacher that some of those other clarinet players who have spent too much time practicing to be able to relate to people.
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Author: Fred
Date: 2001-10-01 13:07
I think Carmen was saying "You learn from your mistakes."
I should be very knowledgable by now.
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Author: Blake
Date: 2001-10-01 14:26
Being the worst is actually being the best....the underdogs try harder, work harder, learn more, and above all, get more out of it. I would be asking the opposite question.. if the "best" are so good.. why arent they in a better school? Maybe they were and allowed themselves to be intimidated? also remember this important lesson that unfortunately took me 3 years of being intimidated by the "smarter betters".... YOU (or your parents) are paying THEM to teach YOU.. get your money's worth! I was a non-premed biology major stuck with 300 premeds. Fortunately, there were 12 others who werent premed. We hung out, we studied together, we all fell in love with field biology and the environment. Upon graduation, 6 out of 8 Phi Beta Kappas in the bio department were non"pre-mees" as we called them. Being the "worst" doesnt mean youre bad at all... I had a teacher ask me if i wanted to be the worst or the best clarinet player. Of course I thought being the best was a good idea.. but in actuality, being the "worst" meant that i would be playing more challenging music, would have better players to learn from, have teachers that expected more from me, would be constantly challenged. Take a deep breath, practice, and dont be intimidated or afraid to practice, ask for help, ask questions, and improve.. Youre a freshman! it would be a waste of money and time if you could just sit back and coast. Good luck! Blake Arlington, VA
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2001-10-01 15:04
Here's something that really helped me during a time of great discouragement: A friend reminded me of a remarkable, but true phenomenon--we all go through cycles of expertise as we learn to play any instrument. We practice, practice, practice and improve. Then, we practice, practice, practice and seem to plateau for a while. Suddenly, as we continue our faithful (keyword) daily routine of practice we notice we one day dramatically improve and move up to another level---then the cycle replays itself.
In my 40 years of playing clarinet I have found this to be true. Yet, I am my own worst enemy and greatest critic. I always think others are better than myself (well, not ALL others) and I have never "arrived" at the sound I really want, or the level of expertise that I really want. But, such is artistry.
Don't give up.
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Author: mw
Date: 2001-10-01 16:25
For some individuals, _initial failure_ DOES lead to (breed?) success. It is these individuals who, IMO, develop DOGGED tendencies not to fail or to fall any further. In fact, these people fear LESS (right, they become fearless!)
best,
mw
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Author: jbutler
Date: 2001-10-01 16:42
I'll echo the "I've been there". I graduated from a small town. My graduating class was a total of 52 (Did I hear a "Hee Haw 'Salute'?") I never had a private lesson in my life, but wanted to be a music major. I auditioned for a music scholarship and received it, but when school started quickly learned what I didn't know about what I was supposed to know. Practicing took on a whole new meaning. I wasn't going to let any snide remarks get me down. I remember practicing in the band room one day, as a lot of students did due to lack of practice rooms, and someone remarked negatively about my performance. I stopped and said, "At least I'm doing something about it!" I practiced at least 2 hours per day and on weekends spent 6 hours on Saturday. I would sometimes take Sunday off for studies and theory assignments. Determination does pay off. I'm still not the best performer around, but I'm better than a lot of 'em out there. Keep up the work and you'll see the rewards.
John
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Author: Julia Meyer
Date: 2001-10-01 16:45
You'll be fine. I'm a sophomore now....and, well....maybe my story isn't the best to tell. But, I loved being a music ed major--but i'm not anymore. I love kids, and I love music therefore I thought music ed was my program. Well, I was wrong. Mostly because I was stuck in the instrumental track with grades 4 and up teaching band instruments. but, I want little kids...elementary...providing the spark. So....I changed. And everything is sooo much better now. I am, get this, in the inclusive and elementary teacher education preparation program. Its a long title.......and, we have to have a minor/concentration/major of study---so guess what mine is???
Seriously though, don't sweat it. I know its easy to say, not as easy to do. Being the worst is good though, because then, just think how much you can learn. As far as practicing--the best time to practice is when there's a ton of people around...because then nobody pays any attention! Either way...it really doesn't matter, and you'll get over that part of it soon enough.
And, even more so...humility never hurt anyone. Its good for us...its just how you handle it.
