Klarinet Archive - Posting 000044.txt from 2000/05

From: "Kevin Callahan" <kionon@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Gender bias - survey?
Date: Tue, 2 May 2000 18:06:30 -0400

>From: "Emily S" <harvinet@-----.com>
>Reply-To: klarinet@-----.org
>To: klarinet@-----.org
>Subject: Re: [kl] Gender bias - survey?
>Date: Mon, 01 May 2000 02:12:40 GMT
>
>Overall, in my experience of playing in different groups in different
>places, I've found that the clarinet seems to be played more or less
>equally by males and females, at least compared to the bais of some other
>instruments. A while ago I was surfing around on the bulletin board
>archives, and I found an interesting discussion on the "gender" of the
>clarinet itself. One said it was absolutly male, the other said female.
>In
>my opinion, it is neutral, because it can sound masculin- big, bright and
>strong, or feminin- liquid, sweet and singing. I'm interested to hear the
>opinions of the others on this- it's certainly a discussion worth reviving.
>Another point- in my experience, the groups made up of young people, like
>my
>high school band or youth orchestra, have mostly female clarinetists, and
>going for the higher positions, like I mentionned before. But take a look
>at the really famous clarinetists....there seems to be more males in that
>domain. Is it because females biologically grow faster earlier on, but
>later on in life, the males are bolder? I realize this is a stereotype but
>there's at least some truth to it.

Oh, this all depends on the INDIVIDUAL instrument. For instance, my clarinet
is used, and I have the same class with its previous owner, and while I am
male, my instrument is also male. The vito student model clarinet I own, and
only the one I own is being spoken of here. It is male, even has a name,
though that was given by me, and not the previous owner, though she stated
it was male. My trombone, transversly, is female and named Amy. It depends
on the individual instruments, and not the type of instrument.

Kevin Callahan
The homophobic jokes about owning a male clarinet must cease...
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