Klarinet Archive - Posting 000673.txt from 2002/11

From: Anna Benassi <acb@-----.is>
Subj: [kl] myopic teachers and market size
Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2002 23:58:21 -0500

Gee, Kelly,

Though there's little I don't like about living in Iceland, your post
touched on one thing that is lacking in this small market - selection.
To be able to try out thirty clarinets and as many mouthpieces would
be a delight. Our local music merchant has revolutionized retail music
sales in this country in the last ten years by enlarging his store and
carrying all sorts of goodies, but he'd go bankrupt if he tried to
stock a full range of clarinet stuff like that. I have taken to
purchasing a range of mouthpieces myself so that my students can try
them, but that is also prohibitive. It would be easy to spend two
thousand dollars on mouthpieces just to have a minimal sample of what
is out there.

As for the myopia you cringe about, thank heaven I haven't seen it in
quite a while. You have my sympathies - it must be difficult indeed to
be up there on that soapbox, hot and sweaty, while almost swooning
with nausea over other people's conviction that "Those of you who
think you know everything are particularly irritating to those of us
who do."

BTW, last fall I bought a couple dozen of Clark Fobes' Debut
mouthpieces for my young students to use. The mouthpieces that
accompanied their school horns were functional as Christmas tree
ornaments, I guess, but no good for much more. Most of the kids use
the Debut and like it well - it was a move generated not by myopia but
by expediency. They are too young to be worrying about mouthpiece
selection, and the Debut gives them a good stable beginning. I was
able, with one purchase, to equip the school with a good and reliable
product. But for the older students - those who benefit from more
tailoring of their equipment - I'd give my Kooiman thumb rest for a
grand (or three) and a trip to International Musical Suppliers.

Off to the Lotto outlet to try and guarantee my future ...

Anna

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