 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Sneakers
Date: 2002-06-09 00:59
I am interested in gathering some information from any 13-15 year olds on the BB or anyone who remembers their own situation when they were this age or others who might know the answers to the following questions about clarinet players they know in this age group. Anyway, here are the questions:
1. How old are you(were you, or is the other person)?
2. How long have you played?
3. How much do you practice?
4. What music are you working on?
5. What do like or dislike about the music you play?
6. Do you enjoy practicing and if so, do you do anything that helps you to make your practice sessions more enjoyable?
7. What are your musical aspirations?
I am asking these questions to understand how to better work with students in this age group. Your help will be greatly appreciated!
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Author: John Noecker
Date: 2002-06-09 01:47
Hello. I'll take a shot at your questions, I suppose...
1. I'm 15
2. I've been playing clarinet for a little over a year (Euphonium for 2, if that counts??)
3. Well, generally (if I get home early enough) I'll practice for about an hour every night on school days. On the weekends, though (and now that school is out) I'll spend 2-3 hours or more practicing, but not all at one time, and I occasionally spend some of that practicing other things, but not often).
4. I'm not really working on any specific anymore. I was, until recently, working on the 1st clarinet parts for all of our band music (no, that's not MY part, of course, but it's the most interesting, and as you can see I have plenty of time to learn to play it...)
5. I guess I'm not very helpful on these two questions. As to the band music I was working on, it's a wee bit high, but I don't really have much to say on my likes/dislikes, especially as I haven't named any specific pieces...
6. Yes, I do greatly enjoy practicing. One thing that I do to make it more enjoyable is get together with friends that also play instruments and play along with them, or get some of those Music Minus One and the like, and play along there.
7. Not sure, yet....
Oh well, maybe after a few weeks with my newly acquired teacher, I'll be able to remark more on what I'm studying....
John
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Author: Jacy
Date: 2002-06-09 02:47
1. Well, I was 15 until about 9 weeks ago, so that's close enough, I guess.
2. I've been playing clarinet for about 2 years, and piano for...nearly 9.
3. During a semester in which I have both band and music classes (they're seperate at my school), I practice about 1.5-2.5 hours a day. During the rest of the school year I usually have more challenging courses so I only have about an hour a night to practice. On weekends and in the summer, however, I can easily spend the whole day with the clarinet.
4. Some pieces for an youth orchestra audition this upcoming Monday (Adagio from the Mozart and Menuet from Divertmento k.334), Rose 32, Hite 2, and the Schumann Fantasie Pieces, in addition to whatever band music I've forgotten to return to my band director =)
I should add that I am, for the most part, self-taught.
5. I've always prefered more lyrical band parts, but our band director chose a cople Eric Whitacre pieces (Ghost Train and Godzilla Eats Las Vegas) are anything but. Sure, I can handle the technical aspects of dectuplets across the breaks, but playing 7 pages of them isn't something I find musicallly redeeming.
Another thing I don't like about band is that we play the same part for the entire year. I don't mind playing 2nd and Eb, but I do feel as if I'm missing out on practicing the different characteristicsof 3rd and 1st parts by not playing them in band; not to mention, but the other kids who don't take lessons and aren't particurarily resourceful about their musical instruction are even worse off in this respect.
6. Something to make practice sessions more enjoyable? Skip the scales! No, just kidding. I rarely balk at practicing, but one thing that keeps it enjoyable is variety...woodshedding one piece for two hours can be pretty hellish, no doubt.
7. Well, if I do win that audition on Monday, and my band director lets me play 1st next year, then who knows, perhaps a career in music might be a good idea. Or perhaps not.
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Author: Nottelling
Date: 2002-06-09 03:45
1. I'm 15 years old
2.I've been playing clarinet since 5th grade so that would be about 5 years. I basically taught myself but started taking lessons about 3 months ago.
