Klarinet Archive - Posting 000380.txt from 2000/08

From: Neil Leupold <leupold_1@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Going shopping
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2000 09:57:44 -0400

--- Kenneth Wolman <kwolman@-----.com> wrote:

> Save your time. Sam Ash on the north side of 48th Street (BTW) has a
> wretched collection of sheet music if you're looking for anything beyond
> exercise and fake books: THAT they do well. Patelson's on West 55th just
> off 7th Avenue heading east might do you (212-582-5840), or Frank Music at
> I think 120 West 54th between Broadway and 8th Avenue (212-582-1999). But
> call first. The frustration factor, especially in Patelson's, can run
> extremely high.

Yes, I'm getting quite disgusted with Sam Ash. Granted, their reed prices are
good, and it's so convenient to get a few affordable boxes on a moment's notice,
but then there's the pathetic sheet music section. The fact that it's sparse is
not really the issue for me, though. This is:

I've dropped by there three times in the last couple of months, and I always flip
quickly through the clarinet music section to see if there's anything new. At the
first of these three visits, I discovered the Hindemith Sonata in their music bin,
sans a clarinet part. I brought it up to the cashier, along with my purchase, and
told them that the clarinet part was missing. She took the part from me, thanked
me, and I was on my way. When I came back a few weeks later, the same piano score
was in the bin, still missing the clarinet part. I repeated my routine, this time
making it plain, "Look, some unsuspecting kid is going buy this music and be very
disappointed when (s)he gets home to find the clarinet part missing. Either lo-
cate the clarinet part, or don't put it back in the bin, okay?" The same cashier
thanked me again and took the piano score from me before ringing up my purchase.
On my third visit, I went straight to the bin: yes, it was there again, still miss-
ing the clarinet part. Now, I realize that there might very well be somebody out
there who already has a pristine version of the clarinet part (e.g.; but they
dropped the piano score in the mud and need a fresh copy). If you fit this de-
scription, head to Sam Ash on 48th St., but be sure to ask for a discount on the
score since the price reflects the presence of a friggin' clarinet part! It's
clear that they're *hopeful* that some poor soul is going to buy it without no-
ticing the ommission and be too embarrassed to come back and ask for a refund.
This sort of thing makes me want to boycott the store.

Neil

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