Musicians and their instruments

[Tude]

I've been playing clarinet for almost four years now! I got randomly assigned to the section when I first joined band, and I ended up falling in love with it! I currently play a Backun Alpha student clarinet, which my mom bought me last summer.

Despite my best friend practically begging me not to, I really want to learn the bassoon as well. It's such a cool instrument and I feel ready to try something harder than the clarinet. I would also like to learn guitar, but my little brother snapped one of the strings on ours, so unless we get that fixed I'll have to put that dream on hold

Yeah, don't listen to haters. Learn the bassoon or whatever other instruments you want! Hope you get the guitar string replaced soon.

I feel your pain about little brothers lol. I had an accordion from the time I was two years old and used to mess around on it all the time. When I was ten, my little brother took the accordion outside for some reason and then left it out in the yard. Ofc it rained that afternoon and my accordion was ruined! I was so mad but my dad acted like my little brother did nothing wrong. He never got me another one.

 

[Autumn247]

I play the violin. Started in 3rd grade as a child then dropped off it around middle school. Picked it back up as an adult a few years ago and have been taking lessons with a private instructor since then. I'm 31 now, I regret all those years I stopped playing it but am glad to be back to it now

 

[Aquilla]

I started with the recorder in primary school and I play the piano and alto sax. I used to play the sax in a jazz/ big band and in an orchestra in high school, but haven't picked it back up since. Its just no fun to me to play it outside a big band. I love learning musical instruments though :3 I also own an ocarina.

My piano is a very old second hand one. I liked it because it has engravements and carvings in the wood. I prefer the look of old instruments over the sleek boxy look of modern/new ones.

My saxophone was bought new and paid off via lease. But I also prefer old saxophones over new ones.

Spoiler: saxophone story and what made me fall out of love with it all

My current saxophone is actually my second one. Its untouched. My original saxophone was lost unfortunately. When my family and I moved to a new house, I stored my saxophone in the basement temporarily (we were ensured by the previous owners that the basement is dry and safe).

Well, turned out that was a lie. That basement is damp as hell in summer and winter. My saxophone's (I had named her Hildegard, as all my band members named their instrument old fashioned German names) cork and leather portions and the velvet lining of its case were completely covered by black mould. It was beyond repair.

My insurance replaced it in full, and I now have a brand new saxophone. But I have not had any desire to play it once. Prior to this I had a very strained relationship to playing music already. I was unlucky with my sax and piano teachers, we never got on well. I also didn't like my band conductor. As a highly anxious, insecure and emotional teen, I never clicked with any of these very gruff and choleric old men who didn't have a spark of empathy in them. I started dreading every lesson. My sax teacher scolded me a lot and it made me want to shrink and be invisible.

My piano teacher told me "that's not real music" whenever I brought in my own sheet music of songs I wanted to learn so I could accompany myself and sing. He only liked classical music and didn't allow me to unfold.

My band conductor was really abrasive and improvising in front of the whole band was mandatory. I had difficulties remembering which scales I needed for which piece off the top of my head and improvisation therefore made me feel like a fish on land. I ended up terrified of our band concerts and practices, dreading the improv every time.

Bottom line: fear is NOT good for teaching, nor for learning anything.


Eventually I only kept up band and instruments because I was feeling guilty that my parents had paid classes and instruments for me. So when my original saxophone was gone, my last attachment to music vanished with it.

Its a great shame and something that makes me quite sad. I adore music. And I adore listening to saxophones. It always stings a little when I hear one, because in spite of it all, it was an important part of finding my identity growing up and it hurts that it ended in some sort of avoidant and strained relationship to music making.

I'm currently learning acoustic guitar on and off, because its useful in my profession being able to whip out a guitar AND being able to talk/sing as I play. It's taking a lot of mental effort though to not fall into the same hole that ended my saxophone and piano endeavors.

I'd like to own a kalimba some day, and a better ocarina and I've always adored flutes as well.

 

[ShawnFuzz]

I started with the recorder in primary school and I play the piano and alto sax. I used to play the sax in a jazz/ big band and in an orchestra in high school, but haven't picked it back up since. Its just no fun to me to play it outside a big band. I love learning musical instruments though :3 I also own an ocarina.

My piano is a very old second hand one. I liked it because it has engravements and carvings in the wood. I prefer the look of old instruments over the sleek boxy look of modern/new ones.

My saxophone was bought new and paid off via lease. But I also prefer old saxophones over new ones.

Spoiler: saxophone story and what made me fall out of love with it all

My current saxophone is actually my second one. Its untouched. My original saxophone was lost unfortunately. When my family and I moved to a new house, I stored my saxophone in the basement temporarily (we were ensured by the previous owners that the basement is dry and safe).

Well, turned out that was a lie. That basement is damp as hell in summer and winter. My saxophone's (I had named her Hildegard, as all my band members named their instrument old fashioned German names) cork and leather portions and the velvet lining of its case were completely covered by black mould. It was beyond repair.

