On Practicing. . .The differences between my expectations and the parents
I am in a fortunate situation as a private teacher in that my schedule is nearly full. In the past year I have picked up 40 students in my studio. Many of these students are raw beginners, but some I have adopted from other teachers and other situations. It has come to my attention in the past few weeks that some of these adoptees have not had the basic fundamentals of sound production and articulation taught to them in the past or if they have, the student has either not applied it, or not understood it. But what I usually find is that they have not been taught it from the outset.
In picking up these students, one of the first things I do, is try to correct any deficiences that they might have in terms of the very basics. Some of them don't even know how to properly put a clarinet or saxophone in their mouth, and as a result they dont' have a good sound. Some of them have never learned how to articulate or tongue the notes. This is not their fault, but I feel it is on my shoulders to correct these very basic fundamentals of sound production as soon as I can. . .
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