Let's take a look back, shall we?? Remember the day I started this blog? Because I do--and it wasn't pretty. I was kind of basket-case-ish.
My plan in its original form was to:
My plan in its original form was to:
1. Decide to enter a (any!) competition.
Seriously, if I don't have something on the calendar, it is soooooooo hard to practice like I **should** be practicing!
Seriously, if I don't have something on the calendar, it is soooooooo hard to practice like I **should** be practicing!
Reflection: This seems like a weird #1, right? This whole project is truly "backward planning."
2. Begin a blog to:
a.) hold myself accountable--my friends/family are "in on it"
b.) writing is therapeutic! Can't hurt the process of getting El Groove-o back...
c.) get encouraging email--THANK YOU!!! I have really received some lovely notes to treasure for all time.
Reflection: I am SOOO glad I started The Good Reeder! It is so much fun and I absolutely think it has played a KEY part to getting back into shape!
3. Proceed to STAGE 1 of getting back into shape…SLOWLY... refuse any little voices of guilt... play lots of Bach, generally only play things I enjoy.
Reflection: I will never forget this time. It was like emerging from a dark cave. I didn't know what to expect--would I enjoy it again? Could I still grow and improve? Honestly, during this time I played only once a week or so. An old etude or exercise, a little Mozart, and plenty of Bach. And then at the end I'd check intonation with the old tuner to see where I was at. Embouchure slowly--and a bit painfully--came back, and we were reaching 440 once again. Haha! I would also like to add that playing during this time (back in January) truly was enjoyable. Once I got the damn thing out, everything was cool. ;)
4. Duets/Consistent practicing of new music/duets
Reflection: As you know, Bob & I have tackled a lot in the past months. I cannot believe we STARTED with "Il Convegno," but I don't regret it. I love that piece and it turned my re-training into BOOT CAMP. That piece is TOUGH. And LOOOOOONG. We've also done both Krommer Concerti. Bob doesn't know this yet, but I am hoping to do the Bach Double Violin Concerto (transcribed, or something...) next or in the near future. We also still have Poulenc! Pou-Pou! Duet Sunday has been amazing. You all already know! The bulk of my clarinet comeback happens on Sundays. Thank you to Dear Bob!!! :)
5. Acceptable shape/endurance/intonation--> LESSONS!
Finally I felt that I had been playing pretty normally again in April/May. So, I took a big step and asked a local university teacher/orchestra musician for lessons. For myself. My goals for lessons?
· Focus. Er...re-focus.
· Consistent practicing
· Dusting off excerpts
· Preparing **productively** for competition (in November)
· General oneward & upward!
Luckily, my new teacher has been so great, understanding, knowledgeable, and challenging. I've only had two lessons so far, but I'm so content with my decision to seek out a teacher and REALLY get back into this! I was soooo super nervous for my first lesson.
Afterall, it was the first lesson for me in THREE years. And I had a weird fixation on the fact that I was OUT of college, so it wasn't okay for me to still need lessons. Even though I KNEW that some of my friends still had a teacher. Even some colleagues from the Chamber Music Society let me know that despite years as a successful performer (performing with orchestras and in recitals/concerts,) they still relied on a "coach" a few times a year. And New Teacher even let me know that Renee Fleming still has a teacher??
I have noticed some distinct differences in myself in the student role now. For one thing, it is quite interesting being a student, but coming from the perspective of also being a teacher with three years of professional experience. Private teaching is sooooooo traditional and the pedagogy has truly been passed down generation to generation. That's one thing that makes private lessons very cool. And that's also why musicians say they have grandteachers and great-grandteachers. It is a lineage! At the same time, some teachers are very unique personality-wise, or motivation-wise. Obviously, at this point I am pretty savvy to the first "feel good" lesson to get you to come back for more. (Times $50, or whatever it may be...!) OMG, haircutters do this, too! Spend tons of time on your hair, giving you the perfect cut, and the next appointment it's like "what the HELL????!" Hahaha! Sorry, had to throw that in.
Anyhoo, New Teacher came highly recommended and 100% lived up to all the talk. From a teaching perspective, I always wonder what would happen if private lesson teachers set goals and objectives (I kind of did this in my first lesson--totally laid out what I hoped to get out of the subsequent sessions...) with clear "curriculum mapping" (ahhhh, I am making myself CRINGE actually using this teacher-talk here!) of etudes/excerpts/chamber music/solos to be worked on in the upcoming year (or 4.) I think it would really help to focus and motivate students.
Some teachers would say, "well, obviously in Year One we will work on the Scherzo, Mozart, and Saint-Saens, as well as breathing and correct embouchure/equipment, Year Two is Brahms and chamber music," etc...but seriously--they forget that some students know NOTHING about the sequence of things. Speaking from experience--my first mock audition in college: We were handed an actual audition list from a major orchestra. That was the mock audition. The first one. I had NEVER in my LIFE heard of a DAPHNES or a goddamn CHLOE. And it was in two weeks. And my comment from the teacher was "you obviously have never heard this piece." Quite right! And any responsible teacher would NEVER assign that excerpt in years one and two. (I was in my 2nd year, but 1st in Boston.) So thank you to those brilliant people for my first wonderful case of tendonitis. And my first real slap in the face with that comment! And almost my first nervous breakdown! I wish I had known going into college what major rep to at least have KNOWLEDGE of. (You guys, Eastman DOES send a repertoire list broken into solo/excerpts/chamber etc to admitted students prior to freshman year....)
