Klarinet Archive - Posting 000934.txt from 2002/06

From: Neil Leupold <leupold_1@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Re: one-hour warm-up
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2002 07:33:06 -0400

--- C & B Sabal <jomalu@-----.com> wrote:

> Wow! A one hour warm-up? I would be very interested to know what others do
> as well! I'm assuming that David plays professionally, so I can stop
> feeling like a slacker (hoping he is anyway, or I guess I really AM a
> slacker!).

A one-hour warmup is a luxury not frequently enjoyed by those who make
their living through their performance activities. It is, in fact, one
of the chief complaints among established professional musicians, i.e.,
amidst rehearsals, performances, and teaching activities, there is pre-
cious little time for a consistent routine of intensive focus on build-
ing and refining one's instrumental technique. More commonly, by the
time a player is at the level to perform *regularly* with (or as a member
of) an A or B level orchestra in the U.S. (e.g., one of the Big Five,
Cincinnati, Atlanta, Dallas, etc.), the need for intensive technical
drilling fades to an issue of maintenance. They underwent the final
stages of their development and refinement while making their way through
a seemingly endless series of five-concert per year regional orchestras
and other such training opportunities. During one's years as a college
undergrad and afterward, while a player is paying his dues, reflecting
increasingly higher profile performance activities on his resume' over
time -- it's during those years that the consistent daily warmup routine
and focus on thorny technical issues resides closer to the center of the
player's focus. There are many (many many) 20-something year old clari-
netists in regional orchestras all over the country (often several such
orchestras at once), and they are all engaged in that race to develop
their abilities and rack up enough experience to make the grade at an
A or B level orchestra audition. A one-hour warmup is no luxury in that
case, but an absolute necessity, and is often prioritized ahead of work-
ing on actual music. This doesn't mean, of course, that those who don't
aspire to the proverbial brass ring (i.e., a stable orchestra gig that
pays well enough to live on) shouldn't have the same one-hour warm-up
routine as those who do. It depends on how technically proficient you
wish to be, and is not welded to the idea of doing it for a living.
Some people just love to play and enjoy the challenge of getting as
good at it as they can.

Neil

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