Klarinet Archive - Posting 001237.txt from 1997/08

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Why the clarinet?
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 23:10:26 -0400

At 08:02 AM 8/28/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Someone asked why someone else decided to play clarinet.....
>
OK, if we are doing our life stories...

For reasons known only to the Almighty, I suddenly decided, going into my
senior year in high school, that I wanted to join the band. My experience
at that time consisted of 3 years of piano and many years of choir, off and
on from about third grade. Fortune smiled upon me. I went to a parochial
school with a no pressure, concert-only band, plus pep band. The director
decided to take a chance on me, apparently figuring that my ability to read
music would make up much of the difference. He asked me what I wanted to
play. I responded, "What have you got?" He selected a clarinet, showed me
which end to stick in my mouth, and sent me into a back practice room to
learn to play. His choice, in retrospect, was inspired. By choosing an
instrument with which it is relatively easy to produce a tone (as opposed
to, say, trumpet), he allowed me early success. Furthermore, since third
clarinet parts have greatly restricted range and reduced technical demands
relative to first parts, it would be much easier to fit me into the group
quickly than it might have been on saxophone or euphonium. He also allowed
me to play percussion in the pep band in the meantime. It took me two
months to gain sufficient proficiency to join the rest of the band. By the
end of the year, all false modesty aside, I had at least caught up with the
rest of the thirds, and exceeded some. When I tried out for marching band
at the University of Notre Dame the next fall, I missed the cut, due to
lack of marching experience. They assured me that I had passed the musical
audition, though, and I was able to play in the Varsity Band (pep band and
parade marching) second semester. I enjoyed that experience so thoroughly
that I decided at that point to major in music (music ed originally) with
clarinet as my major instrument, and played in the marching, varsity and
concert bands each semester after that until graduation. There is no
telling what my life would be like today if that high school director
hadn't taken the long shot. For example, I met my wife of 23 years on a
band trip, and currently am employed in the music business. So it would be
accurate to say that the clarinet changed my life.

Bill Hausmann bhausman@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://www.concentric.net/~bhausman
Essexville, MI 48732 http://members.wbs.net/homepages/z/o/o/zoot14.html

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.