Klarinet Archive - Posting 000682.txt from 2001/11

From: "CLARK FOBES " <reedman@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] So you want to do this for a living
Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2001 19:18:33 -0500

Dave Hattner wrote:

"So here are some things that I think a pre-conservatory student should
know.
If you want to PLAY the clarinet for a living, basically you're going to do
it in an orchestra. There are other ways to make a living in the clarinet
field, primarily teaching related. The number of soloists and chamber
musicians who make a decent living off of their concerts can probably be
counted on two hands, at most.

Therefore, it is never too early to learn the orchestral literature."

Dave, the following is not a diatribe against you, but a plea to all artists
in the position to help nurture young , creative thinkers

I usually like and respect what Dave has to say, but in this manner I am
sorry to see him post such a notion.

It is exactly this type of narrow minded, myopic thinking that is often
used to discourage talented young people in all areas of creative arts.
There are so relatively few jobs in orchestras in this country that one
might as well encourage all clarinetists to drop the instrument and take up
engineering.

The fact is that MOST clarinetists DO NOT have full time jobs in
orchestras. AND having a job in an orchestra is no guarantee of artistic or
financial satisfaction. I know several woodwind players in the best
orchestras in San Francisco who find their jobs to be drudgery.

As a free-lance musician I play symphonic repertoire, operas, ballet and
contemporary music. I find the mix quite stimulating and interesting. I have
never had a permanent job in an orchestra so at a very early age I developed
my repair skills. That has turned into a very rewarding career that is a
fantastic compliment to my musical life. Many, many players are able to
weave successful teaching studios into the fabric of their musical lives and
develop very creative and satisfying performance venues as well. Orchestral
music is still the bastion of "Dead European Males" for the most part and
as much as I love that music it does not speak to a majority of Americans
any longer. I would also have to argue that a blend of incomes is much more
financially secure than depending on an orchestra job that may not exist in
5 years.

Dave Hattner lives in NY, how can he feel that playing in an orchestra
is the only place where a clarinetist can find his place? What about Jazz,
Shows (Ever heard of BROADWAY?), Klezmer, Greek music, Turkish music,
contemporary music, film music, chamber music? A good friend of mine, Mark
Sowlakis, plays all of the above and has a very successful teaching studio
because of his broad range of talents. I dare say he makes a better living
than if he had a job in any but the top 15 orchestras in this country, AND
he loves what he does!

Why should we enforce young students to study the orchestral
repertoire as soon as possible to the exclusion of developing an awarenedd
of other music? I believe hammering a student with the orchestral audition
repertoire for four years is achingly wrong headed and is patently
destructive to creative investigation.

Our job to the young people coming into the business is to encourage the
broadest range of musical interest possible and to nurture their
development. The world needs musicians and artists. Creative expression is
the breath of the human race. Who am I to insist on how someone should
breath?

Clark W Fobes

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