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A NEW SUPPORT DEVICE TO IMPROVE THE SUCCESS RATE FOR BEGINNING CLARINET STUDENTS One of the more pleasurable experiences for a music teacher is to behold the look of anticipation and excitement on the face of a child, or adult for that matter, on the occasion of their first lesson. Prior to this event, the novice has undoubtedly fantasized about all the great music that’s going to be forthcoming from this instrument of choice. Although it has been more years than I care to admit, I can still remember the trip to the music store when my parents bought me my first clarinet. The only clarinet player I had ever heard of was Benny Goodman and I couldn't wait to emulate all those glorious sounds. After the purchase was made and I beheld the object of my desire, I was ready to make my entry into the world of music making. The first dose of reality set in at the time of my first lesson. After a number of rudiments were explained, I was asked to play my first sound, written (open) G. With all the effort this took, I felt about as ready to follow in the footsteps of Benny Goodman as a fish entering a foot race. Constant reassurance from my teacher at subsequent lessons and similar support at home from my parents gave me enough courage to continue my endeavors. Considering the myriad of difficulties a beginning student faces, it never ceases to amaze me how many people pursue their dream of making music at some acceptable level of performance. Each family of instruments has its own idiosyncrasies. As clarinetists, we all know that one of the problems a student faces early on involves the thumb rest. Adults can minimize this painful situation by placing the bell of the clarinet on the thigh. Children, however, do not enjoy this option with their shorter torsos. The placement of the thumb generally should be partially on the base of the nail and partially on the cuticle. As a consequence, their right thumb quickly becomes sore and they shift the thumb to the left which results in the right hand being out of position. This dilemma has frustrated and discouraged many students, causing their interest to wane. Eventually, they often stop playing. Over the years, many attempts to mitigate this situation have been made with varying degrees of success. Some devices have provided partial support while some have provided complete support but are inflexible. A new solution was brought to my attention last fall and I was invited to participate in a study using this device. It is a modified version of the FHRED, produced by Quodlibet Inc. It is simple in concept, easy to use, inexpensive and, most important, was accepted by my students participating in the study; resulting in improved performance in every instance. The design of the Student FHRED consists of a wire loop on the top of a lightweight piece of telescoping brass rod. This loop attaches to the thumb rest of the clarinet and the student then adjusts the brass rod to extend downward to rest on the chair; locking it at the proper length with a thumb screw located on the base section of the FHRED. Years of experience has taught me to be cautious about something new, especially when it involves a childs’ learning experience, but this new version of the FHRED has proven itself to me in an unqualified manner. This article appeared in The Clarinet Journal June, 1999 About the author - Robert A. Fields received music degrees from Kent State University and the Cleveland Institute of Music. He taught at the Cleveland Music School Settlement and, while there, served as assistant to the director. He was director of the Community Music School of Buffalo, NY, and also of the San Francisco Community Music Center. He received a fellowship to pursue doctoral studies at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Mr. Fields currently teaches privately in the areas of composition, clarinet and saxophone.