This is slightly NHR, as it concerns a teaching technique that worked
for a cornet player, but it might work just as well for horn players.
I recently stumbled on the CD "Radio Transcriptions", which is a
collection of the playing of Red Nichols and his Five Pennies. The
pieces were broadcast on the radio in 1929-1930. For those of you not
in the know, Red Nichols and his Five Pennies were a popular and
innovative jazz band at that time; also they are the protagonist in the
1959 movie "The Five Pennies", starring Danny Kaye, Barbara Bel Geddes,
and Louis Armstrong. Must see - you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll hear
great music.
However, what caught my eye was part of Red's biography from the blurb
inside the CD case. Red's father was a professional musician, teacher,
conductor, and a professor of music. "His father believed that practice
makes perfect and made Red practice the cornet for at least an hour
before breakfast. He rewarded mistakes with a crack on the knuckles.
Red's precision, tone, and mastery of his instrument were developed
early because of his father's strict discipline."
Such pedagogical techniques have likely long fallen into disuse; yet
they equally likely helped to produce this fine musician, land him
immortality in music history, and left us with a great musical legacy.
In retrospect, was Red better or worse off for his treatment? Are there
any moms or dads here who would like to weigh in on unusual teaching
techniques that have paid off for their youngsters? Is the world
missing some excellent musicians because dad was too timid to whack his
little prodigy?
On the detail level, if you are going to crack knuckles, would it make
more musical sense for cornet and horn dads to target the right hand?
( I ascribe to none of the above, I ask questions only; do not try this
at home; your mileage may vary)
--
{ David Goldberg: [EMAIL PROTECTED] }
{ Math Dept, Washtenaw Community College }
{ Ann Arbor Michigan }
_______________________________________________
post: horn@music.memphis.edu
unsubscribe or set options at
http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
