 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ginny
Date: 2009-04-16 16:56
The wind ensemble I play with at a junior college has a relatively new conductor. The prior conductor didn't work well with many of the kids who end up here and the new fellow is not exactly lovable but different. I'm thinking it's time for me to find another outlet though I love being with the kids and playing the cool wind pieces.
I've never played for another ensemble, my clarinet is a part of my adult life, but I am wondering if at the level of this band this fellows attitude is appropriate. He seems mad most of the time frankly. We only get a couple of music majors, new to college kids from the lower chairs in high school and a random assortment of community people.
So, I'm getting chewed out for mentioning that I have a business engagement scheduled such that I'll miss couple of rehearsals, during a lull. Our community person first chair does this all the time no problem - I think the fellow only ranks on playing maybe and hates all less than pros or something. I got snapped at for mentioning that the problem with a passage in some Fantasy was the accidentals and high range rather than just rhythm. The blighter responded: "That's your problem" in a very rude and hostile way. These are just a few of the barrage of nasty tempered remarks. The poor band sightreads a passage dead on notes and rhythm and he rants about how we never give him a piano. The reading was a big improvement, so maybe mean does get results. But I've about had it frankly.
So the question is for amatuers, does your non-pro band have a mean conductor? Is that the norm? Why do all the kids then love their band director?
Post Edited (2009-04-16 16:58)
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Author: mrn
Date: 2009-04-16 18:01
ginny wrote:
> So the question is for amatuers, does your non-pro band have a
> mean conductor? Is that the norm? Why do all the kids then love
> their band director?
No. It's not been the norm in my experience.
Sounds like perhaps your director is not used to dealing with adult ensembles. In all the groups I've played in as an adult, the directors have always known that they have to treat their members in a professional manner with respect (and a good deal of patience as well).
In my experience, high school and junior high school directors can get away with "being mean" somewhat more readily than do conductors of adult ensembles. Adults don't put up with that kind of nonsense so much and are more inclined to quit when they feel they aren't being treated like adults. Perhaps the students in your ensemble are more tolerant of the director's behavior because they still feel like students and it's what they're used to from their high school experience. Kids are used to being put in their place by figures of authority.
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2009-04-16 18:08
i play in a college level community band which is made up of mostly ameteur adults, highschool kids, and perhaps a music major or 2 now and then from the college.
the conductor expects a lot but at the same time is very tolerant and respectful of working adults and understand that we sometimes cannot make a rehearsal or two. The first chair clarinetist is always on business trips.
If someone is not doing what he likes as far as being able to play something, he always gets the message across with kindness or in a way not to embarrass anyone.
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Author: hammer_sickle01
Date: 2009-04-16 23:16
So the question is for amatuers, does your non-pro band have a mean conductor? Is that the norm? Why do all the kids then love their band director?
A rude/cruel conductor/band director in any type of band (from pro to amateur) is unacceptable in my opinion. It's also completely unnecessary. From my experience, I've become aware that they all use different methods and attitudes when dealing with the class. But when looking back at it, the ones with a short temper or that would snap frequently at students were the least successful in getting the job done.
It's simple, and I believe no matter what age group you're dealing with, it remains the same. If you're rude/mean/disrespectful with your ensemble then they have less respect for you. Without that respect, cooperation is unlikely which, if you can imagine, could be a pretty bad thing when it depends on everyone to be a successful music ensemble. Chemistry is important.
There are ways of getting things done. But never, does it require the band director to be mean-spirited. It just shouldn't get to that point.
Although...I did have one band director that said this in the beginning of the year, "I will automatically give you respect and I'd hope you'd do the same. But if you disrespect me then I, in return, have no reason to give you any respect". Something among those lines. I thought this was fair and in return there were only two students, that I can remember, that he had recurrent issues with.
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Author: ginny
Date: 2009-04-16 23:39
Well that sounds like I need to hunt up a new ensemble for myself, I just can't see this guy taking my advice, lowly second clarinet player. So I guess I'll start visiting the local community bands.
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Author: chorusgirl
Date: 2009-04-17 01:22
Well, I've never conducted a community band or orchestra, but I HAVE directed a community chorus for a number of years.
