Klarinet Archive - Posting 000674.txt from 2003/05

From: "Rebecca Brennan" <rjbrennan1221@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] My alto clarinet story...
Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 11:20:09 -0400

I admit that most people hate the thought of having to play the alto
clarinet and would rather die than play it. I have a rather odd story about
my relationship with the alto clarinet.

I remeber being in grade school and the junior high band (the rockets, not
the kittens, incase you were wondering, Matthew) coming to play a concert
for us a couple times a year. That is when I first saw the alto clarinet. I
judged the member of the clarinet family I liked the best by the pitch they
played some random scale or tune. I immediately decided I liked the alto
clarinet better than the Bb or the Bass. Then I discovered the tenor
saxophone and forgot about it.

A few years passed. I never really thought about being in band. I played
violin at that point in time and yeah, I'd probably end up in band, but I
never thought or cared too much about it. I had to practice my violin! Then
the program was cut and I was lost and sad. Then one day I remembered that
my mom had played clarinet so I searched her closets, under the bed, the
garage, basement, attic, and everywhere else until I found this dusty old
clarinet case. I wiped it off, got it out and blew in the thing. I didn't
get a sound out of it really. Then I put the reed on with the ligature in
different ways and finally I got a squeak. Then after squeaking for a while
I was finally getting notes out and I found a beginner's book and taught
myself to play it. I ended up hating it with a passion after a few weeks and
put it back into the dirty coffin for another year.

Now I am at my first day of middle school and the homeroom teacher asked who
wanted to be in band. Everybody wanted to be in band! Yay for band! I went
in and signed up to play tenor saxophone, but I didn't qualify financially
to play a school owned instrument or something like that, so my mom had to
buy my own tenor sax if I were to play it. I went home and told her to take
me to the music store. She wouldn't buy me a tenor sax! Not even an alto
sax! Want to guess what my next choice was? Come on! Guess! Alto clarinet! I
remember the guy behind the register laughing and saying they didn't have
any. It would be another 3 or 4 years until I figured out why that man
laughed at me.

I went back to school and asked the director if I could play the alto
clarinet and he said I could play the clarinet because he knew I had one. I
wanted to quit band because I didn't want to play that stupid clarinet. I
hated the clarinet. Then my mom made me play the clarinet and said I
couldn't quit becuase she has always regreted quitting. So I took that dirty
vito case to school and hated it. I never practiced. In the 7th grade I was
in the intermediate clarinet class. I never played the first couple times
through because I couldn't count. What I did was pretend to play the first
few times and remember how it went then I would come in and play louder than
anyone.

Then I transferred to a privare school at the end of the year. I started
missing band because there was no band at the school I was in. Then I went
back to the school and enrolled in band. Ready to play that stupid squeak
stick. The director assumed that because I missed a half year that I was
behind and decided that in order for me to be in the advanced band class I
he was going to allow me to play alto clarinet. From then I loved band. I
took that thing home every day and played it until I couldn't play anymore!
I was one of three alto clarinetists that could not count over dying, so I
learned to count and I was so proud that they depended on me to count for
them. I played loud and with confidence! I loved it! Alto clarinet rocks!!!

On my first day of high school marching band practice I told the dictator
that I needed an instrument. He asked what kind, and I said alto clarinet.
Hardy Har Har!!! He told me to play the Bb clarinet! Then with a sad look on
my face I told him that I couldn't play Bb becuase of my braces, which was
the biggest lie I had ever told! anyway, he gave it to me and I would have
marched with it, but I joined the flag corps. In concert band I carried my
alto clarinet home every day with a smile on my face and loved it. I learned
solos, my first being Handel's Sonata no. 3. I developed a huge passion for
music and decided that I wanted to play the soprano sax. I was going to get
one for Christmas, but then I settled for an alto sax and I learned to play
it along with the flute and a little oboe in the next year, but the alto
clarinet was my special instrument.

The Christmas of my sophomore year of high school I got my very own alto
clarinet! It was then that people started making fun of me for playing the
alto clarinet. I learned that everyone who played alto clarinet sucked and
deserved to die and go to hell. Of course, me being Becca, decided to use it
to make a name for myself. I played an alto clarinet solo at solos and
ensembles and made all-state. Then I went to music camp and played alto
clarinet! People thought it was pretty odd. Especially that I had two alto
clarinets with me. By the end of camp I allowed myself to let the alto
clarinet go and move on. I had finally realised that it was doing more harm
than good for me, but that really isn't true. Had I never played alto
clarinet, I would not be the crazy obsessive clarinetist I am today. I would
probably be one of those maroons that make fun of the people in band, but
instead, I am the biggest band geek for probably a 60 mile radius. And think
about it... Had I not fallen in love with the clarinet, I wouldn't be typing
this message and I wouldn't even be a member of this list! You must be
thankful for the alto clarinet!

ALTO CLARINET ROCKS!!!

Don't you forget it!!!

-Becca THE Alto Clarinetist!!! (for old time's sake! That is what I used to
call myself!)

>From: "Christy Erickson" <perickso@-----.net>
>Reply-To: klarinet@-----.org
>To: <klarinet@-----.org>
>Subject: RE: [kl] FW: [kl] something a little different for marching
>band...
>Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 09:17:50 -0500
>
>I do think it important that students have some ability to choose the
>instrument they play. In middle school, my band director asked me to play
>Eb alto clarinet in the band. He was the husband of my piano teacher and I
>realize now they wanted me to develop some playing independence but at the
>time I didn't like it at all and would have much preferred to play my Bb
>clarinet.
> Thank God that the high school band director, after hearing me play my
>audition on my Bb clarinet asked me "what the hell I'd been playing Eb alto
>for" and had me switch back. I was the quiet, shy mousy type in high
>school
>and probably would have dutifully played that alto clarinet in band if he
>had asked me to but I would not have been happy and probably would have
>dropped out of band altogether. I definitely needed more challenge and
>would have been completely bored with that alto clarinet. The band
>director
>recognized that and I played first chair for 3 out of my 4 years in high
>school.
> It's just my opinion but part of the job of a band director is
>helping
>their students develop their interests and playing abilities. How God
>awfully important can it be that Rebecca play Bb clarinet rather than
>trying
>something new if she would like to do that? Band directors need to think
>about much more than their "authority" and "being in charge". Now perhaps
>this band director is thinking, "what happens if more of my clarinet
>students go out and buy an Eb clarinet and expect to be allowed to play it
>in band?" Unless he's in a very well-to-do school district I don't think
>this is likely to happen. I have trouble getting parents to buy reeds and
>mouthpieces for their kids, much less consider purchasing another
>instrument.
>
>Christy Erickson
>
>
>
>
>
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