Klarinet Archive - Posting 000500.txt from 2002/11

From: LeliaLoban@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Dark Sound
Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2002 23:55:28 -0500

Christy Erickson wrote,
>Paul, So how about all you clarinet "gurus" getting
>together and duking it out to decide what some of
>these terms mean? You could record the sounds
>you've labeled and then analyze them by electronic
>means.

Someone makes this suggestion at least once a year. I think the reason it
never comes to fruition is that it goes against human nature. The idea of
"dark" and "bright" sound does mean something to me, although I recognize
that I can't use the terms here on the list, because the words mean something
different to other people. I've learned that trying to use those words here
is counter- productive for communication (unless the communication that I
desire is prolonged and repetitive bickering). Although I could grit my
teeth and change the way I use the words to conform to the way other people
use them, the point is, I can't change the way I *think* about the words, and
even more to the point, *I don't want to.*

They're not logical words. They're impressionistic words. They're
metaphoric. They're private. By using a number of other words, it's
possible to communicate "bright" and "dark" or at least describe them to
others who might be looking for a metaphor and who might find mine attractive
and decide to adopt it and internalize it. But if others already have
already internalized their own definitions, as many clarinet players seem to
have done, then way down deep, they'll never accept mine--nor should they,
any more than I'll accept their definitions. Calling a sound "bright" that I
intuitively hear as "dark" makes me uneasy. It feels all wrong. It makes me
feel as though I'm denying my own perception of reality. People will only
change our perception of the world for a serious reason.

We're all well aware that our lives don't depend upon coming up with a
universal definition of bright and dark clarinet sound. We're not going to
lose jobs if we don't do it. We're not going to go to jail if we don't do
it. Therefore we're simply not going to do it. We might pretend we think we
really ought to do it; we might say we're going to do it; but the reality is
that we're *not* going to do it now, any more than we did it the previous
times we dumped the administrative job of tabulating responses on some
half-willing victim who eventually gave up after wasting a lot of time trying
to herd the cats.

Does anyone believe for one minute that we could bring the musical community
into agreement with us, or that anybody could enforce a definition that would
become The One for all future generations, even if we on klarinet could agree
to use the same definition here within *this* group? How long would the
resolution last? Until the next crop of newcomers shows up with their own
deeply-felt definitions? The metaphorical cat is already out of the bag, and
has already leapt yowling up onto the back fence numerous times, and has
already reproduced enormous litters of musical kittens who all have different
fathers, and how do I get myself into these ghastly metaphors, anyway?, and
it's just too late to try to turn the cute little bastards into purebreds.
So, vive la difference.

Lelia

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