3. I pretty much practice everyday unless i have something going on and i'm not home. 2-3 hours is a good range. it's hard to keep track- i'll play for a bit , put the horn down and walk around then start again.
4. Right now I am working on music for marching season and just other stuff i like to play. i can play the heck out of mozart's clarinet concerto. and i always play all my major scales and other etudes each practice.
5. I never really hate playing music unless it is way below my level of playing. i always try to mix in music i enjoy playing with the music i am required to play. i find myself playing the music i enjoy the most repeatively.
i've always played first part in everything except for when i was in 6th grade and played in a high school orchestra. man, do i miss those low notes! talk about awesome parts....ok i'm getting carried away. but that is the bad thing about playing first in evrything. you get no experience with low notes, i do because i play exerices and others thing besides band. a good teacher keeps the player equally rounded.
6. yes i enjoy practicing and even if i didn't i would still practice since i have been 1st chair in just about every band or orchestra i've played in so it's kind of my job to lead the others.
7.i'm thinking about majoring in clarinet performance or something in music but my grades are also very good and i could have other areas of interest which i'm unaware of now.
hope this helps!i'll be more than happy to help out more.
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Author: Francesca
Date: 2002-06-09 04:00
It's amazing how clearly I remember what I was doing at 15. Give me a decade or two to forget, and maybe I'll be a bit more forgetful. ;-)
1. 15
2. By this point, I'd been playing clarinet (mostly bass) for 3 years.
3. I hate to admit this, but only about a half hour a day. This was before I started lessons.
4. I was working on "Sonata in A minor" by Benedetto Marcello for the state solo competition. I was transposing bassoon music for youth orchestra and I also had just bought the Rose etudes and a jazz standards book for sax.
5. I didn't like the band music, so I didn't practice it. I certainly enjoyed the orchestra music, but it was a bear to remember what the other parts were doing. I loved playing solos because I wasn't dependent on anybody else for the music to sound good. (My band was AWFUL!)
6. Having a set goal made practices much more fun and efficient. If I was supposed to get a certain passage fast, that's what I happily strived for.
7. I knew then that I wanted to be a musician. I just wasn't sure how that was accomplished
Hope this helps!
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Author: Amanda
Date: 2002-06-09 11:46
1. How old are you(were you, or is the other person)?
I'm 14.
2. How long have you played?
4 years in August.
3. How much do you practice?
As much as I can. . . Usually about an hour on weeknights, less if I have a lot homework or a lesson that night. More on weekends. There's no telling how much I'll be able to practice next year, supposedly I have the most challenging 9th grade courseload.
4. What music are you working on?
The Rubank Advanced Vol II, the second movement of the Mozart Concerto, various other music.
5. What do like or dislike about the music you play?
I like most of it, but I can't say I'm too fond of playing in some of the keys found in the Rubank. . . I'm still okay with the Mozart, cause I haven't had it for too long yet. I'll want to burn it by the time I have to audition on it.
6. Do you enjoy practicing and if so, do you do anything that helps you to make your practice sessions more enjoyable?
I usually like to practice. . . I don't have anyone forcing me to practice, so I do only practice when I want to. If I don't feel like practicing, I could play for hours and not get anything done. My practice sessions are more enjoyable when my parents aren't home, so I can practice any notes I want to without anyone telling me to shut up (heh).
7. What are your musical aspirations?
Hmm. I want to be good (heh). I'd like to major in music ed in college (I'm weird, what can I say), but that probably won't happen. Oh, a couple friends and I have agreed to invent a reedless clarinet someday.
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Author: bassclari90
Date: 2002-06-09 13:43
Hello, I would like to do your survey!!!
1. I am 12 years old
2. I have been playing for 2 years (bassclarinet,, baritone horn, normal clarinet)
3. 30 Minutes a day
4. I am not working on anything right now, but I did work on Ist clarinet music, and bass clarinet music, I have a band camp in August. I am working on Rubank Intermediate.
