Klarinet Archive - Posting 000701.txt from 2000/10

From: @-----.uk>
Subj: [kl] affluence
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2000 17:48:20 -0400

G'day all,

I have just returned from working at a Military Tattoo
in Korea. A wonderful time was had by all. Of course
the best part of going to these events is meeting
other musicians from around the world. I invited a
couple of Philappino clarinet players fromthe Armed
Forces Military band to my room after our performance.
Their marching display had been just fantastic and
they had mentioned that it was hard to get reeds in
the Philappines. I gave them a box of Vintage # 4's
that I had there. Then in conversation they mentioned
just how difficult it really was for them to get
anything musical. They memorise all their music
because sheet music is hard to get. The reed this
perticular guy was playing was a Vandoren #5 he
recieved in 1995!!!! It had looked really black and
worn out to me just looking at it. The reason he was
still playing on that reed was because " it was a good
reed and I can adjust it to keep it going" so he said.
He told me because reeds are so expensive they are
give one reed every 6 months. Too bad if the reed is
not a good one!! If they want more they have to
purchase them themselves, which they find too
expensive and hard to find anyway. He was using a
Selmer 10S he got in 1975 which he uses everywhere in
every condition. I believe this was his own instrument
as the other clarinet player who came had an issued
instrument which was a Buffet B12. That is the only
instrument he will be issued with for he time in the
military. The guy with the Selmer was using an O'Brian
#2 chrystal mouthpiece which he said he had to be very
careful with because if he broke it he would
n't be able to play. I fortunatly had a couple of
spare mouthpieces with me and was able to give him
one. Every clarinet player in our band gave them what
reeds we had to be handed out to the Philappino
Clarinet players! It really indicated to us just how
affluent we are...even though we complain about the
quality of reeds and the price of reeds at least they
are readily available as well as mouthpieces etc.

All the best

Rod

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