Klarinet Archive - Posting 000089.txt from 1994/10

From: GILLMAN <E5305005@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Outgrowing mouthpieces
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 1994 21:10:00 -0400

>...One member of KLARINET suggested several month ago that he could not
>possibly continue to play on his LeBlanc because all the other players had
>Buffets. In effect, he was the victim of social pressure, not musical values.
>Was his LeBlanc out of tune? Was it a poor quality instrument? None of these
>things. It just was not the right brand name.
>Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California

When I first arrived at MSU, I was playing the Selmer 10G that I still play 4
years later. I was told by my teacher that it was "adequate" for my years in
college, but nobody who wanted to be taken seriously would play that. In my
first jury, one of the woodwing faculty members asked him why I was his only
student who didn't seem to have trouble playing throat tones in tune. I knew
full well that it was the instrument, but didn't say anything at the time. By
the time I had completed my required lessons, there was another student playing
a Selmer, and my teacher loved my instrument. Need I say more?

>Of course a young clarinettist can "outgrow" a mouthpiece. I will use my
>experiences as an example. As I posted earlier, I played on a Ridenour through
>college. I tried the Selmer C85 that I am playing now then, and I did not have
>enough control of my tone and wind to make it sound good. Now I am older, and
>have more wind and much more control. The Ridenour that gave me such a good
>sound through college cannot handle the amount of air I put through a
>mouthpiece anymore...
>
>In another vein, most of us young folks do indeed physically change. I have
>grown an inch since I started graduate school, and put on a little more weight
>(mostly in the right places). So I have physically changed.
>Elaine Thompson

BINGO! BTW I loved your quote. I suppose that it was *completely* necessary to
add the "(mostly in the right places)" So that we all would have a positive
image of you??? ;^)

Luis
Montclair State University
(On the list for May '95 graduation!!!! Yes!!)
E5305005@-----.edu