Klarinet Archive - Posting 000699.txt from 2002/06

From: "Gary Smith" <asemsi@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] OK which one do you hate more? Kenny G or Stoltzman???
Date: Thu, 20 Jun 2002 17:47:13 -0400

Somehow I knew this comparison would be made sooner or later... :-)

Actually, Kenny G. seems to be disliked more by *saxophonists.* I realize
there are many saxophone doublers on this list; I count myself as one. I
probably play clarinet ten times as well, but I make more money playing
saxophone around town, or did until I spiked the curve recently by getting a
string of clarinet "pickup orchestra" jobs, one of which paid $500.00.
Everything's relative...

I'm not trying to be pedantic in your choice of words, but why would I
"hate" either one of these guys? That's a word I would reserve for someone
who hit on my wife, bullied my children, kicked my cat ...

But the emotions do run high -- I still stand by my original statement
(misinterpreted though it was), and will add Kenny G. to my remark, because
it fits him too.

They make money.

I've found, even at the local level, that this one characteristic is enough
to make some people start whining that so-and-so doesn't deserve the success
they've achieved.

Guess it's because I sold out and got a marketing degree, but based on what
I know about the recording industry they have no secret weapons to induce
mass hypnosis and make us buy the albums (Ask John Lennon's kid). There must
be *some* quality in the music that appeals to *someone.* It's fine to say
that something isn't our cup of tea. Kenny G's music doesn't appeal to me,
personally. But neither does Eddie Daniel's music, and yet he doesn't get
trashed like this. I think it's because while he's commercially successful,
he hasn't risen high enough to be known very far *outside* the clarinet
world.

I think it's emotion. I think the average listener, whether it be a Kmart
shopper standing in the CD aisle, or a local bride considering whether to
hire you for a wedding, could care less about the size of your 12ths or what
kind of ligature you use. I think your success comes from a) having enough
chops to play the instrument and b) (most important) having an ability to
communicate emotion through the instrument. Everything else is esoterica,
and we can pick it to pieces all we like as long as we don't get confused
about what our game is. It's fun to talk shop, but I think people like
Stoltzman, and their success, should cause us to question whether we are
clarinet technicians or musicians.

>From: efarmer <efarmer@-----.net>
>Reply-To: klarinet@-----.org
>To: klarinet@-----.org
>Subject: [kl] OK which one do you hate more? Kenny G or Stoltzman???
>Date: Thu, 20 Jun 2002 13:21:21 -0400
>
> Since Kenny G was brought up...... And seems to be another lighting rod
>on this list.
> Edward
>
>
>
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