 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: bmcgar ★2017
Date: 2014-08-09 09:08
Some teachers (like me) like to jump right into repertoire for the technical challenge IF the student's basic playing abilities are good. However there have been times when I've taken your new teacher's approach and gone back to simple pieces and basic studies when a student needs lots of work on tone development, phrasing, embouchure, breath support, breathing, posture, finger technique, and so on and so on.
Without hearing you play, I couldn't guess why your new teacher is doing what he/she is doing. Assuming that the teacher has established a reputation, there probably is a good reason. Simply, why don't you ask?
You're paying the teacher, so there's no reason why you should be reluctant to ask, and there's no reason why your teacher should be reluctant to explain why s/he changed what you're doing.
(Many of the more-advanced players who come to me lack "the basics," though they may have fingers that fly, and when that happens, I put on the brakes and we "go back.")
On the other hand, I sent a very advanced student to music school from high school, and when he got there his instructor proceeded to unrelentingly change absolutely everything about his playing, and pretty much had ruined him by the time I heard him later. Ultimately he got so frustrated that he quit. Luckily, though, his subsequent teacher brought him back to his early level and went beyond it.
That is to say that there are some teachers who only know and teach one approach to playing, that being a linear approach with no divergence and no tolerance for individual differences, and it's possible that your new teacher is like that. However, though I've met several teachers like this over the years, they have been very few.
So.... ASK! If the answer isn't satisfactory, find someone else. There are plenty more teachers in the sea. (Yeah, that's a lousy metaphor.)
B.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ErezK
Date: 2014-08-09 11:18
What are your goals with the Clarinet?
In any case, you relationship with your teacher is frustrating for you and something needs to change there. A frank and open talk about what you want to achieve is needed. Put the emotions aside.
If at the end of the talk you feel that the path he has in mind for your works for you - great. If not - consider switching to a different teacher.
But I would like to classify everything I say: we only got your perspective here.
That goes for personal training at the gym, or any other instruction in a field that requires building a skill.
My personal sentiment on the matter is that you play a musical instrument because you passionate about making music. The joy of making music should not be neglected or crushed, some teachers are more focused on "producing" competition winners than anything else, unfortunately. The path of a professional musician is not for everyone but almost all human beings are passionate about music. There is an incredible value in growing as a musician even if it is not your full time job later in life.
As for concert pieces. There is something deep to work on even on "first year" pieces: mature phrasing, making a compelling statement, developing your own musical statement - it does not have to be a waste of time, on the contrary.
Proper fundamentals are essentials. Proper posture is crucial - watch an Opera on youtube, you never see an aria performed in less than optimal posture. So it is understandable that your new teacher wants to make sure you get the basics straight. Also, it takes time to "forget" or "unlearn" old habits, so this could be why he is not working on Weber with you.
Post Edited (2014-08-09 13:50)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-08-09 14:35
Rating what is going on ONLY by the "grade level" of the music you are doing would be short sighted. You need to honestly LISTEN to yourself (I don't mean recordings), I mean REALLY LISTEN to how you sound (you should do this all the time anyway....this IS what makes you a musician) and honestly assess what that is (timbre, rhythm, dynamic contrast).
Do you think that you sound better than you did 20 weeks ago? Or, can you imagine that this new trajectory will get you to sound better than you have?
If the answer is no, then you should have an honest discussion with your teacher about your goals vs hers/his. Give the teacher some benefit of a doubt (I assume the teacher was in some way recommended by your old teacher), but as stated above, you need to comfortable with how you are learning. Sometimes there is just a mismatch of communication where both teacher and student are fully competent, but the message is getting lost somewhere in between.
..............Paul Aviles
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2014-08-09 16:43
Yes, talk to your teacher and tell him/her that you're frustrated with the level of music their assigning you and ask him/her if he/she can accomplish the same thing with more advanced or more interesting music. He/she, should be able to explain to you why they're using this approach. If you're not satisfied with the answer and you don't feel you're making the progress you should then it's time to change teachers. Anytime I've had a student that I felt needed major changes I'd explain to them what and why I'm approaching them that way. Your teacher should have done the same thing. Some times I'd use some of the same repertoire the student played before and sometimes I'd start with "easier" music but I'd always explain why and ask if they wouldn't mind playing that piece again. I'd never make a student work on a solo work they didn't like, it would prove fruitless. There's a wealth of music to choose from, one doesn't have to force a piece a student doesn't like unless there's good reason for it, and then it should be explained why. Good for tone production, for technique, for staccato, for phrasing etc.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clarinetguy ★2017
Date: 2014-08-09 17:32
Paul mentioned having a discussion about goals, and he's right.
What are his goals? It's the old public school (perhaps you call them state schools, as I think they do in the UK) teacher in me. It comes from teacher training in writing lesson plans and submitting them to administrators.
A current trend in education is to require teachers to share their daily objectives for the day with students before a class session begins. They are also asked to share their long term goals. Private teachers don't usually write formal lesson plans, but they should be prepared and willing to share goals and objectives with students and parents.
Your story reminds me of experiences I had as a teenager. I studied with a teacher, a very kind man, whose main concern was developing good technique. I could race up and down scales and arpeggios, and I was playing Cavallini Caprices (although not well) in the 9th grade. There was a lot about my playing that needed improvement.
In high school, I switched teachers. My new teacher took me back a bit, but as he did it, I understood why. He didn't share formal goals and objectives (this was over 40 years ago), but he did communicate to me why he was doing what he did and what he hoped to accomplish. Although he was never a famous clarinet player, he was an outstanding teacher.
You should be able to ask your new teacher why he wants you to change your embouchure, air use, etc. (in a polite way, of course). You could ask, "We're working on changing many things about my playing. That's fine because I want to be a better player, but could you please share with me some of your long term goals and daily objectives?" He will probably be surprised by your question, but he should be willing and prepared to answer. If he can't or won't give you an honest response, you should consider looking for another teacher.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Matse
Date: 2014-08-11 11:01
Thank you all, this has been very insightful. I'll probably try to bring it up with the teacher, I generally try not to question my teachers authority because it is part of an organization. But perhaps another teachers opinion will help. I really appreciate the information.
Mats Eriksson
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: bmcgar ★2017
Date: 2014-08-12 09:49
Any good teacher would not consider you asking why as challenging their authority. Not only that, but if you know the "whys," you're more likely to study effectively and advance quicker.
I, myself, don't like teaching passive students. In fact, I just lost a passive student.
After three years of study with me, his mother told me that he was very frustrated at being constantly expected to play challenging material, and was quitting, despite my monitoring him and asking him what he was thinking and feeling about what he was doing all that time.
Had he told me of his frustration and told me how he felt, and had he been forthright when I asked him if he was happy the way things were going instead of just nodding assent all the time, we could easily have made changes, or at the very least I could have found him another teacher. Instead, it all boiled over.
I'm semi-scary, but not so scary that a student need ever fear differing with me or asking me why.
B.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
