Klarinet Archive - Posting 000987.txt from 1999/03

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] You would understand
Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 19:34:11 -0500

At 05:49 PM 3/17/99 -0600, Dr. David McClune wrote:
>I had to tell someone, and you 400+ Klarinet members are it. We take on
>new private students through out our lives never knowing what they can
>become. A 7th grader alto saxophonist who has played for 1 1/2 years just
>left after his first lesson. He sat down with a Bundy/Rico set up and
>played the stuffing out of an advanced grade 3 alto solo. Great
>embouchure, warm tone, correct tonguing style, fingers close to the keys,
>vibrato (OK it was stomach), very musically phrased, etc!
>
>I sat there and listened, more than abit stunned. He is from a rural town
>with a good band program. His beginner band teacher is a clarinet player I
>now, so he had access to good fundamentals. He knew scales through 4
>accedentals in 16ths. The teacher had called me last week and asked, ok
>begged, for me to take this 7th grader. Normally I take the advanced
>students, but I respected her request. Boy am I glad.
>
>The quandry is, does the world need another great saxophonist? I thought
>through the lesson, that with the natural embouchure, etc., he could become
>a great clarinetist or oboist. I do not intend to be a saxophone smasher,
>but there are just too few sax jobs.
>
>The previous was an open ended question for us to ponder.
>
Sometimes I wonder if band directors don't purposely ignore the sax
players, and eschew teaching vibrato, under the theory that if you give
them attention and make the instrument sound good, it will only encourage
MORE of them! But are you saying that there are MORE potential clarinet
jobs than sax jobs?

Bill Hausmann bhausman@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://www.concentric.net/~bhausman
Essexville, MI 48732 http://members.wbs.net/homepages/z/o/o/zoot14.html
ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.

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