Klarinet Archive - Posting 000152.txt from 1996/06

From: "Joie Canada , Jcanada713@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: jazz clarinet
Date: Tue, 11 Jun 1996 11:56:00 -0400

Another comment--and maybe a hint for some of the frustrated student
clarinettists who can't find a place in high school swing bands. Have any of
the kids involved ever tried forming their own little garage practice
clubs--what are called "spasm bands" in New Orleans--these are groups that
experiment with improvisation on known tunes like St Louis Blues or the
Saints on their own, copying what they have heard experienced older musicians
to but all on their own for fun--and sometimes on street corners with a hat
or instrument case open for donations. A lot of good players have done a lot
of practicing that way an have learned a lot about music that way. There's
no law against teens doing their practicing in bunches rather than alone. A
spasm band includes whoever shows up regardless of instrumentation. The
results are wierd--I played once in a pretty regular group that included
piccolo, tuba and bongo drums. We would put the hat out and play dance music
while parades were forming up. It was fun and funny and people liked it.
Kids can use what they learn in school to really "play" their instruments.
Our band director didn"t mind that we did it, in fact he used to salt the
hat for us and as long as we learned our school music and didn't play like
that in concerts and school practice he encouraged our explorations. Kids
who can't find a place in regular school organized groups are not stuck if
they get creative!

Joie