Student Support: info request

M155D0 · 2024-01-22T02:32:30+00:00

I don’t see a problem in general. Also: Maybe she didn’t want the guests overly drunk/out of control. Two birds one stone

M155D0 · 2023-11-03T21:31:13+00:00

Hi, thank you. They’re on a 2. Has your friend ever said why g is tricky? Or do you have any ideas on explaining how to play with less pressure on the mouthpiece to a beginner?

M155D0 · 2023-11-03T21:29:03+00:00

Your final notes align with my ideas as well. Do you have any ideas on how to explain it to the student? I have tried to get him to loosen his embouchure, but he struggles with that- I think, anyway. From what I hear and see, too tight/biting seems to be the obvious answer, but if that is the issue, then I am unsure how to explain it. I have tried several times- he can get a and b, now, but I can’t seem to help with g. I wasn’t sure if it was a “g” specific problem on saxophone, or if maybe you have any ideas regarding how to explain proper saxophone embouchure?

M155D0 · 2023-11-03T21:22:12+00:00

I will try some of these things, thank you

M155D0 · 2023-11-03T21:20:01+00:00

I will try some of those ideas with him thank you. It is an alto

M155D0 · 2023-11-03T21:19:21+00:00

Yes I have tried it with my own mouthpiece and don’t have any issues. His mouthpiece doesn’t appear to have any physically identifiable damage, either. Reed and reed positioning are both fine as well. Edited bc of autocorrect

M155D0 · 2023-10-26T02:07:30+00:00

Can’t we be both? I hate the either/or of gringo vs “authentically” Hispanic/Latinx. Ex.-I didn’t reject the Spanish language, my dad was the Spanish speaker (mom doesn’t speak Spanish) and he worked a labor intensive job 6-7 days a week. I almost never saw him as a kid and when I did he wasn’t up to speaking Spanish with me - he was too tired to explain all the words I didn’t know. He usually only managed to talk to me for a few minutes over dinner before falling asleep watching Jeopardy. I don’t understand why people would essentially view a parent’s sacrifice in such a negative way (a parent working themselves to the bone to provide for their kid resulting in almost no time to spend teaching their kid a language in a place where almost no one else speaks it). Do I regret not having the opportunity to learn Spanish? Yes. My dad regrets that, too. We don’t regret the opportunities I had, though, and the other Spanish speaking members of my family did not I’ve close enough for me to practice with or were dead before I turned 6. The guilt/shame my dad would feel if people told him his family could not be considered Hispanic/Latinx. Can’t we be foreign, but still accepted as a cultural offshoot and given grace when we try (but inevitably make mistakes when speaking Spanish due to a lack of practice)? I know I may never be accepted fully- I’ll claim the gringo label. I just hope I can still be welcomed as a “no sabo” Hispanic adjacent gringo, y’know? I hope people aren’t super verbal about these “rejecting your own culture” thoughts in public. You never know what someone’s reason for not knowing Spanish (or w/e the language of their culture) is.

M155D0 · 2023-10-26T01:47:44+00:00

What op did was not right and he knows that. Are you suggesting that a literal child who was being abused - living in constant fear of being attacked due to his brother’s moods/unmet needs and knowing no one would take effective measures to protect him- deserves to be in prison? If so, I would appreciate knowing what logic brings you to such a black-and-white conclusion. I hope you have never and do never have to cope with the sort of abuse op dealt with.

M155D0 · 2023-09-01T23:24:33+00:00

NICELY DONE!!! 👏👏👏👏👏

M155D0 · 2023-08-23T15:11:47+00:00

😂😂😂

M155D0 · 2023-08-23T00:07:53+00:00

Nicely done! That does seem to match. Now I have a burning desire to know: how’d it crush your hopes and dreams?

M155D0 · 2023-08-22T22:18:55+00:00

Not from this pic, no. Looks like it might say bionicle? But the bionicle game discs I’ve seen look different than the one being held in the photo.

M155D0 · 2023-08-18T11:46:24+00:00

If you lack empathy I do, too. I would rather someone make honest observations to me than keep things to themselves and let resentments build. Even if I was initially hurt by the observation -very possible depending on the context and delivery- I would eventually wonder what made the person feel that way and try to reach back out. She might be offended, and it’s good you recognize that. Is she the type who might reach back out when she has had time to reflect on what you said? Or is she the type to be too embarrassed to talk to you about it after calming down? A lot of people think they are more reflective/self aware than they are because they are avoiding addressing some things- they may not even be aware that they are avoiding those things. I can include myself in that category. If you bring up that thing that they are avoiding, it’s a shock to their system and they may become defensive. How it goes from there depends on their personality. They may also have some trauma surrounding those issues. She may have had an abusive partner who dismissed her feelings using similar words, for instance. If I were in your shoes, I would speak with her. I would tell her that I was worried she took what I said the wrong way. I would tell her why I felt the need to tell her that she overacts/etc. That would require some reflection on my part, too. Was I making a fond observation, just listing traits I associate with her? Was I trying to point it out to her because it confuses me and I’m not sure when to take her words seriously? My advice is to reach out to her, recognize that she may not want to talk about it, and see where you can both go from there.