IMO, there is NEVER a reason to be mean, nasty, or any other unprofessional type of attitude/behavior when dealing with a community group. I always tried to keep in mind that the folks I met with for weekly rehearsals were the ones NOT getting paid (I was, and the accompanist was) but were there for whatever joy they got out of performing music together.
I always listened to what each and every person had to share, within the context of where they were coming from: some were talented and experienced musicians, others were complete novices, but all were there for the same reason - a passion for making music together. Just as human beings, they all deserved to be treated with courtesy and respect.
As a director, one quickly figures out who the "needy" ones are, who really has something important to contribute, who just likes to skate by and is really there for social rather than musical reasons, etc. However, there is never a reason for a director to be mean or nasty.
I would try to really analyze what this group means to you. Do you like all of the other people you interact with? Is it, musically speaking, satisfying to you? So much that you are willing to put up with a mean director? If not, by all means, try to find a group that is a better fit for you. After all, making music is supposed to be a joyful, fulfilling, and exhilarating experience, not a negative one.
You may not be able to change this conductor's attitude, but you certainly have the power to change what you are willing to subject yourself to. Good luck!
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Author: Gary Van Cott
Date: 2009-04-17 06:21
Are there people in the ensemble your new conductor seems to respect? If there are, I would talk to them and see if they perceive the same problem.
Another step would be to talk with his superior in the department. You didn't say if the new director has a full time job. A part timer should be careful if he wants to keep the job and a new regular faculty member the same if he wants to survive to get tenure.
Generally, my philosophy is not to take any abuse unless you are being paid.
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Author: Nessie1
Date: 2009-04-17 08:00
In general, it sounds to me as though there might be something else that you would enjoy playing with more - you say in your original post that you have not tried any other ensembles but I wouldn't be shy about branching out a bit.
Vanessa.
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Author: GeorgeL ★2017
Date: 2009-04-17 15:02
If you can find a true community band, one that is not associated with a college, you will often find that the director serves at the pleasure of the band. If enough people in the band shared your assessment of the director, he would be the one that leaves, not the members.
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2009-04-17 15:22
If the band director turns the band into a chore, maybe some of you who decide to leave could get together for trios or quartets at each other's houses. The community band is a great way to meet the right combinations of people you need for chamber groups. If the band doesn't already have a list of contact information for everybody, maybe you could volunteer to prepare one -- without announcing that it's your exit strategy, of course! -- and then you'd all be able to reach each other in the future, if you want to play quintets and you need the bassoon, for instance.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: ginny
Date: 2009-04-17 16:49
I really want to thank you all for such wonderful advice.
I have the impression he only respects other pros or near pros.
I've concluded that I may not know how to behave in this situation, as I will speak up about things like the reason a passage is difficult or even chat and joke around with my section when we're getting out a new piece or what not. I edit work while he's rehearsing other sections. I don't recall the prior conductor getting mad at me though.
On the other hand I need to think about what I want as pointed out so wisely.
1. Improving my skills, slowly becoming pretty good. Improving my sight reading, rhythm, speed, always breathing through and becoming more facile. A supportive environment to learn in is important and perhaps that is what's missing here.
2. A social outlet, best in the day, as I work from my home and like to see humans before dinner. As I said I really enjoy the kids in the band and the community people as well.
There is another day band further away and I'll check them out, as well as some of the community groups. I should probably finish the quarter if I can stand it, leaving in the middle would not be right. I play a lot of ethnic clarinet already and have a band doing that and I attend a Klezmer jam regularly.
I am absolutely floored by the excellent advice here. Thanks.
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Author: JedClampett
Date: 2009-04-17 21:30
The guy is a bully. If you don't like the way he talks to you or the group, you might as well use the exact same forum to remind him that no one is good enough to forgo basic civility and that his behavior is disrespectful towards every member of the ensemble.
Bullies usually blink first on that kind of settings.
If you already decide to leave, you have nothing much to loose.
Just my 2 cents.
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Author: GeorgeL ★2017
Date: 2009-04-17 22:43
Let's not be too quick to castigate the director, because Ginny offers another interpretation with this paragraph:
"I've concluded that I may not know how to behave in this situation, as I will speak up about things like the reason a passage is difficult or even chat and joke around with my section when we're getting out a new piece or what not. I edit work while he's rehearsing other sections. I don't recall the prior conductor getting mad at me though."
