Re: Teaching and reality


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Posted by david on December 18, 2003 at 17:21:06:

In Reply to: Teaching and reality posted by no name on December 17, 2003 at 21:30:12:

I am of the same opinion as you on several levels. The number of tuba teachers at the college level exploded over the past 25 years. Now the only way to keep the job is to recruit and teach more tuba and euphonium players, performance or education majors. How many of those same teachers recruit the engineering students or the psychology majors to take lessons? It is my opinion that a bigger service would be done by requesting the marching band players to take lessons in exchange for the scholarship that many get.

The focal dystonia that has surfaced in recent years is just a by-product of more and more competition, in my opinion. We compete with ourselves to play when we are tired, or sick, or ......... We compete with the other members of the orchestra or band to play louder than they can. We practice hours on end at volume levels that are not musical. There are those people out there who have focal dystonia for the same reason I had cancer - it just happens. Others have the symptoms of dystonia because they did something to cause it just like the smoker is a "better" candidate for lung cancer than the non-smoker.

Once a person develops a nerve problem related to playing, it usually only gets worse as the person begins to worry about the process rather than concentrate on the result. Sound versus production, if you will. I had facial surgery 8 years ago to remove the parotid gland (salivary gland) on the right side of my face and lymphoma was discovered in the lymph node. The nerve was cut causing a slackness in that side of my face. I lost an octave and a half overnight. The rest of the sound wasn't very pretty either. I had a huge desire to play again after the surgery and chemotherapy.

Sound was the most important aspect followed by a return of the range. I focused on sound quality and not on the how of the production. I got the range back and the sound as well.

I am now going through a return bout with lymphoma. I have been hospitalized for 30 days since September 2 and am doing the same with my playing. I concentrate on the best sound and not on what makes the sound happen. Good equipment is only one of the factors involved. Much of what I experience is good attitude and an expectation of what will come out the bell. I have set a goal for next summer, far enough out to reach, and fully expect to accomplish my goal. Anyone want to hear a complete program of Ionel Dumitru's (many know the name as Dumitru Ionel) music next summer in Budapest? That's my goal.




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