Klarinet Archive - Posting 000821.txt from 2002/10

From: b5w@-----.net (William Wright)
Subj: Re: [kl] What makes the biggest difference, the horn or the player?
Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2002 14:15:27 -0500

<><> William Semple wrote:
I am also intrigued by what causes a top level player to switch
brands/models, after many years of success with a certain model.

Probably it would be best to get one 'fact of life' out of the way,
right at the beginning --- simply because it can bias much of the
evidence that is available to us --- except perhaps for the evidence
provided by introspection, which is already biased in a different way.

I am **not** trying to generate a discussion about artistic honesty vs.
economic necessity, but some top level artists do change their equipment
for economic reasons --- sponsorships, their perception of what the
audience wants, and so forth. I attended a master class once wherein
the 'master' asked for questions from the audience. Someone asked,
"What do you think of <brand A> ?" The master replied: "You be the
judge, I've been playing it all afternoon for you." It hit me like a
ton of bricks that the whole thing was a set-up --- artistically
dishonest but economically necessary. Without the sponsor's money,
there wouldn't have been a master class to attend.

Dave Brubeck is a name that pops to my mind because his statement during
a concert seemed completely honest to me.

His statement boiled down to: "I was getting bored, and so I decided to
expand my interests."

I think we should add this reason to any list of "why I switched".
Creative people don't want to play in the same rut forever.

Cheers,
Bill

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