5. Well on bass clarinet I like all the low notes, but I hate playing boring music when it comes to playing sheet music. On 1st Clarinet, I hate playing the high notes, but the melody is what I like.
6. I like practicing, if I like the day. I usually use a cassette recorder and record myself and then either play duets with my self as the recorder plays the harmony and I play the melody, OR vis-versa. I like to listen to myself too.
7. My aspirations for music is that I want to be a musician, and play in an orchestra, no much people want to do that at out school, but I like music, more lots of the people.
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Author: Julie
Date: 2002-06-09 15:37
1. 14 (just barely)
2. 4 years
3.hhmmm... good question. a lot. at least an hour a day on weekdays (during school year, itll be more now that schools out) and 2-3 sometimes even 4 on weekends (this is just clarinet)
4. my auditiin peices (Shepherd on the Rock, Pepperino) Rubank Intermediate, Mozart Clarinet Quintet and some other stuff
5. I like most of it usually, except the rubank. I don't particually like the chord studies and such. some of the actual songs are good though
6.yes! I don't really do anything to make it fun, I just like to play clarinet, so I do.
7. to be a soloist. not necisarily famous, thats not why I'm here. I just want to spend my life playing music and entertaining people
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Author: Julie
Date: 2002-06-09 15:41
1. 14 (just barely)
2. 4 years
3.hhmmm... good question. a lot. at least an hour a day on weekdays (during school year, itll be more now that schools out) and 2-3 sometimes even 4 on weekends (this is just clarinet)
4. my auditiin peices (Shepherd on the Rock, Pepperino) Rubank Intermediate, Mozart Clarinet Quintet and some other stuff
5. I like most of it usually, except the rubank. I don't particually like the chord studies and such. some of the actual songs are good though
6.yes! I don't really do anything to make it fun, I just like to play clarinet, so I do.
7. to be a soloist. not necisarily famous, thats not why I'm here. I just want to spend my life playing music and entertaining people
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Author: Micaela
Date: 2002-06-09 16:36
1. I'm 17 but I was 15 not too long ago; I'll answer these questions like I was back in 9th grade.
2. I started at the end of 3rd grade when I was 9; that would be about five years at the end of my freshman year.
3. Between 45 mintues and an hour and a half, six days a week. I sometimes fit in more when I was free during school.
4. At this point, I had learned the Mozart Quintet, Weber Concertino (in 8th grade) and Concerto No. 1 (in 9th grade) and was just starting the Mozart Concerto first movement and Stravinsky Three Pieces (summer after 9th grade).
5. I loved Weber and Mozart; I listened to more violin music than clarinet music, though (I also play violin). It took a while for me to learn to like the Stravinsky.
6. I loved practicing then and still do! I could never understand people who didn't- practicing is playing and if you don't like playing, why are you a clarinetist? I didn't like the Baermann III much and preferred solos over etudes any day. I would play my violin pieces on clarinet and vice versa for a little variety.
7. At that point, I wanted to be a music major. I wasn't quite sure yet what kind but I knew I wanted to keep going in music. Luckily, I kept my grades up and now I'm applying to both conservatories and other colleges to pursue music history.
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Author: David Pegel
Date: 2002-06-09 16:39
Jacy, we must be almost exactly the same age. I turned 16 just 8 weeks ago.
1. Like I just said, 16
2. I've been playing clarinet for two years, writing music for three, and been playing brass instruments for five.
3. I practice when I can, whether that's half an hour a day or eleven hours a day.
4. I work on anything I can get my hands on. I'm also pretty much self-taught.
5. I like the fact I can choose my own music. I hate the fact that I don't get to choose that much at once, so I don't really advance quickly.
6. I enjoy practicing as long as I have good reeds.
7. Aspirations? I hope to go to a prestigious college (like Juilliard) to major in musical composition and then proceed to become a famous composer.
