Klarinet Archive - Posting 001289.txt from 2000/10

From: AnneLenoir@-----.net (Anne Lenoir)
Subj: Re: [kl] A curricular issue
Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2000 23:08:04 -0400

I think that any kind of "doubling" is beneficial and practical in
todays music scene. I am embarrassed to admit that I graduated from
Oberlin in 1969 with a 1.9 g.p.a., and I tried every trick in the book
to "boost" my g.p.a., including taking flute lessons for credit and
playing in every ensemble (for credit) at Oberlin. I didn't have any
problem qualifying for these ensembles but the flute lessons backfired,
as I made a C-. By the way, I also flunked my piano proficiency and had
to take it over. I was required to "audition" to take voice lessons, but
I failed the audition. I tried to sing the "Rejoice" part of the
Messiah, and I thought, mistakenly, that I had to be a Soprano, whether
I liked it or not. As it turns out, I am a Contralto, probably a Tenor.
Back in those days, you weren't allowed to study voice if your range was
too low.
Well, the way things worked out, I ended up having a very long and
profitable (financially) career playing clarinet and doubling as a
vocalist, and on flute, alto & tenor sax, and amazingly enough,
keyboards. I used to play the "Orange Blossom Special" every night on
the fiddle, and thank God that I studied the Suzuki violin method at
Oberlin, for credit. I was never able to get sax lessons at Oberlin,
because they weren't offered, and saxophone was not considered to be a
legit instrument. I feel like Oberlin still owes me those voice &
saxophone lessons. I thank God that I got the flute lessons. Believe it
or not, I now have 11 flute students, and I love playing and teaching
the flute.
It's a miracle that I graduated, and I am thankful for the
background that David Weber gave me in clarinet playing. Not everybody
is cut out to be in "akademia". Some of us were born to be on the
bandstand, and I'm glad they let me graduate (just barely). ANNIE

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