Re: Re: Re: A hypothetical situation...


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Posted by Jay Bertolet on January 08, 2003 at 09:51:48:

In Reply to: Re: Re: A hypothetical situation... posted by Matt Walters on January 08, 2003 at 08:38:19:

You're quite correct Matt. That's why I followed up my comments with the statement about the original poster not identifying which horns (if any) matched up well with him personally. I just assumed, since there was no other information forthcoming, that all three horns matched up with him. Perhaps that is unrealistic too. I don't know if students sound exactly how I do on my horns but I seriously doubt it. I do know that I put no priority on that whatsoever. Like you've said many times, the horn will pick you. In deciding if any of the horns Josh outlined "picked him", I just decided to assume they all had, based on how well various aspects worked for him on each horn.

Your question brings up a great point. How many of you teachers actually play extensively while teaching lessons? Any of my students will tell you that I am absolutely against doing this. The very last thing the tuba community needs is a bunch of cookie-cutter copies of me! I do everything I can to bring out the student's own "voice", whatever that may be. The only times I'll play in lessons is to demonstrate proper techniques or to show what is possible when the student has a stumbling block in their playing. For example, I might play a slurred passage to show just how smooth slurs can be. I will NEVER play so that the student can hear my sound and then imitate that. In fact, when working on sound with students I'll show them the effects of playing with different problems in the embouchure and how those problems will manifest themselves in the sound produced. My whole approach to teaching assumes that the skill of solving problems in playing is part of the learning process. If I constantly give my students the answers to their problems, they never learn how to solve problems when I'm not there. I try and teach my students to be self-sufficient so that they can progress on their own after our lessons are finished. It's the same thing with musicality. We can debate extensively about which phrases should be done a certain way but, ultimately, this is like debating what flavor of ice cream you like. Everybody's tastes are different and they should be able to express their ART in the form they feel is most tasteful to them. Whether that result is marketable is a whole other discussion.

My opinion for what it's worth...


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