 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: mmatisoff
Date: 2016-02-22 04:03
I just returned to playing clarinet last July after a 43-year hiatus. My father bought a wooden clarinet from a woman he worked with when I was about seven years old. My parents made sure that I had access to great teachers as I developed; unfortunately, when I turned 13, my passion for the clarinet went south. The band director of my junior high school was a vindictive person, and after enduring three years of her ridicule, I placed my clarinet in the case and never played it again. I played flute for several years, and I tried my hand at cello, but nothing filled the void left by clarinet. Last year, I bought a Yamaha YCL-20. I hesitatingly placed the mouthpiece in my mouth and, for the first time in 43 years, I played the clarinet again. Best of all, my muscle memory returned. Now I'm studying with the principal clarinetist of the Louisville Orchestra, and I'm making incredible progress. I let my junior high school band director silence my clarinet. I hope that nobody ever has to go through that kind a intimidation. Despite having wonderful private teachers, one mean-spirited person changed my life. To all of you patient and nurturing teachers, KUDOS. You do make a difference. I wish everyone could study with at least one person who can uncover the hidden gifts of each student.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2016-02-22 07:28
Great story. Glad to hear you are back!
You are indeed very lucky. Andrea Levine is one of the finest players I've heard in a long time. You also have a pretty good tech in town, Miles Davis of Miles Ahead Music.
If I had my druthers, I'd move back to Louisville in a heartbeat.
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2016-02-22 08:07
Ironically, it worked the other way around for me. I had a private clarinet teacher when I was in 9th grade who was hell-on-wheels as a teacher - impatient and insulting and generally demeaning. He had me ready to quit the lessons, if not the clarinet. It was my very laid-back, kind trombonist junior high band teacher who convinced me to stick it out for the rest of the year to see what would happen.
The clarinet teacher that summer won an audition for a job in the clarinet section of a major symphony and left the city. I got a new teacher in the fall, and things went steadily up from there. To this day, that clarinet teacher (who has since died and will remain nameless) serves me as a model of how not to teach. The junior high band director, John Dunphy, is one of the idols of my teen years.
Karl
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Author: mmatisoff
Date: 2016-02-22 16:59
Looking back, I wish that I had just weathered it out like you did. And Kudos to the trombonist for getting you to stick with it.
Marty
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Author: mmatisoff
Date: 2016-02-22 17:01
I feel very lucky to be able to study with Andrea. I'm progressing very quickly due to her. And I agree, she is an incredible clarinetist.
Marty
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Author: Nessie1
Date: 2016-02-22 17:18
As I have mentioned before, I will never forget the teacher I had for 25 years - Angela Fussell. She was a great player but her greatest talent of all was teaching and she passed on the knowledge and love of the instrument and music to all those who passed through her hands including 47 years of students at the junior department of the Royal College of Music. She was decided and firm in her views but always took trouble not to hurt anyone's feelings and was never unkind or cruel. She also had one of the most important tools in any teachers kit - an great sense of humour!
I remember various occasions when she let me sleep at her house if I had a late lesson or an early start to something else in London as I lived some distance away and was often offered a meal with the family for the same reason.
She died 10 years ago this week but I still can't pick up any of my instruments without thinking of her.
RIP to one of the most important people in my whole life.
Vanessa.
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Author: Agomongo
Date: 2016-02-22 19:58
Agreed I play the piano (horribly), however when I was younger I loved music. However, the teacher was such a b!tch that I quit. I look back now and every teacher I meet who plays piano (not trying to toot my own horn here) say that I have a natural talent for the piano and amazing technique. I truly detest harsh teachers. They teach out of fear and therefore cause many problems like tension and perfection. They should be teaching how to love playing the instrument, how to love to practice, etc.
I have a friend who is 16 and can play all of his scales at 120, but that was out of fear and force! Now that he's away from that environment he never practices his scales and barely practices his instrument. Sure I can't play all my scales that fast, but at least I love playing my scales and I'm working my way up to that goal.
Great story and glad to hear someone coming back!
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