TEACHING PHULOSOPHLES FOR MUSIC NOTES FROM A SEMINAR BY ROSARIO MAZZEO At CMEA Bay Section Conference - 1/16/86 Hezzea'’s comments were very helpful tame. Sot thought other wing jnstrument teachers might benefit. Dele welferd 1. Tell student to “study”, not “practice” 2. During lesson, talk less; but make pungent, lasting comments w “Sound your instrument”, not “play”. (not the same as playing baseball.) 4, The student is his own best teacher, allow him to identify and solve problems. ‘5. Talk at the student's level, but with your standards. = Teach by steps, not leaps and bounds. The student needs to gradually climb the steps. After a while he may be able to absorb 2-3 steps at a time, but in the beginning should do 1 at a time. a . Nudge the student - move a little at a time, give him the answer about how to get to the next step. 8. Posture - includes embouchure, hand position, back position, etc. Require a mirror for every student on the music stand. Must see himself do correct embouchure in order to remember it. Adjust embouchure for each student's facial make-up. 9. Tonguing - work on_gu//ing tongue away, must be fast coming away from the reed. Don't emphasize the attack. 10. Avoid too much “pecking away" - Allow the student to play completely through a movement, etude, etc, at least once per lesson. This will help him to better understand the phrase as well as help towards the performance confidence and concentration. 11. Have students record themselves during the week, judge it themselves at the lesson with the teacher. 12. To check accuracy, repeat 3-4x's to verify. Make sure it wasn’t an accident! 13. Sing to make @ point about @ student's mistake, to exaggerate It.14. First 10 minutes of lesson, work on singing while tapping 6 different rhythm (solfege book). This helps to build rhythmic independence. 15. Rhythms - take out some notes to simplify difficult rhythms, gradually work up to actual rhythm. 16. Breath support is #1! 17. Speak of “silences” not “rests”. Intensity during rests is as important ‘as when playing, similar to getting onto a moving freight train. 16. Ornaments - must be a part of the music, don't let it interupt the music. Write them out for the student at first. 19. Phrase building - sing to understand the concept of the phrase 20. “Stop the note at the end, not the beginning when ending a piece to give it life” 21. Dynamics - relative to the size and type of group you are playing with. Flute/clarinet duo dynamics different then soloist with orchestra. 22. Have student pre-visualize the tempo - us an upbeat for everything. 23. Play etudes/exercises at 4 widely different tempi. Including much faster then the composer indicated to always be ready for any contingency. 24. Breathing - Always have a reservair af air to sustain the tone. Even when only playing a very short phrase. 25. Longtones - give students a need to do them. Otherwise they have no meaning. Working on improving tone, air support, etc. 26. Vibrato - is forever changing, must sound natural. Sing phrase w/voice, record, then play on horn with same feeling. 27. Tone matching - a) play scales for evenness b) Playa note witha good tone, move to another tone and come back to the good model. Will help to hone evenness. 28. “If you don't enjoy teaching, don't teach!”