 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Sandra F. H.
Date: 2002-02-07 14:09
Teachers! Advise! I am in a school curriculum where ALL students are required to learn an instrument and to have private lessons. The tuition for lessons, obviously, is paid by the parents. Unfortunately, the lesson and practice time at home "take a backseat" to other class work, although lip service says that's not so. These children's days are full, and the work is demanding. However, somehow we private teachers are held responsible to keep the students advancing when they don't practice! How do you inspire these children and educate the parents in a positive manner so it's win-win-win? (..and so the clarinet teacher is happy!?)
I am initiating a practice log with checks for "brought music to lesson", "instrument is clean", etc., which will help. Whatever you can suggest to help balance this situation is appreciated. (Incidently, there is an orchestra in every class from 3rd grade to 8th grade, so you can see that the department head is overloaded already!
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Author: John
Date: 2002-02-07 14:25
How impressive! Everyone taking lessons! Since the parents are paying for the lessons, they should know in detail how their investment is doing.....they shouldn't be "ENRON'd". I would try to keep good records and report on even small advancements (like bringing music to the lesson, even). For those parents who care, they can be your greatest allies. I don't think the musical craft comes to everyone, and for those to whom it does not just enjoy each lesson as a place to make small progress from time to time. The ones who do "get it" will practice because they like it. I don't mean not to put pressure on, but it can be self-defeating and just make everyone unhappy and unproductive...including the teacher.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-02-07 14:38
Sandra -
What you're doing sounds good, but nobody can force kids to practice, particularly where music is a required subject. The best you can hope for is that there's a band rehearsal as often as possible (preferably every day), so they get to play every day.
You might enlist parent's cooperation in a way that doesn't cost them anything emotionally. For example, my wifesays that when she was young, she one of her chores was to dry dishes after dinner, which she hated. Her grandfather (who lived with the family) made a deal with her. He would dry the dishes if she practiced piano for as long as it took him. Somehow, even if there were only a few dishes to dry, it always took him half an hour ;-).
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: chuck
Date: 2002-02-07 14:46
Sandra: this is something new to me. Where are you located? What school district? Who pays for the instruments, music, stands, etc? Chuck
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-02-07 20:34
Recognizing all the limitations, I would establish a minimum daily/weekly practice time requirement. I would also require each student to keep a notebook showing time spent practicing each day, with each entry signed off by a parent or other responsible adult. A student who maintained a practice schedule meeting the requirement, recorded and verified in the book, would receive substantial credit toward a good grade just for adequate practice -- say at least a passing grade. Then other good student performance would add to that base grade.
Regards,
John
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Author: diz
Date: 2002-02-07 20:48
He might very well be emailling from another country - America isn't the only place on the planet, is it?
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Author: diz
Date: 2002-02-07 20:48
Sorry - my "he" was a gender slip - sorry Sandra!!
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Author: Sandra F. H.
Date: 2002-02-08 00:30
Mark, I don't think that you miss ANYTHING! Anyway, it's a Waldorf (private) school. Grants, tuition, and fund-raising pays for everything. We all know the value of learning to play music, but the parents don't always, and neither do the kids. The class teacher has the children (the same class) through the first eight grades. All students must play an instrument. When they reach High School, they can play an instrument or go back to the recorder. The whole school curriculum is demanding. Students learn recorder in first grade, as well as singing, clapping games, and eurthymy. Strings in 3rd grade, and other instruments in 5th grade. Communication between the music dept, class teachers, students, parents, and music teachers are often lacking. I do have a practice log set-up that I will implement. I'm going to mail it along with a letter and some additional information to the parents of my students. When a student wants to begin an instrument, it's one thing. Here some students and parents are knowledgeable and cooperative, other students choose the clarinet because they don't want to play string instruments and think that the clarinet is "easier". Then the parents believe that it's the responsibility of the music teacher to "do it all". I am trying to give each student a good musical experience, but it's really difficult to advance them when they don't practice nor care to. Some actually informed me at the beginning of the year that they would not be practicing. Any ideas? How about some methods that may be effective, but less "classical", etc.
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Author: A David Peacham
Date: 2002-02-08 07:57
Sandra wrote:
"When they reach High School, they can play an instrument or go back to the recorder."
Sandra, that is a TERRIBLE thing to say!
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Author: Sandra F. H.
Date: 2002-02-09 00:12
Sorry David! It was not meant that way! Ha! Ha! Insert "another" in front of "instrument" or insert "orchestral" in front of instrument. Recorders ARE very important here! The school now is upgrading the recorders for the students, as you may have noted in my previous posting "doubling on recorder". Ha! That is the truth, though. All students first learn the recorder, then must learn another instrument. They can continue with that instrument or go back to recorder in high school. Was that better!?
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Author: ~ jerry
Date: 2002-02-09 10:20
Sandra,
have you thought of inviting the parents to sit in on your music lesson with the student? Both on an individual session and as a group. Not singleing out the bad (or good) players but do this with each student -- I know! this could get very time consuming,
BUT, making the parents a part of the process might pompt them to become more envolved -- except for the usual "ten-percenters".
GL
~ jerry
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Author: Sandra F. H.
Date: 2002-02-09 13:53
Whew! Having the parents sit in with the student could be possible with some, but most students have their lessons during the school day. ...I don't know how I would have felt having my parents sitting in my lessons! However, it's a good thought, and I will suggest it as a possible option for any interested parents! Novel idea! Any other ideas? How about practice-at-home ideas to give the parents. Mark are there any other links? How about you other teachers?
