Klarinet Archive - Posting 000376.txt from 1999/05

From: CEField@-----.com
Subj: Re: RE: [kl] Today's NY Times (5/4/99)
Date: Mon, 10 May 1999 22:22:09 -0400

In a message dated 5/10/99 4:22:40 PM, leeson@-----.edu writes:

<<Erin, it is like anything else in life. You either move forward
with the technology or you get left behind. >>

Dan makes an excellent point. Even if you are, like me, an amateur
clarinetist, you will want to be able to avail yourself of opportunities that
might come along. Several years ago, the director of our community band
wanted to stage "The Mikado" as part of his Master's thesis in music
education. He asked me to play clarinet in the pit band. I looked over the
score and, knowing that you could count the number of rehearsals for this gig
on two fingers, I opted to play the 2nd clarinet part. I asked a friend, a
retired RI Philharmonic clarinetist, if he would play first clarinet and he
agreed.

Here I had the opportunity not only to play in a pit orchestra (which I
hadn't done since high school) but also to play beside one of the best in the
business.

There was a "small" problem...

I didn't own an A clarinet and could not beg or borrow one anywhere in Rhode
Island. (This was in the days before eBay.) The opportunity was so special to
me that I blew almost $2000 that year on a new Buffet R13 A clarinet. Sure, I
could have enjoyed a neat vacation instead. And I did have misgivings about
it at first. But I still have the A clarinet. And I later made several
hundred dollars back on my investment by renting the A clarinet long term to
a promising young musician who was named principal clarinetist in a CT
all-state orchestra.

When it comes to some things in life, you want to think "value," not "cost."

Cindy

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