Private Lessons: The Agony and The Ecstasy

Today I'm gearing up for 4 private lessons with my 4 summer students on my side of town.  I have a Senior Bass Clarinetist who made All-State last year, his 9th Grade sister, a Senior Clarinetist who is a monster player, and a 10th Grade Bass Clarinetist who is developing.

In each case the students are very different and relatively easy in the motivation department.  We have issues ranging from tension, hand position, and embouchure all the way to reading, retention and fundamentals.

In each case the kids are coming from a similar stance:  "What do I do now?"

The kids who have the upper hand and are very good did not start out that way.  I've been teaching my Senior Bass Clarinetist since the summer after his Freshman year.  In that time he's gone from the bottom of the Section to the top.  He does exactly what he's asked and doesn't complain.  My younger students may move slower, but they will get there.  

I spend alot of time reminding people that this is a process.  I've grown tired of the idea that everyone will just get it if we yell at them enough.  There's a big difference between lazy students and students who don't get it yet.  Kids who don't get it yet are working hard and not progressing at the rate they'd like to.  No big deal, we can't ask them for more and no amount of complaining is going to change that.  

Lazy students, on the other hand, DO need some less-than-subtle motivation to allow them to grow.  Perhaps they've never worked under pressure before and they just don't realize how much effort is required to get a satisfactory result.  Either way, there's two different kinds of kids at the bottom.

What drives me nuts is when people assume that the decent hard-working kid will get there with yelling and other tactics that should be reserved for time-wasters.  I just can't teach that way.

So, everyone is starting today with scales, fundamentals, some kind of rudimentary exercise (that's on their level) and then working on whatever it is we're working on.  Scales are a killer, but you have to keep hammering them until they get there.  I have no problem working the same stuff time and again and again and again and again until it's right.  We do other stuff too, but those fundamentals aren't going away.

Everyone is working on some kind of literature, be it etudes of actual complete works, but everyone is doing some kind of music that requires thought, reading and interpretation.

This is where I differ from alot of people.  I spend a ton of time on interpretation and reading.  How to read, how to see patterns, how to relate the music to fundamentals that you already know, how to take and give time, how to express yourself, how to remain tonally equal throughout the entire horn, etc.  Most kids don't understand these concepts or don't get them until it's way too late to use them.  I'm not sure I can count the number of people I met in college and beyond who didn't know how to do this stuff.  It's like they never were taught anything but fast notes and loud/soft.  Yikes!

So, the Agony is realizing I've got to do this stuff and knowing I'll never have enough time to do it all.  The Ecstasy is knowing that I'm doing and doing it right.  (And occasionally, it results in kids getting recognition for their hard work.)

Peace.