Klarinet Archive - Posting 000350.txt from 2002/01

From: AnneLenoir@-----.net (Anne Lenoir)
Subj: Re: [kl] Quilting and other art forms, as a
Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 10:27:22 -0500

Dear Robert,
Your description of "the Audition" reminded me of why I do not do
auditions. I have so much respect for all of you who participate in
auditions. I wish I could be that dedicated. Robert, I read your letter
several times, and my heart goes out to you. I hope you get the next
position that you audition for.
Many years ago, after a series of auditions that turned out to be
disappointments, and during a recession during the Reagan administration
resulting in the "downsizing" or entertainment budgets for bands, I took
up quilting because the process of creating color and design with fabric
appealed to me. As the years have gone by, I have become more famous for
my quilts than my clarinet playing. Every once in a while, I like to go
on a total quilting "bender", quilting day and night, for several days.
Yesterday, Robert's "report" about the audition sort of made me
feel sad, for a lot of reasons. I won't even bother to go into them,
because I think that many of you have experienced the ups-&-downs of
auditions. I had my pajamas, and a girlfriend called and asked me for
help with her quilt. I met her at the diner for coffee, still in my
pajamas, and we talked about the quilt. She drives a very nice Mercedes,
so we took off in the Mercedes for the fabric store to buy the materials
to finish her quilt. We got back and realized that we were exactly 3"
short in fabric, so we went back to the fabric store, came back and got
to work. She had selected a pattern that I am very familiar with, but it
involved a lot of measurement, calculations, and "busy work" preparing
lattices and corner squares. We were up till 1 a.m. and still have some
more work to do today.
I am currently making quilts as gifts for 2 people on our Klarinet
List. One for Abe Galper & his wife Charna, for their wonderful
hospitality when I went to Toronto for clarinet lessons after
Thanksgiving, and the other one for Martin Powell's new baby boy, which
is due in March. The reason I am talking about quilting is because for
me personally, it gives me a lot of pleasure to create something in
another art form. I have to play a clarinet solo in church this morning,
and I think it will go very well, because I am really up for playing the
clarinet today.
Are there any quilters out there in "Clarinetville"? Do any of you
have other art forms that bring you a sense of joy in this sometimes
frustrating clarinet experience? ANNIE

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