Klarinet Archive - Posting 000176.txt from 1999/04

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Wood/plastic, etc...
Date: Sat, 3 Apr 1999 23:16:13 -0500

> On Sat, 3 Apr 1999, Mark Charette wrote:
> > Your postings have tended to obfuscate any intent at serious discussion.

My posts have been an effort to present a viewpoint of why people view
materials as being relevant to sound production. In that context, I
believe the postings have been very serious in nature - and they certainly
have not "obfuscatd" anything - the very least being serious discussion.
People ask frequently about wood vs. plastic. My belief is that a
perfomer's sound is a byproduct of the way he or she reacts to the
response and the resistance of the instrument. When a person wants to
know if wood has a better sound than plastic, my answer is not yes or no -
but - different. Because of the issue of resistance and response, as I
have described it, there is an impact on the sound a clarinet gets when a
person plays it. It applies to trumpet as well - and brass instruments
that incorporate "thin wall" construction. Brass players - professionals
who play in major symphony orchestra - will say the same thing. It is not
important if the person in the hall hears a difference between the thin
wall and thick wall trumpet - it is important if the performer feels a
difference and translates that to projection - which is a part of tone.
It is not as easy as simply saying - the sound is no different.

I know of no performance or recording made of any major work for which a
non-human plays the clarinet. Until that actually happens, the sound is
most certainly affected by the materials. It matters not if it can be
determined that the wall does not vibrate, or if an independent listener
with his or her own biases can hear a difference.

Please - do not twist my meanings by attacking the premise for which I
post. I also do not feel it is appropriate to attack me personally (eg.
serious vs. non-serious posting) because you may or may not agree. There
are better ways to discuss than to simply say that someone's postings are
either irrelevent or not the same topic. I guess if you feel the need to
say so (and perhaps everyone can think that anyway without your help),
perhaps you have some other agenda to mention. If not, it would be better
to simply wait until you have something new to add to the conversation.
Roger Garrett
Professor of Clarinet
Director - Concert Band, Symphonic Winds & Titan Band
Advisor - Recording Studio
Illinois Wesleyan University

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