Klarinet Archive - Posting 000727.txt from 2000/12

From: Mark Gustavson <mgustav@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Performance [was, Peplowski continued]
Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2000 23:37:35 -0500

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I'm not sure where to jump into this confusing thread. Apples and oranges, to paraphrase someone's
comment here, is a good analogy for the relationship between jazz musicians and classically trained
musicians. They are nearly incomparable because they are after different results and their activities
require different states of mind. In New York, where there is a plethora of both types, the
intersection of the two is unusual but present. And for the rare players who have been able to go both
ways such as William Blount, principal clarinet with the Orchestra of St. Lukes and also played with
Buddy Rich's band, will confront some prejudice from the classical community. If there is no dialogue
or true interest between the two types of musicians, there must be little in common eventhough it
needn't be that way. This is not true though between classically trained composers and jazz
musicians. Many of my colleagues, including myself, have friends in the jazz world. I am very
interested in the results of improvisation and the differences between how time is interpreted between
both types of musics as well as between the musics from around the world.

Secondly, the terms being used in this thread are misleading. As a composer and clarinetist I use the
word 'creativity' only for the act of composing. I find nothing creative about performing a composed
piece. Possibly the more applicable word here is 'imagination', finding musical images for what is
not there. The score only has notes. The sounds must be added in some way and that way is not done by
simply playing whatever is linearly on the page. In composing as in performing the word imagination
equals technique and one must use their imagination to find or invent the right technique to accomplish
the task at hand--a daring proposition.

Mark Gustavson
Composer/Clarinetist

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