Klarinet Archive - Posting 000024.txt from 1994/04

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: J.P. Bogers interest in magazines specializing in clarinet
Date: Wed, 6 Apr 1994 11:37:57 -0400

Over the past 75 years a number of journals specializing in clarinet playing
have come and gone. There was a rush of them in the 1940s but not one
survived. More recently, the International Clarinet Society began publishing
its journal, called "The Clarinet" and it has sustained itself and even
thrived for about 20 years now. The editorship of the journal has been and
is still currently held by the professor of clarinet at the University of
North Texas in Denton, TX, Jim Gillespie. This journal is by far the most
important one around.

Other journals have also appeared on the scene recently including one that
was put out by a group called "Clarinetwork" but they merged with "The
Clarinet" and no longer publish seperately. The British journal of
clarinet and saxophone is (or was - I have not seen one in several years)
another example. Non specializing journals include the Journal of the
Galpin Society which deals with antique instruments including, from time
to time, articles on clarinet.

You asked for opinions. That is a difficult question. Since there is,
for all real purposes, only one such journal to have an opinion on, it
is not possible to make intelligent and constructive contrasts. I have
seen articles in "The Clarinet" that I thought were pure magic: well
written, important, insightful, etc. I have also seen some that I
thought were poorly written. On occasion I have seen some that dealt
with topics that I felt could just as well have been left alone, but that
may be unfair of me because the readership is very broad and has people
of various levels of competence. The only long term criticism that I
think applies to the journal is that it avoids the adventuresome. It is
conservative in its approach to acceptance of articles and will avoid
conflict with the major manufacturers if it can do so. Perhaps that is
the right policy for it to take because contention is not necessarily
the best way to run a business.

I have not been a subscriber for many years so please accept my comments
for what they are worth, which may be nothing. I see an issue from time
to time and things do not seem to have changed. However, I also write
articles for them from time to time and they have been generous in
printing what I have written.

All in all, it is the only game in town.

====================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
(leeson@-----.edu)
====================================