Klarinet Archive - Posting 000197.txt from 1998/09

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Short barrels
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1998 16:40:38 -0400

On Sun, 6 Sep 1998, Bill Hausmann wrote:

> A@-----.

I think you are exactly right about "pitch creep," but unfortunately, the
above statement is no longer true. Quite a number of high school band
directors are now trying to have their bands tune higher than A@-----. I
can only speculate about the reasons why. Probably one of the main
reasons is stupidity. Then, I think someone heard that string players
think their instruments sound more brilliant at a higher pitch, forgetting
that what string players often advocate is not tuning the entire ensemble
to a higher pitch, but only their own instruments, making them higher than
what we might call the "ambient pitch" of the ensemble.

Whatever the reasons behind this trend, it can result only in trouble for
musicians.

Ed Lacy
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Dr. Edwin Lacy University of Evansville
Professor of Music 1800 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN 47722
el2@-----.edu (812)479-2754
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