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I think a lot of people need to hear this. Let me know what you think!
Stop saying this!!
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Get video Dave, but on this website I'm afraid it will fall upon deaf ears. When ever I see a post asking for help on what kind of mouthpiece or horn to get, the majority of replies they get are from people trying to steer the OP in the direction of the same equipment they use. Personally, I try to steer them towards educating themselves as to how the equipment works. Theo Wanne's resources section on his website has easy to understand information on what attributes create what kind of sound for mouthpieces. That way they can choose a mouthpiece by those attributes and not have to concern themselves with any specific brand. We're all different and whatever works for one most likely won't work for the next guy, that's why there are so many choices out there. Anyway, your video is spot on and this is definitely the place to post it ...
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You know what they say about opinions...............
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Beyond our beginner set-up where I teach (which happens to be a 4c and Rico Orange Box), I stay out of the mandatory equipment set-up. I teach grades 6-8 so that’s works for most kids. We make this requirement just to keep it simple for parents.
I do recommend the Meyer 5 as a starting point for kids who are exploring jazz but certainly not mandatory. Back in the late 80’s college programs had required equipment horn, reed, mouthpiece, and ligature. It was Selmer or go home.
I personally heard students with amazing sounds on ‘no name’ equipment.
I do recommend the Meyer 5 as a starting point for kids who are exploring jazz but certainly not mandatory. Back in the late 80’s college programs had required equipment horn, reed, mouthpiece, and ligature. It was Selmer or go home.
I personally heard students with amazing sounds on ‘no name’ equipment.
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If a student asks, it's just common sense to offer a relevant answer or suggestion. The best teachers share knowledge, about many more things than equipment.
What to listen to, what to practice, what reeds work for them. It's all good.
Students learn from the good experiences and the bad, sometimes more from the bad experiences.
The fellow on the "Stop saying this" video seems to be all over the place in what he's saying. Sometimes, it's ok to give requested advice and sometimes it isn't. Sometimes he agrees and sometimes he doesn't. Some people give advice that's ok with him, sometimes they give advice he's not ok with. In other words, you never know.
I think there is far more of this kind of thing on open chat rooms than with teachers and instructors. At least, that's my experience.
What to listen to, what to practice, what reeds work for them. It's all good.
Students learn from the good experiences and the bad, sometimes more from the bad experiences.
The fellow on the "Stop saying this" video seems to be all over the place in what he's saying. Sometimes, it's ok to give requested advice and sometimes it isn't. Sometimes he agrees and sometimes he doesn't. Some people give advice that's ok with him, sometimes they give advice he's not ok with. In other words, you never know.
I think there is far more of this kind of thing on open chat rooms than with teachers and instructors. At least, that's my experience.
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I very clearly said that if you give blanket/blind advice that ISN'T based on the speciric student, it's bad. If the advice/recommendations are based on that specific student, it's good.
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I appreciate that! And it might fall on deaf ears, but hey, I have a lot of issues with things I see on this site and it's why I'm mostly here now to post my videos. I used to participate a lot more but the people here and what they post have turned me off. It's a shame! I've gotten a ton of messages/emails asking to chime in more, but I'm focusing my online attention elsewhere. I wish everyone here the best!
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This has been going on for a long time. When I was a lad (1970's), the "recommendation" was Vandoren 5RV Lyre and purple box reeds for clarinet. For alto sax players it was the good ol' Meyer 5. The Buffet R13 was the clarinet - all else was firewood. Nothing new under the sun. It does make me happy the you, the teacher is calling out this type of stuff. Carry on.
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I remember while at a high school jazz festival (late 70's), the entire sax section was sent to visit Claude Lakey in his mobile shop. We were all outfitted with new mouthpieces. Frankly our director was very hip, albeit a bone player 
, but was being encouraged to have us change pieces. The school paid for them if I remember correctly.
I do remember adapting and getting a plausible sound, all of us. Heck, what did we know back then?? The intentions were surely admirable. I suspect that I learned something (a lot) from that experience.
In my shop I surely do not employ that approach. First thing I ask is why do you want to change? You can imagine the conversation from there.
, but was being encouraged to have us change pieces. The school paid for them if I remember correctly. I do remember adapting and getting a plausible sound, all of us. Heck, what did we know back then?? The intentions were surely admirable. I suspect that I learned something (a lot) from that experience.
In my shop I surely do not employ that approach. First thing I ask is why do you want to change? You can imagine the conversation from there.
S: R&C Half-curved, EM Curvy; A: YAS875EXIIS, PM 67R; T: Eastman 52nd St, Triumpf; B: Nova Bronze
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It is very interesting and relevant, especially with how many requests for gear comes up here all the time. I think many in the forum as a whole have a great understanding of this concept, where the best thing for any player is to try out what is most comfortable to them, and of course, there is no magic way to get a specific sound. However, it is very different to get random recommendations from a bunch of strangers on a forum than an instructor. This is why I always see merit in giving people options through the forum. My general reply to this type of thing is "You need to try mouthpieces in person to find what you prefer, but here are some options that may work" or "here are a few mouthpieces that I had work for that sound concept but you will have to try any mouthpieces in person to see if its a good fit for you etc." I find this most helpful and I know many who may disagree with even that type of recommendation. Just seems more helpful to me to give people options and information, instead of just a lecture. This of course does not apply to those who have the idea of trying to match a players setup to get a specific sound.
