Re: Klezmer clarinet lessons

[MIAdler <MIAdler...>]

Currently taking lessons from Fischel Bressler who studied with Andy Statman 
I feel
highly qualified to comment from the student's point of view. 
   Yes I thought I could take a few lessons to learn ornamentation and be 
done with it.
Here it is over a year later and I still haven't mastered the ornamentation 
or spent
much time focusing on that. 
   A good teacher will focus on the basics which few intermediate students 
have
mastered like breathing,  embrochure, tonguing, etc. We have also spent time
on phrasing, and reducing complex ornamented tunes to the core in order to
get the feel of the tune. It is only when the basics are adequately covered 
that  we
move on to the ornamentations. Developing an ear for the style is important.
We spend time in lessons listening to different styles. 
   I am truely blessed to have a talented performer and educator as my 
teacher.
   To all a happy and healthy 5764.
   Marc Adler