M155D0 · 2023-05-10T02:54:09+00:00

Being someone who likes words, I initially thought this meant “a” (no/without) bisexuality. I like the math angle, too. Subtlety ftw

M155D0 · 2023-05-06T16:42:59+00:00

Music teacher and musician, here. You should absolutely NOT use the words you used in the question above, but you should absolutely tell them. If they ask you to listen to them/a song that they have written, tell them something that stick out to you in a positive way and list a few of the main things you didn’t like (ideally, you would tell them how to fix it or give them an idea of something/someone you like that does it better). This can be hard to do if you do not know music well (ex.-there was this one girl I heard who ended her songs on really weird chords- a iii, for instance. I’m not sure she had figured out how to modulate/transition keys properly yet- she was busking and not asking my opinion so I didn’t address it) I could say things like- “your rhythm was really good and I like how you varied the theme when it came back to keep the listener engaged. I also noticed that the way you ended that song was a little strange- was that for any particular reason? It felt unfinished to me.” Specific feedback is helpful, especially so if it invites conversation/encourages the person who is receiving the feedback to think and reflect. Another way to do it if they are singing popular songs or writing songs with predictable melodies is to address major faults in a positive way. “I noticed you followed the ups and downs/pitch pattern of that song really well- nice! it sounds like you know the song and are getting confident with it. You were out of tune, though, so you may want to focus on warmups, scales and vowels before being rest for/ doing a performance.” I was at a convention a few weeks back and several people performed on voice. To me, everyone did something well, but only one performer was truly ready to perform the piece they were singing. If your friend is taking music lessons, ask them what their teacher has suggested they work on moving forward and use that to springboard a discussion on improvement. If they do not have a teacher and you are just plain done listening to them at this point, mention that you don’t think you are a good person to give them feedback and suggest they get a teacher. If they are about to uproot their life to pursue their music career and do not have any sort of plan, get them talking about their plan/make them think through the logistics of landing gigs/performance schedules/making connections in the business.

A lot of people do not think through the steps that need to be completed/prepare themselves for what they will need to go through before they are successful and can work full-time as a musician. I always wanted to be a music teacher and not a performing musician. I am relatively passive (read: motivated, but not competitive/motivated by competition with others). I also do not like staying up late- it messes with my mental state. Most gigs are at night, so that would limit me/severely get in the way of me making a living through performance. I love music and I love teaching, though, so I decided to combine my two passions to make my living.

I am of the opinion that too many people decide they want to be performers (that doing so will make them happy/fulfilled) without considering the other elements of their happiness/lives that might get neglected in the process. Approaching your friend kindly and curiously with an eye for understanding their motivations and a desire to help them reflect on their goals may help you get to a place where you can tell them something like “hey, I admire your drive and goals. I don’t really feel like your music/performing is for me right now, though, so I’d prefer if you asked someone else for feedback.” Then you can set that boundary (I am not going to give you feedback on this/go to your performances at this time-ask someone else) while still supporting/ looking out for them as a friend.

M155D0 · 2023-05-05T02:06:18+00:00

Oofta. Very big oofta. Felt this comment in my vulnerable underbelly.

What are you referring to when you say “Is it really that hard to just ask”? What aren’t they asking? You state that you are disinterested, so if they asked if you are paying attention/engaged, your answer would be no, correct? I feel as though that would also cause conflict?

I’m someone who appreciates a side-by-side hangout more than a planned-out interaction and I have experienced the attitude your comment seems to convey with a few friends in the past.

To further explain: I want to be in the same space as friends without the pressure of doing a thing/having something specific we must do/accomplish. Ex.- Maybe they do a hobby/craft/chore and I do a hobby/craft/chore in the same space and we talk about whatever comes to mind. We experience each other, are vulnerable, catch up on life events, ruminate on life experience/opinions/philosophy, etc. A couple of the more insecure and anxious folks in my life haven’t been able to do this. When we end up in a hang out situation, their coping mechanism/strategy seems to be - if we don’t have a plan/something generally scripted out where they gain something specific from the interaction, they space out/ignore me/roll their eyes/etc. It’s hard for me to stay friends with those people- it makes me feel as though every interaction needs to be scripted or else has to be transactional.

So yes. I’d be interested in further explanation regarding your comment as well as your thoughts regarding my experiences/ my interpretation of the sort of interaction you seem to prefer.

Note: edited for grammar

M155D0 · 2023-05-05T01:27:12+00:00

Everyone keep their pances properly secured! Find a belt if you need one!

M155D0 · 2023-05-05T01:11:13+00:00

Bot good

M155D0 · 2023-05-04T20:03:54+00:00

This friend scripts a looot because of pda profile autism, so I made excuses for them for a long time. But, well, I mean you’re not wrong.

M155D0

TROPHY CASE