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Author: Teri
Date: 2002-02-09 17:46
Wow! I am so glad to have found this discussion!
My daughter has had NO musical training and will be entering 6th grade at Highland Hall, a Waldorf school, in September 2002. We bought her a recorder, but the school requires that she also play another wind instrument. Other students in her class also play string instruments and are in the orchestra because they have had private lessons for years. My daughter fell in love with the clarinet after listening to "Rhapsody in Blue" and says that is the instrument she wants to learn to play. However, I think of clarinet as being a difficult instrument to learn how to play and was concerned that she'd be strugging to keep up with the rest of her classmates. I wonder if she should start NOW with private lessons and continue over the summer until school starts. What do you recommend?
PS: almost all kids think that practice is boring, but it's their job. As adults we have our jobs and not all aspects of our jobs are "exciting." Practice teaches children discipline and instills good "work habits" that are directly transferrable to all parts of their lives. What parent wouldn't want that for their children? It's true that many parents work all day and do not want to fight with their children over practice time and homework, but I find it shocking that a parent would tell you their child has no intention of practicing their instrument! You might want to ask them why they have chosen a school that requires playing an instrument. Although parents can help encourage practice by setting aside a time and place and not complaining about schreeches and squeaks, the priority to practice should be the child's, not the parent's. The consequences for the child are painfully obvious when the orchestra begins to play and they see who has been practicing and who has not! There is a positive aspect of peer pressure and it takes the pressure off parents to be the taskmasters.
I think a blurb on the ALL benefits of practice, as well as the side effects of not practicing are in order at the beginning of the year, with a reminder or two midway and private conferences with slackers as necessary. More than that is NOT your job-- unless you have found a way to practice for them!
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Author: Sandra F. H.
Date: 2002-02-09 19:00
Good luck to your daughter! She will do well with her good attitude. Part of success is picking the instrument that one likes and wants to play, not picking one because "the teacher is easy" or "the instrument is easier than ....". Thanks for your input.
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Author: ~ jerry
Date: 2002-02-09 21:39
Teri,
Go for the clarinet if that is what she wants to play................they're all dificult if you approach it that way, and even more dificult if it is not the instrument you like.
Get a private teacher and go for it.......................
........just now learning music (and the clarinet, at age 63) myself and it IS dificult but so was algebra at age twelve, till I got the hang of it.............................she has plenty of practice time. you see!
~ jerry
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Author: Kim L.
Date: 2002-02-09 22:03
Make playing the clarinet fun. If the children are forced to practice, then they will not want to. Limit what you assign to the students. If they are overwhelmed, some may quit and may not be willing to practice. Make sure that they practice a certain amount of time per day, probably 15 minutes to 30 minutes each day. But, tell the students to spend the most time on pieces they can't play. I'm sure soon they will see that there is enough time for them to put everything into their day, including practicing!
Kim L.
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Author: Sandra F. H.
Date: 2002-02-09 23:49
My students came with good training, as well as, baggage. Many of them went from the Rubanks elementary book right to the Advanced book, and they skipped the intermediate book--where all the technical exercises are cached! the teacher felt that it was "too hard" so she skipped over it. So...I'm the one who has to make them go back and do the fingering exercises so that they can truly advance; however, I cannot move them back into the Intermediate book for ego reasons. In otherwords, the students may feel like they are failing and "going backwards". I've come to the conclusion that I have to piece together a book extracted (copied) from many sources. It makes things interesting, too, because they all want to play duets, which is great for beginners to learn tone, rhythm, etc., but not for advancing students who really need etudes, exercises, etc. It really has been a challenge. Thanks ... any other ideas????????
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Author: Kim L.
Date: 2002-02-10 04:54
I would keep your beginners playing duets because they are fun to learn from. I would also have them play some pop music to keep them playing. I would have your advanced students play easy grade 1-2 solos and scales from the JB Albert Book. Once the advanced students are ready, I'd move them into Rose 32.
Another thing you could do is start a beginning clarinet choir and an advanced clarinet choir so that all your students learn from each other. I don't think it's ever too early to have small ensemble experience!
Kim L.
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Author: Sandra F. H.
Date: 2002-02-10 05:55
Thanks, Kim! I'm on the right track, really. There have been some setbacks with the initiation of the groups...a student with broken knuckles, another with a broken collar bone, & another transferred to another school, but I'm headed in that direction. What do you recommend for good pop music? Do you have any book/compilation titles? Much of it is really not good enough for the students who are more advanced. The problem, again is the more advanced students have a real problem with technique and meters/counting (even simple 4/4!!!). It truly amazes me.
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Author: ~ jerry
Date: 2002-02-10 13:43
Sandra said,
"I'm on the right track, really. There have been some setbacks with the initiation of the groups...a student with broken knuckles, another with a broken collar bone, & another transferred to another school, but I'm headed in that direction."
Really, Sandra! Aren't you taking this a little too seriously? Being a task master is one thing, but.............
Just kidding ...............couldn't resist. It sounds like you've picked up some sage advice here............lots of good info.
GL
~ jerry
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Author: Kim L.
Date: 2002-02-10 16:03
I like the Definitive Jazz and the Definitive Rock and Roll Collection and Disney music. Also, Broadway Showstoppers. Those books are fun.
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The Clarinet Pages
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