I am just discussing this because in my experience TAKING private lessons--and ballet classes--it is so obvious that teachers were teaching on the fly 100%. (I mean, they were good at it and that's just HOW ITS DONE, I guess...but I am just thinking some planning WITH students would be GREAT.) Some teachers have great tools and ways of explaining different skills such as articulation, rhythm, breathing, phrasing, etc, etc, etc, but I can remember a couple of times where a teacher had a physical object--other than the instrument--to teach a physical concept. And if they don't have other tools to describe the concept, the teacher and student must rely on imagery, which lots of people just don't get. (Thankfully, I know I am very much a visual/imaginative/intuitive/way up in la-la land learner...) Anyway, I guess the point is, now that I've been to teacher-school, I notice so much in my own private lessons/dance classes that make me think, "I wonder if this teacher has ever considered teaching this skill with a different object/picture/audio or visual demonstration, etc. As public school teachers, we are expected to teach one objective 50 different ways. For better or for worse.
The other big difference for me as a student again is that I feel I am much more assertive. It's not so much "yes teacher, yes teacher," copy copy copy. I mean, it still kind of is, but I never continue on if I haven't clarified the previous correction completely.
So, I am back to my first excerpt of all time: Midsummer Night's Dream. And Beethoven 6. It's a good feeling to be dusting these things off & whipping everything back into shape. I hope to be able to take the next audition that comes to the region.
Thanks for reading, this was a long one!
Afterall, it was the first lesson for me in THREE years. And I had a weird fixation on the fact that I was OUT of college, so it wasn't okay for me to still need lessons. Even though I KNEW that some of my friends still had a teacher. Even some colleagues from the Chamber Music Society let me know that despite years as a successful performer (performing with orchestras and in recitals/concerts,) they still relied on a "coach" a few times a year. And New Teacher even let me know that Renee Fleming still has a teacher??
I have noticed some distinct differences in myself in the student role now. For one thing, it is quite interesting being a student, but coming from the perspective of also being a teacher with three years of professional experience. Private teaching is sooooooo traditional and the pedagogy has truly been passed down generation to generation. That's one thing that makes private lessons very cool. And that's also why musicians say they have grandteachers and great-grandteachers. It is a lineage! At the same time, some teachers are very unique personality-wise, or motivation-wise. Obviously, at this point I am pretty savvy to the first "feel good" lesson to get you to come back for more. (Times $50, or whatever it may be...!) OMG, haircutters do this, too! Spend tons of time on your hair, giving you the perfect cut, and the next appointment it's like "what the HELL????!" Hahaha! Sorry, had to throw that in.
Anyhoo, New Teacher came highly recommended and 100% lived up to all the talk. From a teaching perspective, I always wonder what would happen if private lesson teachers set goals and objectives (I kind of did this in my first lesson--totally laid out what I hoped to get out of the subsequent sessions...) with clear "curriculum mapping" (ahhhh, I am making myself CRINGE actually using this teacher-talk here!) of etudes/excerpts/chamber music/solos to be worked on in the upcoming year (or 4.) I think it would really help to focus and motivate students.
Some teachers would say, "well, obviously in Year One we will work on the Scherzo, Mozart, and Saint-Saens, as well as breathing and correct embouchure/equipment, Year Two is Brahms and chamber music," etc...but seriously--they forget that some students know NOTHING about the sequence of things. Speaking from experience--my first mock audition in college: We were handed an actual audition list from a major orchestra. That was the mock audition. The first one. I had NEVER in my LIFE heard of a DAPHNES or a goddamn CHLOE. And it was in two weeks. And my comment from the teacher was "you obviously have never heard this piece." Quite right! And any responsible teacher would NEVER assign that excerpt in years one and two. (I was in my 2nd year, but 1st in Boston.) So thank you to those brilliant people for my first wonderful case of tendonitis. And my first real slap in the face with that comment! And almost my first nervous breakdown! I wish I had known going into college what major rep to at least have KNOWLEDGE of. (You guys, Eastman DOES send a repertoire list broken into solo/excerpts/chamber etc to admitted students prior to freshman year....)
I am just discussing this because in my experience TAKING private lessons--and ballet classes--it is so obvious that teachers were teaching on the fly 100%. (I mean, they were good at it and that's just HOW ITS DONE, I guess...but I am just thinking some planning WITH students would be GREAT.) Some teachers have great tools and ways of explaining different skills such as articulation, rhythm, breathing, phrasing, etc, etc, etc, but I can remember a couple of times where a teacher had a physical object--other than the instrument--to teach a physical concept. And if they don't have other tools to describe the concept, the teacher and student must rely on imagery, which lots of people just don't get. (Thankfully, I know I am very much a visual/imaginative/intuitive/way up in la-la land learner...) Anyway, I guess the point is, now that I've been to teacher-school, I notice so much in my own private lessons/dance classes that make me think, "I wonder if this teacher has ever considered teaching this skill with a different object/picture/audio or visual demonstration, etc. As public school teachers, we are expected to teach one objective 50 different ways. For better or for worse.
The other big difference for me as a student again is that I feel I am much more assertive. It's not so much "yes teacher, yes teacher," copy copy copy. I mean, it still kind of is, but I never continue on if I haven't clarified the previous correction completely.
So, I am back to my first excerpt of all time: Midsummer Night's Dream. And Beethoven 6. It's a good feeling to be dusting these things off & whipping everything back into shape. I hope to be able to take the next audition that comes to the region.