It is sad to hear that many instructors push this type of thing though, as I have minimal experience with instructors that care at all about mouthpieces, reeds, or even horns for that matter. My band teacher growing up was a Trombone player, after you got comfortable and were playing through songs, he would recommend size 2 reed instead of the 1.5s he started people on. And then in high school he would have a stock of 2.5/3 reeds that people could try. That was as much of a setup change as I ever experienced in my first 8 years of playing. There was no mouthpiece talk at all, everyone just played what they had - which for me was a plastic stock mouthpiece that came with my Bundy. I played classical, marching band, and jazz on that piece with no issues, and was my band honor grad. Chad-LB, who I'm taking lessons with now, has not pushed any recommendations either. I was searching for a new tenor earlier this year and asked him what he thought of a yamaha I was looking at. He said they are great horns, but your setup works fine (a beginner horn) and you just need to keep shedding. (I did end up with a new horn, but I happened to fall in love with something i tried for myself!)
I hope many instructors get the chance to see this video, as they have a lot more power in influencing.
It is sad to hear that many instructors push this type of thing though, as I have minimal experience with instructors that care at all about mouthpieces, reeds, or even horns for that matter. My band teacher growing up was a Trombone player, after you got comfortable and were playing through songs, he would recommend size 2 reed instead of the 1.5s he started people on. And then in high school he would have a stock of 2.5/3 reeds that people could try. That was as much of a setup change as I ever experienced in my first 8 years of playing. There was no mouthpiece talk at all, everyone just played what they had - which for me was a plastic stock mouthpiece that came with my Bundy. I played classical, marching band, and jazz on that piece with no issues, and was my band honor grad. Chad-LB, who I'm taking lessons with now, has not pushed any recommendations either. I was searching for a new tenor earlier this year and asked him what he thought of a yamaha I was looking at. He said they are great horns, but your setup works fine (a beginner horn) and you just need to keep shedding. (I did end up with a new horn, but I happened to fall in love with something i tried for myself!)
I hope many instructors get the chance to see this video, as they have a lot more power in influencing.
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It was common when I came up (in the 1960’s) for school teachers to have a “deal” with the local music stores, and push specific instruments and accessories, presumably the ones the store made the most money on. These were good quality student instruments, so probably OK for most kids, but there was certainly an additional motivation at play.
My private clarinet teacher recommended a specific brand of clarinet (Buffet) and mouthpiece (Kaspar). I chose from 3 clarinets, all on loan from a local music store, and 5 mouthpieces, on loan to my teacher from Frank Kaspar himself.
I was not given a choice of brand, as my teacher sincerely felt that this was the best. The fact that 95% of professional clarinetists at the time played that same brand and model, made it the obvious choice. The mouthpiece was similarly presented as the cream of the crop, and Kaspar was well known at the time, but there were certainly other choices that my teacher did not present. I was 13 or 14 at the time.
I still play that clarinet and mouthpiece today, so I don’t think my teacher did a bad thing. But he certainly led me in a particular direction. He led most of his students in the same direction.
He was a good teacher, and when, at the age of 17, it became clear that if I were to pursue further advancement on clarinet, I should find another teacher. I didn’t, mostly because by that time I was pursuing the saxophone more intensely, but I always admired him for saying that I had gone as far as he could take me.
Recommendations are complex things, and if you introduce money into the equation, it becomes more complex. And possibly corrupt. I got good advice from my teacher, and my school directors never pushed any particular brand or model, but I certainly knew of teachers that did, both as a kid and an adult.
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My private clarinet teacher recommended a specific brand of clarinet (Buffet) and mouthpiece (Kaspar). I chose from 3 clarinets, all on loan from a local music store, and 5 mouthpieces, on loan to my teacher from Frank Kaspar himself.
I was not given a choice of brand, as my teacher sincerely felt that this was the best. The fact that 95% of professional clarinetists at the time played that same brand and model, made it the obvious choice. The mouthpiece was similarly presented as the cream of the crop, and Kaspar was well known at the time, but there were certainly other choices that my teacher did not present. I was 13 or 14 at the time.
I still play that clarinet and mouthpiece today, so I don’t think my teacher did a bad thing. But he certainly led me in a particular direction. He led most of his students in the same direction.
He was a good teacher, and when, at the age of 17, it became clear that if I were to pursue further advancement on clarinet, I should find another teacher. I didn’t, mostly because by that time I was pursuing the saxophone more intensely, but I always admired him for saying that I had gone as far as he could take me.
Recommendations are complex things, and if you introduce money into the equation, it becomes more complex. And possibly corrupt. I got good advice from my teacher, and my school directors never pushed any particular brand or model, but I certainly knew of teachers that did, both as a kid and an adult.
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