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Author: clarinetguy ★2017
Date: 2009-02-07 02:23
Here's a story about the legendary Keith Stein, a real gentleman in every way, one of the kindest men who ever lived. He was truly one of a kind, and I feel quite fortunate that I had an opportunity to study with him. He was always positive, and I never saw him get angry. I didn't hear him play very often; by the time I studied with him, his arthritis was bothering him and it was difficult for him to play. Stein really knew how to get to the heart of a piece, and his little suggestions always made sense. After a lesson with him, you really felt like you were playing better.
A lot of instructors approach etudes with a businesslike approach; play it and play it right, don't get emotionally attached to it, and move on. Not Stein! I remember going through the Rose etudes with him, and he approached them as important pieces of music, not studies. Once I was playing one of these etudes (I don't remember which one), and Stein was listening to me from across the room. He was smiling, and he really seemed to be enjoying the music. Then, he started to dance! He was really trying to move with the music, or perhaps it was his way of passing along his wisdom to me--I'll never know. I found it hard to keep a straight face, and I started to laugh. He wasn't sure why I was laughing, but before I knew it, he was laughing too. It was one of those great moments that I'll always remember. Although I'm not on the same level that Stein was as a player, I really try to emulate his teaching style (though without the dancing!).
My second story isn't as pleasant. I later studied with the solo clarinet player of a major symphony orchestra who shall go nameless. He was an amazing clarinetist, but his personality left a lot to be desired. Lessons with him were always a tense experience, and you never knew when his ugly temper and sarcasm would flare. During my second lesson with him, he asked me what kind of reed and mouthpiece I was using, but I don't remember why. I told him and his ugly response was something like, "If the g**dam mouthpiece and reed combination don't work, get one that does!" No constructive advice or suggestions, just this. There is absolutely no excuse for this kind of behavior.
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csmith |
2008-07-30 19:45 |
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Claire Annette |
2008-07-30 20:14 |
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GBK |
2008-07-30 20:29 |
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allencole |
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DAVE |
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redwine |
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Ed Palanker |
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pewd |
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claritoot26 |
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Alseg |
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DavidBlumberg |
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allencole |
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csmith |
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SVSorna05 |
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donald |
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redwine |
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elk |
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csmith |
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KristinVanHorn |
2008-07-31 13:21 |
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Brenda |
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DavidBlumberg |
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Brenda Siewert |
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Claire Annette |
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feadog79 |
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redwine |
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elk |
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Lelia Loban |
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Katrina |
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DavidBlumberg |
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Michael E. Shultz |
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DavidBlumberg |
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GBK |
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renee |
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Philip Caron |
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DavidBlumberg |
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Anon |
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Nasubi77 |
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3dogmom |
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Lelia Loban |
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MichaelR |
2009-02-06 14:03 |
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Re: Strangest private lesson? |
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clarinetguy |
2009-02-07 02:23 |
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2009-02-07 14:23 |
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3dogmom |
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DavidBlumberg |
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elk |
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clarinetguy |
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Marie from New York |
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johnniegoldfish |
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The Clarinet BBoard
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