My insurance replaced it in full, and I now have a brand new saxophone. But I have not had any desire to play it once. Prior to this I had a very strained relationship to playing music already. I was unlucky with my sax and piano teachers, we never got on well. I also didn't like my band conductor. As a highly anxious, insecure and emotional teen, I never clicked with any of these very gruff and choleric old men who didn't have a spark of empathy in them. I started dreading every lesson. My sax teacher scolded me a lot and it made me want to shrink and be invisible.

My piano teacher told me "that's not real music" whenever I brought in my own sheet music of songs I wanted to learn so I could accompany myself and sing. He only liked classical music and didn't allow me to unfold.

My band conductor was really abrasive and improvising in front of the whole band was mandatory. I had difficulties remembering which scales I needed for which piece off the top of my head and improvisation therefore made me feel like a fish on land. I ended up terrified of our band concerts and practices, dreading the improv every time.

Bottom line: fear is NOT good for teaching, nor for learning anything.


Eventually I only kept up band and instruments because I was feeling guilty that my parents had paid classes and instruments for me. So when my original saxophone was gone, my last attachment to music vanished with it.

Its a great shame and something that makes me quite sad. I adore music. And I adore listening to saxophones. It always stings a little when I hear one, because in spite of it all, it was an important part of finding my identity growing up and it hurts that it ended in some sort of avoidant and strained relationship to music making.

I'm currently learning acoustic guitar on and off, because its useful in my profession being able to whip out a guitar AND being able to talk/sing as I play. It's taking a lot of mental effort though to not fall into the same hole that ended my saxophone and piano endeavors.

I'd like to own a kalimba some day, and a better ocarina and I've always adored flutes as well.

Oh my gosh... I hate to hear that you gave up saxophone for that reason but I get it!! Its actually really common and something I learned quickly...

Obviously your basement black mold situation is unusual, and I would be devastated to lose an instrument that I had a connection with like that!

But it's very common for students to be turned off of music because of their teachers. I quit lessons on my guitar after 4 or 5 lessons as an older teen. The only reason I kept going that long was because it was the only time my parents allowed me to drive my own car. I was punished for bad grades and not allowed to drive the car I bought with my own money, and since they didnt want to drive me to the lessons themselves it was the only time I could drive. Lessons were 10 minutes away, and it took an hour to come back as I drove all over the place

I also took electric bass lessons a couple of times, and my bassist "rock star" teacher tried to make me sing/hum the scale I was learning. I am not a vocalist!

I guess my long point is that people should learn instruments at their own pace so that they enjoy the experience! It turns out that lessons were bad for me personally and I enjoyed learning on my own and improvising. I had a lot of fun playing with some talented musicians on my own time, and they understood my shortcomings but taught me so much more than any instructor!

I encourage you to pick up your sax, or any other instrument that calls to you and learn it at your own pace, the way you want to!

Music is a joy, not a chore!

 

[Aquilla]

Oh my gosh... I hate to hear that you gave up saxophone for that reason but I get it!! Its actually really common and something I learned quickly...

Obviously your basement black mold situation is unusual, and I would be devastated to lose an instrument that I had a connection with like that!

But it's very common for students to be turned off of music because of their teachers. I quit lessons on my guitar after 4 or 5 lessons as an older teen. The only reason I kept going that long was because it was the only time my parents allowed me to drive my own car. I was punished for bad grades and not allowed to drive the car I bought with my own money, and since they didnt want to drive me to the lessons themselves it was the only time I could drive. Lessons were 10 minutes away, and it took an hour to come back as I drove all over the place

I also took electric bass lessons a couple of times, and my bassist "rock star" teacher tried to make me sing/hum the scale I was learning. I am not a vocalist!

I guess my long point is that people should learn instruments at their own pace so that they enjoy the experience! It turns out that lessons were bad for me personally and I enjoyed learning on my own and improvising. I had a lot of fun playing with some talented musicians on my own time, and they understood my shortcomings but taught me so much more than any instructor!

I encourage you to pick up your sax, or any other instrument that calls to you and learn it at your own pace, the way you want to!

Music is a joy, not a chore!

Thank you for your thoughtful and understanding reply I loved reading your story about music as well. I'm sorry your parents chose to do this. I can imagine the freedom when driving for an hour after practice felt amazing!

I definitely agree with you and that's what I do now with my piano - just practicing on my own terms what I want to learn. I'll do the same for guitar. Makes me wonder why people like those teachers choose a profession like that when they clearly dislike kids and are narrow minded. "That's not real music" have you ever heard such bull?

I have very limited free time and a load of creative hobbies I usually prioritize over music, but I'll definitely keep playing with instruments. That's why I like small ones like ocarina and kalimba - it feels less daunting and low commitment compared to putting together my saxophone.