Good luck, and practice:)
Julia
n.b. This is for all those people who look at music ed as secondary to performance: DON'T!!!!! It's not, #1. #2- the worst music teachers are those performance majors that used music ed a s a back up, #3 - To be a good teacher, you gotta be a good musician (in all aspects),
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Author: Carmen Izzo
Date: 2001-10-01 22:52
let me re-phrase: You can learn from your mistakes. Once you realize that you are doing something incorrectly, you will most likely learn to fix it with the aid of your instructor. If you fix such problem there is a greater chance of you being more concious of such a problem and are aware during your playing to fix it, (as long as you practice it enough). Since you are a music ed major, i would think going through a lot of improvement in college (Dont worry its only your freshman year, and the faculty are more than likely well qualified at a school of music) would help you in your future opputunities of teaching. If you are learning from these mistakes, you probably will know how to teach a method better since your conception of this is greater. So in my point of view, do not worry about the state about at which you have entered a school of music (quite an honor), just worry about working on your skills and working with your instructor(s) to fix them. It is you we are talking about and not the others who you are comparing yourself to.
~~Carmen Izzo
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Author: Suzanne
Date: 2001-10-02 01:05
Why don't you turn the situation around in your favor, and see how much you can learn from those who are more experienced than you? I don't know anyone who has gotten better by sitting around worrying about the competition. But I know lots of people who have learned by listening to more advanced players and trying to emulate what they liked in their playing. I play best when I have been doing a lot of listening to CD's of the masters... I know it's hard when you are feeling bad about yourself, and I sure hope that that other clarinetist in the practice room wasn't "showing you up" on purpose (I would have a word or two for them!), but once you have decided that the love of music is stronger than the discouragement, you might want to give it a try.
EVERYONE has doubts sometimes. If I may quote,
"Once, when the conductor Arturo Toscanini and the cellist Gregor Piatigorsky were about to go onstage to perform together, one of the said to the other, 'How are you feeling?' 'Terrible,' he answered, 'because I'm no good.' 'I'm not any good either,' the first said, 'but we're no worse than the rest of them. Let's go.' "
From The Art of Practicing by Madeline Bruser
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Author: Meri
Date: 2001-10-02 20:07
Ashley:
Let's look at it this way: if you're at the bottom, you have nowhere to go but up. And you can go up, by focussing on the weaknesses in your playing, through exercises or etudes practiced carefully.
Meri
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Author: Kim L
Date: 2001-10-03 03:52
When I was a freshman, I was at the bottom and now and am one of the best clarinetists in my college. You'll get better and will be able to show your talents as a much as the upperclassmen. It just takes practice and patience!
Have fun and smile!
Kim L.
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Author: Bob Rausch
Date: 2001-10-04 15:22
Ashely,
Relax. I never majored in music, but pursued it as a minor in college. I was good, really good, but when I heard others, I always felt like the wimpy one in the group. You have to realize you are in majoring in music to train to be a professional, so naturally you couldn't possibly know it all in your freshman year.
Sometimes its good to step back determine where your problem lies. Is it your tone ? Is it Sightreading ? Do you have problems with certain fingerings ? Then formulate a plan to attack those problems.
One more thing. Every now and then, take a night/day off ! Go out ! Party it Up ! Have some fun away from Band, Practice Rooms, and your Clarinet ! When you get back to work, you will be more focused.
Bob
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Author: mary
Date: 2001-10-06 16:24
You've been getting some great advice. One more- those advanced players "going for it" in the next room may be more approachable than you think, and may be interested in learning how to problem-solve for non-beginning students. Ask one of them play duets with you, or flat out ask them if they can help you figure out where the squeaks are coming from. Especially if they ever plan to teach, in schools or privately, the experience could be invaluable to them as well.
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Author: lw
Date: 2002-07-27 00:13
It's been my experience that when I am frustrated I don't progress. But you aren't me. I like to play for my collegues or friends and ask what they think would help me. These clarinetists will not only be flattered that you seek their opinion they will more than likely be willing to help. Usually when I'm in the presence of others I don't allow them to see my frustration and pent up tension. This may help you relax and play higher notes better. I have a very hard time playing higher notes tongued at rapid speeds. When I'm in a practice room where other musicians are practicing too I like to walk to a corner of a room and play a tongued scale at a comfortable speed. I fumble many times before I reach my goal tempo with perfect articulation and no horrid sounding results. I know that it isn't very pretty to listen to, but for some reason the corner of the room makes me feel as though my mistakes are less audible. Perhaps what I'm saying is play for others, get opinions and use them, and find certain ways to practice where you'll be comfortable.
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