Klarinet Archive - Posting 000680.txt from 2003/05
From: "Buckman, Nancy" <nebuckman@-----.edu>
Subj: RE: [kl] My alto clarinet story...
Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 12:00:24 -0400
C.V.M.,
Are you at home today? Get your mother to call me. We are running out =
of time. I am checking on the availability of a room for you now. I =
have talked to Matthew and will try to make arrangements for you to fly =
with him at your changeover point. but he has to make his reservations =
in the next few days too and to co-ordinate all this will require that I =
know your plans. Let me know.
Y.O.M.
Nancy E. Buckman, Technical Assistant
School of Health Professions, Wellness and Physical Education
Anne Arundel Community College
Arnold, MD 21012-1895 USA
Phone 410-777-2316 Fax 410-777-2233
E-mail nebuckman@-----.edu
-----Original Message-----
From: Rebecca Brennan [mailto:rjbrennan1221@-----.com]
Subject: [kl] My alto clarinet story...
I admit that most people hate the thought of having to play the alto=20
clarinet and would rather die than play it. I have a rather odd story =
about=20
my relationship with the alto clarinet.
I remeber being in grade school and the junior high band (the rockets, =
not=20
the kittens, incase you were wondering, Matthew) coming to play a =
concert=20
for us a couple times a year. That is when I first saw the alto =
clarinet. I=20
judged the member of the clarinet family I liked the best by the pitch =
they=20
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=20
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=20
never thought or cared too much about it. I had to practice my violin! =
Then=20
the program was cut and I was lost and sad. Then one day I remembered =
that=20
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=20
clarinet case. I wiped it off, got it out and blew in the thing. I =
didn't=20
get a sound out of it really. Then I put the reed on with the ligature =
in=20
different ways and finally I got a squeak. Then after squeaking for a =
while=20
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=20
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=20
wanted to be in band. Everybody wanted to be in band! Yay for band! I =
went=20
in and signed up to play tenor saxophone, but I didn't qualify =
financially=20
to play a school owned instrument or something like that, so my mom had =
to=20
buy my own tenor sax if I were to play it. I went home and told her to =
take=20
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=20
remember the guy behind the register laughing and saying they didn't =
have=20
any. It would be another 3 or 4 years until I figured out why that man=20
laughed at me.
I went back to school and asked the director if I could play the alto=20
clarinet and he said I could play the clarinet because he knew I had =
one. I=20
wanted to quit band because I didn't want to play that stupid clarinet. =
I=20
hated the clarinet. Then my mom made me play the clarinet and said I=20
couldn't quit becuase she has always regreted quitting. So I took that =
dirty=20
vito case to school and hated it. I never practiced. In the 7th grade I =
was=20
in the intermediate clarinet class. I never played the first couple =
times=20
through because I couldn't count. What I did was pretend to play the =
first=20
few times and remember how it went then I would come in and play louder =
than=20
anyone.
Then I transferred to a privare school at the end of the year. I =
started=20
missing band because there was no band at the school I was in. Then I =
went=20
back to the school and enrolled in band. Ready to play that stupid =
squeak=20
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=20
he was going to allow me to play alto clarinet. From then I loved band. =
I=20
took that thing home every day and played it until I couldn't play =
anymore!=20
I was one of three alto clarinetists that could not count over dying, so =
I=20
learned to count and I was so proud that they depended on me to count =
for=20
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=20
that I needed an instrument. He asked what kind, and I said alto =
clarinet.=20
Hardy Har Har!!! He told me to play the Bb clarinet! Then with a sad =
look on=20
my face I told him that I couldn't play Bb becuase of my braces, which =
was=20
the biggest lie I had ever told! anyway, he gave it to me and I would =
have=20
marched with it, but I joined the flag corps. In concert band I carried =
my=20
alto clarinet home every day with a smile on my face and loved it. I =
learned=20
solos, my first being Handel's Sonata no. 3. I developed a huge passion =
for=20
music and decided that I wanted to play the soprano sax. I was going to =
get=20
one for Christmas, but then I settled for an alto sax and I learned to =
play=20
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=20
alto clarinet. I learned that everyone who played alto clarinet sucked =
and=20
deserved to die and go to hell. Of course, me being Becca, decided to =
use it=20
to make a name for myself. I played an alto clarinet solo at solos and=20
ensembles and made all-state. Then I went to music camp and played alto=20
clarinet! People thought it was pretty odd. Especially that I had two =
alto=20
clarinets with me. By the end of camp I allowed myself to let the alto=20
clarinet go and move on. I had finally realised that it was doing more =
harm=20
than good for me, but that really isn't true. Had I never played alto=20
clarinet, I would not be the crazy obsessive clarinetist I am today. I =
would=20
probably be one of those maroons that make fun of the people in band, =
but=20
instead, I am the biggest band geek for probably a 60 mile radius. And =
think=20
about it... Had I not fallen in love with the clarinet, I wouldn't be =
typing=20
this message and I wouldn't even be a member of this list! You must be=20
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=20
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 =20
>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=20
>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=20
>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=20
>helping
>their students develop their interests and playing abilities. How God
>awfully important can it be that Rebecca play Bb clarinet rather than=20
>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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