Klarinet Archive - Posting 000091.txt from 2002/06

From: AnneLenoir@-----.net (Anne Lenoir)
Subj: [kl] Majoring in Clarinet Performance
Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2002 12:41:59 -0400

Recently there has been some talk on the list about the "incompetence"
of music educators and clarinetists. I want to make the point that you
can't always predict what the outcome of one's choices will be. I
remember years ago, when I was a performance major at Oberlin, that I
had two friends that I felt really sorry for because they sounded so
bad. One was Larry Guy, who had transferred to Oberlin from Capital
University in Ohio, and I used to spend hours trying to "help" him with
his tone, and trying to teach him to articulate correctly. My sister,
Jane, who was (& still is) an outstanding flutist, used to worry about
what would happen to Larry once he graduated. We should have spent more
time worrying about our own careers, because as it turns out, Larry is
doing much better than either of us. If I could take any of you in a
time machine back to the year 1967, I'm sure all of you, (& Larry too)
would agree with me. Tim Foley was another clarinetist that I felt sorry
for, because his tone was so bad and he played so unmusically. Somehow
Tim got a gig with the Marine Band in Washington, D.C. and he is now LT
COLONEL FOLEY, conductor of the President's Band. Both Larry and Tim had
great personalities and knew how to get along with people and how to
learn.
Anyhow, in 1967 we all went to NYC to perform with the Oberlin
Orchestra in Carnegie Hall. I played principal clarinet on PETROUSHKA,
Tina Ward played principal clarinet on TCHAIKOVSKY'S 5TH, and I can't
remember who played 2nd. I think Larry did. I will be meeting up with
Larry at the Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium this weekend, and he was kind
enough to "consult" me about teaching articulation to a couple of his
students from NYC that he will be bringing to the symposium. Tina, who I
despised at the time, went on to play 2nd clarinet in the St. Louis
Symphony for the past 30 years or more.
I, on the other hand, am very proud to announce to all of you, that
I did get my licence to be a Manitou Springs Street Musician for the
summer. I had to audition my "single act" in front of the Chamber of
Commerce to get this gig, and I believe it is the only audition I have
passed since Oberlin. The gig pays $30 per service, plus all the CD's
you can sell or tips you can get.
So you never know what the future will bring. If people are
incompetant, maybe it's better to just let them be incompetant and just
worry about your own career. ANNIE

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