Ginny did indicate that she has never played in another ensemble. She may be now learning proper band etiquette .
If Ginny, and those around her, are the only people who are chatting at some time, could it be that the director is on the podium and expects the band to be paying attention to him? And what is the work she is editing while he is rehearsing other sections? Comments made by the director to another section may also be appropriate to her. If nothing else, the statement implies that her mind has drifted from the activity at hand.
On the other hand, if her behavior is not different from the behavior of other members, but the director's response is different, then the director is the problem, not Ginny.
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Author: ginny
Date: 2009-04-17 23:31
"On the other hand, if her behavior is not different from the behavior of other members, but the director's response is different, then the director is the problem, not Ginny."
My chatting behavior is no different, people get really bored with the brass being rehearsed over and over, and text friends, some even quietly chat. It may be more obvious that I'm editing or reading professional journals. This wasn't a problem with the other conductor. My time is rather valuable too.
I think he seems mad or on the edge of angry most of the time, and he snaps at me more than most, much more than the other community people. As I said he also rants at the band for little lapses in sight reading, when indeed we've done pretty well considering our talent and level! He is very gentle with young girls who act really frightened. I suppose I could act frightened, I certainly can't act young anymore!
I think sitting in for a few rehearsals with other groups will let me know if it's partly my doing in any case.
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2009-04-18 02:38
Hi Ginny,
A couple of questions.
1. What is a mean director?
2. Are the following acceptable behavior in any musical organization: chatting quietly, texting, or editing/reading professional journals?
HRL
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2009-04-18 11:46
>>I've concluded that I may not know how to behave in this situation, as I will speak up about things like the reason a passage is difficult or even chat and joke around with my section when we're getting out a new piece or what not. I edit work while he's rehearsing other sections. I don't recall the prior conductor getting mad at me though.>>
If the conductor thinks you're being argumentative when you speak up about difficulties, or if he thinks it undercuts his authority when people talk or do other work while he's instructing another section, that could explain his behavior. He may feel that what he tells the trumpets will affect the clarinets' approach to the score, for instance, and may want everybody to hear what he says to everybody else so that "We're all on the same page." Or conducting may already push his ability to multi-task to the limit: Hearing people talk or rustle papers may make it hard for him to concentrate on what he's saying or may distract the people to whom he's saying it. It may seem to you and the others that you talk and joke quietly, but "quietly" is in the ear of the listener.
If any of the above applies, then speaking to people individually and politely in private, one or two at a time after rehearsals, might have been a more productive approach for him to take. But, since he didn't do that, maybe you could approach him after a rehearsal and just ask, with a disarming smile, whether you could do more to fit in with what he expects from the group. In other words, put the onus on yourself, instead of putting him on the defensive. I suggest doing it this way because his behavior sounds defensive to me -- since he's already there, he'll only get his hackles up even more if he feels confronted, and that would make real communication more difficult.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2009-04-18 12:28
It's never wrong to sit quietly so that when the conductor is ready to proceed with the full ensemble, you are ready to do your part quickly. This advice applies to any group of musicians at any level.
Be courteous in your rehearsal hall behavior and remember, the conductor is the leader whether you like his or her approach or not.
Ask yourself, What Would Professionals Do (WWPD). The same rules fit.
Post Edited (2009-04-19 18:23)
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Author: oliver sudden
Date: 2009-04-18 13:02
> 2. Are the following acceptable behavior in any musical
> organization: chatting quietly, texting, or editing/reading
> professional journals?
They're certainly acceptable (in moderation of course, and always with regard for what's going on) in every professional or non-professional organisation I've played in or sang in or conducted or observed. I don't think it's realistic or even productive to expect players to be completely focussed on what the conductor is up to for the entire duration of a rehearsal. If they have a chance to pop up the screensaver every so often, then when they're back on the job they'll have more energy and they'll be grateful you're not uptight about keeping control. Professionalism isn't simply not relaxing your attention: it's knowing when you _can_ reasonably do it, making sure it doesn't get in the way, and anticipating when you'll next be needed so when it happens you're already there.
