Klarinet Archive - Posting 000488.txt from 1998/09

From: CmdrHerel@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] Vandoren Reed Case fom V.D. web page
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 09:49:01 -0400

In a message dated 9/15/98 9:19:07 AM Eastern Daylight Time, reedman@-----.com
writes:

<< So my question is.......... What the Hel* is mudding???????? >>

I have found in the older style Vandoren reed cases that were not numbered, I
had to come up with my own system for remembering which reed was which. My
ingenious solution was to put pieces of masking tape on the outside and write
numbers on the masking tape. However, it is a well known fact that if the
markings of a non-water soluble pen get wet, they will run on masking tape,
making reading the numbers difficult at best.

The story goes that the famous clarinetist, Herbert Herel, dropped his reed
case in a large mud puddle on his way into the concert hall, and all the
numbers on his masking tape ran, making them impossible to read. Upon
discovering this, Herbert is said to have exclaimed, "My God, my reeds have
been mudded!" in front of the entire orchestra. (Fortunately, Herbert was a
fine, fine clarinetist (runs in the family) and ALL of his reeds were
phenomenal and he played the concert without a single glitch.)

Soon after clarinets started using the term whenever their reed cases were
dropped in mud and the numbers ran.

Since the original coining, the meaning has changed slightly and now we often
refer to the mixing up of reeds by *any* means as "mudding." So if you drop
your reed case on the floor and all the little reeds scatter, you can say that
your reeds have been "mudded."

You can even go so far as to say "This is a muddy reed!" when you are unsure
of its history, regardless of where it was in the reed case. This, however,
is stretching the term and shows a lack of sensitivity to music terminology.

I'd be curious to know if oboists and saxophonists also use the term "mudding"
when referring to their reeds getting out of order in the reed case.

Teri Herel

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