Klarinet Archive - Posting 000327.txt from 1995/04

From: Bill Hall <b_hall@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: E flat!
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 1995 11:32:58 -0400

My mail program just had some type of problem, and I'm not sure if it sent the
message, so I'm repeating myself. Please forgive me if the content of this
message appears twice.

I had a similar experience to Russell's friend. I played the alto in the local
civic orchestra while I was in college (Louisiana Tech). I was chosen to play in
the district band and in a band director's convention because I was the best
(only capable?) (only?!?) alto clarinet player they could find.

That was a long time ago (late '60s), butI remember that the alto was less
satisfying to play than either the bass or soprano. It was hard for me to get a
clear tone. I had the same difficulty in the upper register on the bass
clarinet.
Of course, a lot of that could have been my skills / talents, the instruments I
was playing on, mouthpieces, reeds...

Bill Hall

You wrote:
>
>On Mon, 17 Apr 1995, Russell Wayne Householder wrote:
>
>> Just out of curiosity. Has anyone ever seen someone march an Alto
>> Clarinet?
>> -Just curious
>
>I have! We marched in high school and there was this guy (whose name is
>"Guy" and is a good friend of mine to this day) who insisted on playing
>the alto clarinet because he wasn't good enough to compete on the Bb
>soprano or bass clarinet. It was awkward to march with to say the least,
>and you couldn't even pretend to hear it over the alto saxes.
>However, Guy used this instrument for all it was worth...he was the
>"principal" clarinetist (1 of 2) in the All-Northwest Band our senior
>year! He knew he wasn't that great of a player, but he was better than
>the other guy (who was just terrible) and thus got places anyway. He
>eventually settled down into a singer and gave it up altogether. But to
>this day, he recalls with pride all the places he went and things he got
>to do simply because he was willing to play an instrument that nobody
>else wanted to. Oh, the irony of it all! :-)
>