In any case, any conductor needs to have a toolbox of realistic ways of dealing with behaviour which is genuinely disrupting the rehearsal process. That means resorting first to phrases like "sorry, I know you're bored over in the clarinets but I'll be done with the horns in a minute and we really do need silence".
It also means being 100% sure before you stop a whispered conversation that it isn't solving musical issues and ultimately saving rehearsal time!
> "I will automatically give you respect and I'd hope you'd
> do the same. But if you disrespect me then I, in return, have
> no reason to give you any respect"
I don't see anything particularly admirable here, or anything particularly respectful in the kind of point-scoring that seems to me to be implying. I'm afraid I read that and find myself thinking "do not even the publicans the same?" (Or tax-collectors, if you prefer that translation...) ;-)
It shouldn't be an adversarial issue. Whatever music you're making and whoever you're making it with, you're making it together. The conductor can help create that sort of atmosphere. As I see it that's part of the job.
Post Edited (2009-04-18 13:03)
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Author: chorusgirl
Date: 2009-04-18 15:46
"My chatting behavior is no different, people get really bored with the brass being rehearsed over and over, and text friends, some even quietly chat. It may be more obvious that I'm editing or reading professional journals. This wasn't a problem with the other conductor. My time is rather valuable too.
"
Ginny, unfortunately, this is not what I consider to be acceptable rehearsal behavior. I don't accept it in my middle school rehearsals, and I did not accept it when I was directing a community chorus.
I certainly would not have handled it in a "mean" way, but what I consider to be firm, you might considert to be "mean".
To be clear, a rehearsal is just that- a rehearsal. It is NOT social time, texting time, journal reading or editing time. I don't think that you would find any ensemble anywhere, where that sort of thing would be considered to be acceptable.
Part of being at a rehearsal is being patient when another section is being rehearsed. And yes, I do expect all of the other sections to be paying attention because much of what I might do with one section often pertains to the entire ensemble.
Again, there is never, IMO, a reason to be rude or nasty, but in light of what you have shared with us, I respectfully suggest to you that you reconsider your own demeanor during rehearsals to see if there is anything you might adjust.
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Author: ginny
Date: 2009-04-18 19:12
Thanks again all.
As I said this particular fellow seems angry or on the cusp of it all the time, which was not the case when he first started with the band. There has been a change as he tries to find his way over his starting with us, about a year and a half ago. The band was really fun last year, doing neat new stuff like a video behind us of movie themes that we played. He's lost all his fun aspect of late and it's a drag to go there. Reading/editing was not a problem earlier in the year, I don't think it's the problem now for that matter. My son did homework at youth symphony rehearsals, they after all wanted the kids to use time wisely, and he was not alone in this. Hence my expectation. In any case, it's something else, as there's a big change in his attitude thinking back.
I don't believe the anger is just at me, but a general attitude that manifests it self at me, others and the band in general.
Post Edited (2009-04-18 19:24)
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Author: mrn
Date: 2009-04-19 13:31
ginny wrote:
<<My chatting behavior is no different, people get really bored with the brass being rehearsed over and over, and text friends, some even quietly chat. It may be more obvious that I'm editing or reading professional journals. This wasn't a problem with the other conductor. My time is rather valuable too.>>
I would *expect* a director to be irritated about these things. Part of the reason for this is that putting down your phone or work papers to pick up your instrument takes time to do. Multiply this delay by several dozen people in a band or orchestra and several stop/starts, and it starts to add up. In order for the director to make it through his/her rehearsal agenda in the allotted time, it's important for minimize such delays.
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2009-04-19 16:22
Sounds like things have followed a bit of a vicious spiral: he's got increasingly annoyed, which has given the band less incentive to pay attention! You're somehow going to have to meet halfway.
If I'm not playing, I see my duties as:
1. Listening
2. Keeping my instrument warm.
I might talk quietly with my colleagues /about the music/.
(Mind you, in loooong pit rehearsals I've seen people chew through War and Peace in the lulls, with the Times crossword on the side... but this isn't my personal style)
Personally I find texting during rehearsal quite rude, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if your conductor shared this view. I think a rehearsal room should be treated like any other theatre: phones off, unless you step outside to make a call or there's a hospital involved.
