Back to School...Back to Reality

So, I teach school. Band actually. Beginners, to be frank. Kids with little common sense: if you must know.

Every new school year is an opportunity to change the way we provide instruction, the methods with which we teach, and the way in which we want kids to learn.

This year I'm thinking about getting "away" from the book more than I have the past couple of years. I've had spats of being "in" the book, then "out" of the book, then back "in" and now I think I'm gonna be about a third "in"and two-thirds "out".

What does this have to do with Bass Clarinetting? Well, you have to go through spells as a player. Things have to change. You can't keep doing the same thing everyday forever. You WILL go crazy, no matter how much you claim you love practicing. It's inevitable.

I heard an old interview on Friday on with Merce Cunningham, the eminent dancer, choreographer and dance company leader(he was also John Cage's life partner, talk about a pair!) Terry Gross, in her 1980's interviewing splendor, engaged Cunningham in this very long discussion about the body, practice, demand, and the artistry of men vs. women.

They're going back and forth about all sorts of stuff and then she ask him if he still warms-up or practices daily. Even in his mid 60's (at the time of the interview) he said yes. Not only that, but he said it wasn't regimented,he just did something.

Aha! Anything!

There's something to a familiar routine, but there is also something to be said for changing your "routine". When I was in college my idiot Band Director would have the whole order for the rehearsal on the board(that's fine) but he would have some stupid harmonic minor scale on the board just for fun. Yeah, that's stupid. Do things that you're going to succeed at. If you cna play your harmonic minors, cool. If not, don't warm-up on it...practice it.

How interesting!?!? Right!?!?! What if you just...warmed-up? What if.....gasp....I told my students to just....warm-up. Yeah, I can teach them to warm-up (like I was taught) then make them do it. Ding ding ding ding ding, we have a winner!

Most times people DON'T warm-up because they weren't taught how to or they feel like they have to have this insane regimen that is a mile long. This is not the case.

Don't write it down. Write down what you should be practicing and enjoy a leisurely warm-up.

Back to reality doesn't have to be tedious. It could turn out to be refreshing...