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Author: Kat2
Date: 2002-06-09 18:37
1. How old are you(were you, or is the other person)?
I’m 15 years old
2. How long have you played?
I’ve played for five years
3. How much do you practice?
I practice about an hour everyday but it depends on the day
4. What music are you working on?
I’m working on the Poulenc Sonata
5. What do like or dislike about the music you play?
I don’t really dislike any of the music I play unless it is too easy for me than I become bored.
6. Do you enjoy practicing and if so, do you do anything that helps you to make your practice sessions more enjoyable?
I like practicing. Not particularly fond of practicing long tones though. If I get bored I’ll find a flute piece that my sister has and run through that
7. What are your musical aspirations?
I’d like to be principal clarinetist of a symphony someday but for right now I’m trying to get through what I can.
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Author: Rob Bell
Date: 2002-06-09 20:25
1. How old are you(were you, or is the other person)?
I’m 17 years old
2. How long have you played?
I’ve played for eight years
3. How much do you practice?
I practice about an hour and a half everyday
4. What music are you working on?
I’m working on the Premier Rhapsody by Debussy
5. What do like or dislike about the music you play?
It depends, i really enjoy working on new repertoire but i love playing the Mozart concerto. It is a piece that you can never get bored of!
6. Do you enjoy practicing and if so, do you do anything that helps you to make your practice sessions more enjoyable?
My practice session follows this structure:
30 Mins Scales
30 Mins Etudes
30+ Minutes working on difficult passages i am playing.
At the end if time i try to play the work through.
7. What are your musical aspirations?
I want to work in music education one day and do more chamber music.
Hope this helps,
Rob
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Author: Fred
Date: 2002-06-09 21:05
A break in the action here for a bit of commentary . . .
I'm sure I speak for tons of older people on this bb when I say Welcome and Good Clarineting to you all. Though you are younger, you ARE the future. Have you noticed how many people on the bb quit and then came back after 20+ years? Of course, you don't HAVE to quit, but isn't it nice to realize that your playing will always be there waiting for you if you should have to lay it aside for some period in your life? And if you ever have a question, you can count on answers from all over the world, each addressing your question from a slightly different angle. We are indeed fortunate to be living in this information age.
And one final thought . . . Don't take this bb for granted. Support it, and encourage its proper use. I believe there is more useful information on this bb about clarinets than most doctoral students got 30yrs ago. Now . . . get back to comparing notes and enjoying your music.
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Author: Steve Epstein
Date: 2002-06-09 21:51
I'm 47 now:-)
When I was 13 - 15, I was in jr hs band and orchestra, then hs band (marching was same as concert band; we didn't do a lot of marching, not like what I've read about marching band on the bb). I also had a private teacher who came to the house, no one illustrious, just one of the local pros who did have an ed degree, but wasn't working in a school system, supported himself by private teaching and playing weddings, bar mitzvahs, probably some studio work, classical, jazz, whatever he could get.
I liked playing, because I was "talented"; it came easily, without much practicing. I did not like to practice. How about 20 minutes or so, every few days, when my mother made me, especially as I got to the 15 end of this age range. With this, I was able to make 1st chair in jr hs band, briefly, and 4th chr 1st section Central NJ regional jr All-State. I got demoted to 2nd chr in jr hs band, not because of poor playing, but because of immaturity.
By 17 or so, I was done with clarinet. A case of Bell's palsy sidelined me the 1st semester of the year before, so quitting wasn't too hard.
I stayed with clarinet for as long as I did because I was a good kid, but an insecure one, who enjoyed being praised for playing well.
