Klarinet Archive - Posting 000111.txt from 1997/08

From: Robert and Deborah Shaw <theshaws@-----.net>
Subj: Several things
Date: Tue, 5 Aug 1997 13:50:17 -0400

I am up late at night, unable to sleep after being in bed several
days with the flu. Well, there were several things that I was thinking
about, so here goes:

1. Sunday I was very ill, but had a concert to play and didn't want to
let the quintet down, and since we were only playing 3 pieces (there
were other chamber groups playing) I decided to play the concert. Well,
I played great! It really pays to be prepared. This is not the first
time that I have played while I was ill and it seems that I always play
well at those times.
The moral of the story: Be Prepared. (I learned that as a cubscout
leader)

2. Just to bring up the subject of refrigerating reeds again. I was
discussing this with my friend who plays oboe. She said that they have
been having this same conversation on the double reed list lately. She
has been refrigerating her reeds and find that they stay fresher
longer. Our Bassoonist said that he thinks that could be valid
considering that cane is a plant and we are in the practice of
refrigerating our vegetables to keep them fresh. I guess it would be
worth a try!
Another question, it seems that double reed players use their reeds
longer. Why is that? Is it the way that they are made, or the way that
they take care of them? They don't lay them flat. Any thoughts on that?

3. A couple of summers ago I went to DePauls clarinet workshop, where
Larry Combs had our quartet playing some warmup excercises that had up
manipulating the pitch of either the 3rd or the 5th of many of the
chords up or down according to voice leadings. This excercise was
excellent! Is anyone familiar with it? I would like to locate a copy
of it, but am not sure what it is called.

Thanks for listening to the babbling of a sick person in the middle
of the night!

Deborah