Klarinet Archive - Posting 000202.txt from 2002/10

From: "Trish Mendenhall" <trishm@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Being forced to play bari, was Re: [kl] Rebecca
Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2002 18:55:59 -0400

Rebecca -

I had a high school band director who believed in challenging his more
motivated or more advanced students by having us play on other
instruments. Sometimes we spent a short time at it, and sometimes it was
more extended - it depended on what we wanted and what was needed.
Sure, he usually requested based on what was needed for a better balance
in the group, but the request was treated as the compliment it was - he
was essentially telling us he thought we had what it took to become good
enough, quickly enough, on that instrument to be good for the group.
Since our band did quite well in both marching and symphonic
competition, it wasn't an idle compliment, either. We were a
competitive bunch.

I think in your case, it's a compliment, too. Your band director trusts
you to be good enough to bolster a weak section.

Have you tried asking for a compromise? Perhaps you could play bari for
numbers in which the bass line is severely overwhelmed, and play
clarinet for other pieces. Perhaps another person from the clarinet
section could pick up a bass line instrument as well, and switch off
playing bass line when you are playing clarinet, for example, if there
are too many clarinets in your band

Good luck -

Trish (who ALSO does a fair number of pit orchestra gigs because of the
multiple instrument capability)

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