Klarinet Archive - Posting 000004.txt from 1995/09

From: Don Gross <DGross1226@-----.COM>
Subj: The Gig from Hell
Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 18:04:44 -0400

After four months of being part of Klarinet and looking forward to the
enlightening and entertaining postings each day, I have come to the
conclusion that except for stuck barrels and a few intonation problems, it's
a perfect world out there for clarinet players. Am I the only one who has
made some collosal screw-up in a performance? We've all picked up the wrong
horn and had to transpose like crazy until the next reasonable rest. We've
all turned two pages instead of one and "solo'd." And we've all gotten lost
not to mention swabbing flooded G# keys in front of God and the world. These
are common for us amateurs. And, of course, pro never have these problems.
To make all of us feel better, would the pros among us (and the rest of us,
too) have the courage to admit to "The Gig from Hell." Thanks in advance for
letting us know we're not alone.

Don Gross

P.S. My worst nightmare was not even in a performance. I had just finished
warming up a borrowed!! $6,000 Selmer Paris metal Bb contrabass clarinet when
it slipped out of my hand --after disengaging the neck strap, of course --
did a perfect piroutte on its peg, and hit the case putting a 15 degree bend
in the middle of the main tube, knocking two posts clean off, and bending
some verrrrrrrrrry long linkages. After they resuscitated me at the
emergency room, the horn was resuscitated by Steve Roberts and Mark Chudnow
at Mark Chudnow Woodwinds in Van Nuys in southern California)

   
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