Klarinet Archive - Posting 001240.txt from 1997/08

From: elspeth4@-----.com
Subj: Re: decision to play clarinet
Date: Fri, 29 Aug 1997 00:24:28 -0400

My story doesn't sound quite as interesting as some, but here goes
anyway.
When my brother was about three, he really liked the clarinet, and wanted
to play it as soon as he was big enough. (He was a bit precocious!) I, on
the other hand, had no interest at the time. When I was in sixth grade, I
went to my the fall band concert because my best friend was in the band.
She played flute, and when I went home with her afterwards, she let me
play a few notes. I was immediately hooked. I continued to play only
flute until my brother was seven, (I was 13) when, after a year or two of
piano lessons, my parents had decided it would be okay for him to take
clarinet lessons. (I don't want to start another discussion of the rights
and wrongs of this. I'm just recounting facts.)
I was curious, so I went with him to his first lesson. Later that day, I
picked up one of the reeds he hadn't used and the rented clarinet and
tried to play. Well, that was it for me!
I still play flute and love it, but clarinet has grown and grown on me.
Of course it helps that our band has an incredible clarinet section with
a lot of musical/personal role models, but mostly I just love the sound
of the instrument. And the feel, and even the way the wood smells!
This has been a great thread! Anyone else have a story? Tell, tell! :-)

Alexis

"You can swim all day in the Sea of Knowledge
and come out completely dry. Most people do."
--The Phantom Tollbooth

On Thu, 28 Aug 1997 10:18:30 -0600 "Tahna Britton" <tahnab@-----.com>
writes:
>Gary, thanks for the story. It's intresting to remember why the
decision
>to play clarinet was made in the first place. Does anyone else have
astory?