Klarinet Archive - Posting 000837.txt from 1997/02

From: Nathaniel F Johnson <clarinat@-----.com>
Subj: Unfortunate Situation
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 02:29:36 -0500

Ken:

Go ahead and ask questions; that's how you learn. Yes, some of these are
questions that I would think that you should ask your private teacher (I
assume that you have one), but I am very gald to see that someone your
age is so excited and inquisitive about his instrument. One word of
advice for you, though: find a local university with a music library and
go browse. Listen to as many of their clarinet recordings as you can, so
that you can hear the real masters play. Look at all of the clarinet
sheet music that they have. I don't know if you, as a high school
student, would be able to check the materials out, but I'm sure that you
could take sheet music into the listening area so that you can follow
along. Familiarize yourself with as much of the clarinet literature as
you can get your hands on. Take quick notes on each piece (difficulty,
range, length, # of movements, instrumentation, etc.). This will allow
you to draw from your OWN knowledge of the literature, rather than having
to rely on someone else's. I think that most of us don't mind answering
your questions, but at your level it is time for you to know these things
for yourself.

Please don't take this as a reproach. It is simply a piece of advice
intended to help you along in your musical growth.

Happy listening,

Nathaniel Johnson
Conductor / Clarinettist
All-Around Good Guy
University of Northern Colorado