I have now been playing as an adult for the past five years, owned a "C" for the past four, playing music of a sort I doubt most kids, or even serious adult amateurs and pros would be playing, at least on clarinet (because it's "not" clarinet music), i.e., keltic folk music for contradancing. I still don't practice on any kind of regularly schedule, although did for the first year or so, to try to get into shape. Interestingly, I have improved in the past two years more than in the first three, even in the technical aspects of playing, by playing more with other people than by myself. I play the kind of music I do, because it's available; there were open, non-auditioned bands that did not demand attendence at rehearsals, like community bands do, and the focus is on playing gigs, rather than on endless rehearsing for a few gigs. I also get to do some improvising and harmonizing; we bascially have only lead sheets with suggested chords that the piano players love to fix up - I've played more jazz playing keltic tunes than I have playing jazz tunes. I've been getting a practical education in music theory through this.
Something like this as a kid might have made it more interesting. We do have some young people in our band, and they're decent players but not musical geniuses. I think they're getting something out of it that their peers, even those more talented / skilled, aren't.
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Author: clarinetqween
Date: 2002-06-10 05:16
I am 19, been playing for only 8 years (wow that long ;^)
When I was 13-15
Author: Sneakers (---.easilink.com)
Date: 06-08-02 20:59
I am interested in gathering some information from any 13-15 year olds on the BB or anyone
who remembers their own situation when they were this age or others who might know the
answers to the following questions about clarinet players they know in this age group.
Anyway, here are the questions:
1. How old are you(were you, or is the other person)? 13-15
2. How long have you played?
5 years or so (Started in 7th grade- that is when it was first offered to me, no elem. band)
3. How much do you practice?
1 hr a day
4. What music are you working on?
Mozarts clarinet concerto, HS band stuff, scales
5. What do like or dislike about the music you play?
I love it and I was sooo into it then
6. Do you enjoy practicing and if so, do you do anything that helps you to make your practice
sessions more enjoyable?
I take frequent breaks, not too frequent though. This helps me personally focus better (di then and does now). Also never practice whn you are in a bad mood. Only bad news my friend.
7. What are your musical aspirations?
To become an inspiring band director like my own someday. I am currently a Music Education Major and I am loving every minute of it!!
I hope that I could help!
Clarinetqween
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Author: clarinetqween
Date: 2002-06-10 05:24
Okay i am retarded and I cannot do math. at 15 I had only been playing for 2-3 years. Jeesh
-clarinetqween
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Author: Danielle
Date: 2002-06-10 19:22
1. How old are you(were you, or is the other person)?
i'm 14, almost 15 (a month and a half!)
2. How long have you played?
almost five years, i think...wow. i've played the guitar for almost 8, too
3. How much do you practice?
on an average, 45 minutes a day, more on weekends...and i have band rehearsal every day, too...does that count?
4. What music are you working on?
telemann's sonata in c minor, arabesques (jeanjean), mozart clarinet concerto...and anything else i can get my hands on, esp. jazz. i love my book of benny goodman transcriptions! also, a lot of orchestral music, my most recent favorite was the 1st clarinet part to beethoven's fourth...that was fun!
5. What do like or dislike about the music you play?
i don't like baroque music (ex. the telemann) because it's so repetative, and (in my opinion) boring. the jeanjean and mozart are so pretty. bg rocks, without any further explanation needed...
6. Do you enjoy practicing and if so, do you do anything that helps you to make your practice sessions more enjoyable?
i enjoy practicing, but i like playing a variety of music (i get bored easily). i don't play everything i'm working on in one session, because then i'd have to spend like ten minutes on each piece...but i will practice more if i'm playing something i like, and have more fun
7. What are your musical aspirations?
in the realm of...unreality...to become a famous jazz clarinetist and be the next benny goodman, only female :-)
but i'm really not THAT good at jazz...although you never know!
anyway, i'd like to be a band director and inspire a lot of people like my middle school band director did...or play in a lot of small groups, like my uncle (a bassist) does...ya know, do parties and stuff.
hey, it looks fun....
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Author: Sneakers
Date: 2002-06-10 22:08
Thanks so much for all your responses. I shared them this morning with one of my students in an attempt to inspire her to practice more. She was impressed by how much some of you practice. I also played her the recording of Julian Bliss on the internet. I'll let you know if any of this works.
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