Klarinet Archive - Posting 000603.txt from 1998/03

From: "Don Yungkurth" <clarinet@-----.net>
Subj: Re: College Choices...
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 00:44:34 -0500

Jacqueline Eastwood said:

>Another perspective on choosing where to study -- the amount of
>performance experience one can expect to get in ensembles. As an
>undergrad at Northwestern (with 30+ other clarinet majors), I got very
>little ensemble time; we fought to get on conducting majors' recitals! I
>felt that in choosing a graduate program, I wanted to make that a
>priority. That doesn't mean you don't also look for a good teacher who is
>active in the profession, but for me, it was certainly a major
>consideration. I managed to get that at the U of A (in spades!), which if
>I had gone to a more prominent school with a "name" teacher, would have
>been much less likely. It worked for me, but as they say, "your mileage
>may vary". Just one more thing to consider......

As an amateur clarinetist playing in Rochester NY community orchestras, I
frequently find Eastman students filling in or playing regularly in the
woodwind section. I recall talking with an Eastman graduate student
bassoonist about why she was playing in the particular orchestra. She said
that, for one particular Eastman orchestra, there were 19 bassoonists
rotating for the two positions. She was happy to play with us to get
familiarity with the literature. I've been told that Ken Grant (currently
teaching clarinet at Eastman and playing principle with the RPO) played
with this same community orchestra during his student days at Eastman.

So, Jacqueline's words are worth considering in your choice of schools.

Don Yungkurth (clarinet@-----.net)