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2009-04-19 17:00
Reading, editing journals, etc. is a failure on both sides. It is a failure of the performer, in that it is distracting to the conductor and to others in the ensemble and can cause delays. It is also a failure of the conductor, in that if a significant portion of the ensemble is so neglected that they feel they have time to edit journals, the conductor is very likely not using rehearsal time effectively.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2009-04-19 18:38
During a performance, the conductor is much more exposed than the rest of the musicians. Naturally all the musicians, including the amateurs, want the performance to sound good, but for the amateurs (as the conductor and the pros in the group are painfully aware), there are no serious, potentially life-changing consequences if things go wrong. The amateurs go there primarily for enjoyment. The conductor has far more at stake.
The conductor puts his or her professional reputation on the line at every concert. People judge the conductor, personally, by how the ensemble sounds and by how professionally the musicians look and behave. That's true for directors of student ensembles, too, even if the musicians are only young children. The parents and other teachers use the quality of the performance to judge the music director's competence, not only as a musician but as a teacher and as a person.
That's a lot of pressure for the person standing up there, waving the stick. If the conductor feels (rightly or wrongly) that the musicians aren't paying attention in rehearsals and can't be bothered to do what's necessary to perfect the performance, I can understand how the frustration builds up, sometimes to the point of unreasonable behavior (for which the conductor then gets judged, again). None of that gives the conductor any *right* to rant at the musicans or taunt them (much less curse them out, the way my second high school orchestra conductor did!), but I think it helps if the musicians try to see things from the point of view of the other side of the podium. Being a real ensemble means that the people in it put aside the temptation to break away from the group and go off on individual tangents.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
Post Edited (2009-04-19 18:44)
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Author: D
Date: 2009-04-19 19:13
Personally I've left a few orchestras (all amateur) over the years when conductors spend ages rehearsing individual sections and every one else sits there thinking about what else they should be doing. The ones I've stuck with have either played more within the ability of the players thus less need to rehearse sections ad nauseum OR pushed the players by sending the strings group off for a break 10 minutes before the others and then letting the wind and brass come back 10 minutes later while the strings come back early to get a focused bit. It's much less irritating, but can be difficult to plan. All the waiting around for 20 minutes in silence while someone tries to play something too difficult for them annoys me. That is what lessons, getting together in small groups, and practice at home are for, so I vote with my feet and join something in my ability range. I expect the conductor to do some section work, but not for sufficient time that I could realistically do work or read a book. I am an amateur and an adult so I get the choice! It's much nicer than when I was a child and had no option about which groups to be part of. I left a community orchestra the other year after about 6 months because I couldn't stand the conductors choice of repertoire. None of it in the ability range of 90% of the orchestra, and when we were already thin on the ground for numbers we weren't even covering all the parts as half the people never knew when to come in.
I've also left and orchestra when a conductor changed and I couldn't understand the new one. I couldn't tell the down beats from the upbeats and never knew what time he thought he was beating in. When we complained he said that he wasn't there to count 1234 all day, which we all accepted, but when you have over 100 bars rest you need some guidance over when to come back in and he wasn't prepared to assist at all with this. Given that his was start and piece was generally to hold his hands up and say 'and', we didn't have a lot to go on even if the tempo never changed. He was totally impossible for me to follow. Having been in probably over 30 bands/orchestras over the years this is the only time I've had this problem.
Sorry for the ramble.
Ginny, I guess I'm trying to say, check out some other groups because you will probably find one to suit you better. Personally I wouldn't dream of taking work to a rehearsal, but then, I'd never stay in a group where I was expected to sit around for that length of time in a regular rehearsal. (Bit different in a pit where you have lots of tacit numbers. ) I can see that the conductor might see this as rude, especially if lots of you are busy doing something else during the rehearsal, so you are in a bit of a feedback loop here winding each other up to new levels of annoyance. Good luck what ever you do. I'd certainly recommend getting together with a few others at someones house to play arrangements for small groups. It's great fun and one on a part improves your playing and sight reading confidence very quickly.
