Klarinet Archive - Posting 000022.txt from 1998/04

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: Brass VS. Woodwinds
Date: Wed, 1 Apr 1998 10:25:02 -0500

On Wed, 1 Apr 1998, Joshua M. Coleman wrote:
> It's possible to play brass and woodwind from what I can tell. We also
> have a flute player in our WW choir here at NMSU whose main instrument in
> trumpet. Maybe it just works for certain people... who knows?

It is very possible...and probably. My father, a professional horn player
and high school band director in the 1960's (Oregon Symphony and Parkrose
HS in Portland, OR if anyone is familiar with either!) taught me to play
clarinet. He had studied clarinet with Bob Vagner at U of Oregon and then
with Bill Stubbins when he did his masters at U of Mich. in 1955. He even
played contrabass clarinet for the summer band series with Leidzen
conducting! At any rate, I couldn't outplay him durning my first two
years (7th and 8th grade)......when I hit 9th grade, I finally surpassed
him.........so....it can be done. I should ask him if it negatively
affected his horn playing.....

An educational observation.......the best school band programs that I have
observed seem to be those in which the band director is either active in
his professional performance, or he still plays frequently for the
students - even in a non-professional manner. Those programs for which
badn directors never play, I have seen a high percentage of them, the
bands are usually very mediocre......with low self-esteems. Is it
coincendence?

Roger Garrett
IWU