Klarinet Archive - Posting 000185.txt from 1994/12

From: Lorne G Buick - Music TA <lgbuick@-----.CA>
Subj: Chris A's question re:reeds in various climates
Date: Sun, 11 Dec 1994 13:57:35 -0500

Just to avoid the confusion my last message (re: Dan Leeson v. David Kaminsky)
caused (Dan thought it was written by David), this is not Dan responding
to the question....

>P.S. Do reeds respond differently down by the southern west coasters
>Dan? I'm really curious. Has anybody out there travelled/played both down
>south and up here in the Great White North?

This is Lorne Buick, clarinetist of the Vancouver Wind Trio- for the last
nine years, I've been living in Vancouver but playing everywhere but. We
have performed in nine provinces and both territories of Canada, and
travelled to 46 states (of the US- I forget how many we actually played
in). So I feel somewhat qualified to talk about travelling with reeds... :-)

The short answer is yes, reeds respond differently everywhere you go. The
biggest problems are caused by altitude- reeds that play great in
Vancouver are virtually unplayable in Wyoming (average elevation 6000+
ft.) - you have to breathe more often, the reeds feel too hard, when you
use softer ones they sound thin, the whole blend of the group feels
different. (At least with three reed players we're all sympathetic...)

The problems of changing weather and so oon are less radical but still
important- a few things I've learned on tour: take lots of different
reeds; use a reed case that gives you some control over moisture levels (I
like the Vandoren blue plastic ones, where you can use either a desiccant
or a sponge to remove or add moisture to the reeds); and when possible
play older, well seasoned reeds which seem less susceptible to weather
changes, and are more predictable in different circumstances. I try to
avoid breaking in new reeds on tour (sometimes it's inevitable), they
usually croak much sooner.

As I'm living in Thunder Bay this year, I feel obligated to laugh at Chris
for calling Kitchener/ Waterloo "the Great White North". Ha! Ha!