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2009-04-19 20:52
Rehearsing a particular section for that long of a time, while others sit around is unproductive. That's what sectionals are for. Either that particular section comes in 20-30 minutes early before rehearsal to iron things out, or you devote part (or all!) of a particular rehearsal to dividing into sections and going over troublesome passages in the pieces you are playing. If you have good section leaders, they should be able to lead these breakout sessions without much attention from the conductor.
Carrying on long (and usially too loud) conversations with other idle sectionmates is counterproductive, as it distracts and annoys those who are playing. No excuse for doing other work at a rehearsal. Stick to the music, or don't bother coming. Otherwise, you are being even more rude than you are accusing the conductor of being.
Jeff
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Author: Pappy
Date: 2009-04-20 01:26
This is in reply to Lelia's post:
There is also another dynamic at work. In many ensembles the primary difference between the amateurs and the professionals is that the professionals get paid to play more often than the amateurs. Many of the amateurs may be every bit as fine players as the pros. They simply have a different way of paying their bills. In fact, from their point of view, they are volunteering their time without much hope of it having any professional benefit. While the pro may be playing in the ensemble to enhance their exposure, gain more students, etc. I agree that it can be frustrating to the conductor not to have the kind of "control" over a group they might have in other circumstances. But it seems that the axiom that "if you want honey, don't kick the beehive" can apply here. In my experience the successful conductors in ensembles like this are more persuasive that authoritarian.
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2009-04-20 08:06
D, JJ;
Agreed, kick the offending section into the corridor if things get desperate! I've had it done to me, and it works wonders. A rabble of stangers can pull together surprisingly quickly into a functional unit.
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Author: ginny
Date: 2009-04-21 03:18
So somewhere between 25 and 30% of the band never came in today. This is really unusual even in summery heat. About half missed the start time. Not much talk about being on time though, go figure. He was nice today, no snapping or belittling of anyone. I hope he got to thinking about things and the change is good for a while, unpredictable is really difficult. Maybe he has his own troubles. The kids chatted and sent text messages. Those texting never missed a down beat, they grew up multi-tasking.
Again, thanks to all for the viewpoints, I really appreciate people taking time to think about this stuff and getting your collective wisdom. Some very sharp people here, with a broad range of perspectives.
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Author: Katelyn
Date: 2009-04-21 03:27
My college conductor will start out quite tolerant and patient with a little bit of quiet side conversations while she works another section, and then when it comes close to concert time will flip a switch and suddenly the level of behavior (and playing) that was acceptable yesterday is pitiful today. Granted, my program is just lucky to even exist, but I think I can understand both your and your conductor's sentiments.
You're right, your time IS valuable, and it gets frustrating when so much of it is spent sitting around waiting for a section to fix itself. But at the same time, if your conductor has high expectations of the group, it can only make all of you better. The thing is, if all of you cut out the side stuff and focused on the music for your entire rehearsal (which, of course, IS a valuable way to spend your time), would your conductor still be 'mean'? If so, nix him or the band. If not, maybe its just his way of trying to make the ensemble the best it can be.
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Author: William
Date: 2009-04-21 15:54
Personally, I refuse to put up with conductors of community ensembles that act like self-centered, now-it-all idiots. If they cannot change their rehearsal attitudes to the more positive, nurturing side, I pack up my instruments and proceed to the nearest exit. In my community, there are fortunaltely many choices of bands to join.
However, I can put up with any tyranical baton waving drone if the pay per service is high enough and the gig doesn't last too long.
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2009-04-22 08:14
Personally I'll put up with anyone who'll tune the band!
[I've left two: one because of a flat flautist that no-one (including myself) had the skill to fix, and one because I convinced myself I couldn't keep up with the guy's expectations (disappointing, that one).]
Everyone has unwitting behaviours that offend others. The trouble is, these behaviours easily 'hook' unproductive responses, and a situation can quickly escalate from a minor niggle into a warzone. It's up to each of us to be as professional as we can in such situations.
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Author: ginny
Date: 2009-10-27 21:31
I posted this a long time ago and stuck it out. The conductor, started reading up on how to have a good maybe high school band and has totally changed his approach. I don't want to congratulate him. He's cheerful, asks without shouting, comes up with good outside assignments (listen to a concerto for your instrument and write about it), has sectionals and even listens to individuals which work as a very short and good private lesson. So much better, I'm so happy.
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The Clarinet Pages
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