Klarinet Archive - Posting 000110.txt from 1998/04

From: Shouryu Nohe <jnohe@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: very young principal cl's
Date: Fri, 3 Apr 1998 10:46:44 -0500

On Fri, 3 Apr 1998 peter.stoll@-----.ca wrote:
> One of my students asked if it ever happens that a very young player wins
> a 1st audition, and is technically "the boss" of older, experienced
> orchestral clarinetists. Of course this does happen (I remember hearing
> about a flutist winning prin.flute in I think Cleveland at an age barely
> into the 2O's) and it got me thinking; what do you all think of this fact
> of life, versus say a situation where a young, brilliant player is started
> as say Assoc.1st or 2nd, and then as others retire, moves up. Might it not
> lead to real long-term tension if there's a more experienced and obviously
> great Assoc.Principal (no small achievement as jobs go) in a big
> orchestra, who may have been hoping to move up to the Principal job for a
> while, and then is bypassed by someone potentially a lot younger?

Hmm...good question. Of course, I'm far too young and inexperienced to
give a true answer (no sarcasm, really!), I would like to give my stand
point. I should hope that the younger principal would respect the older
asst.'s 'seniority' for the most part. I, being a performance major, am
sort of hoping for such a situation myself. If (or, being optimistic,
WHEN ^_^) it occurs, I will most definitely hand over all leadership and
advising duties to the asst. Most likely, I will ask that he sort of
'train' me in better performance practice, even though I am sitting in the
principal chair. Hopefully, he/she will not be malicious in anyway and
oblige me. ^_^

Of course, I AM hoping for a lot....I'm kind of depending on my doubling
abilities to get me into something different so I can beef up my skills
even more before venturing into the professional symphony realm...perhaps
an opera house, since doubling is a quite a necessary skill there. Either
that, or get into two or three small gigs.

To be overly ambitious - I'd like to do the Eb to Bass clarinetist (what
is that, Auxillary?) for a large orchestra. Either that, or become
another Doc Severnsen/Paul Schafer/Max WhoositsfromConanOBrien - that
would be a gig I could enjoy, even if it's not 'legit' professional work.

Or I could follow Dan Leeson's advice and purchase two basset horns upon
graduation and play seasonal gigs...

Shouryu Nohe
Professor of SCSM102, New Mexico State Univ.
http://web.nmsu.edu/~jnohe; ICQ 6771552
Coffee Drinker, Musician, Otaku, Jesus Freak, Admirer of Women
(Not necessarily in that order)
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