Klarinet Archive - Posting 000682.txt from 2003/05
From: "Rebecca Brennan" <rjbrennan1221@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] My alto clarinet story...
Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 12:03:55 -0400
I'm home today. I can barely talk and I have orchestra rehearsal tonight! My
first orchestra rehearsal! They might think I am incompetant and kick me
out! I keep telling her to call. She says "I don't want to call her right
now! <insert lame excuse>"
>From: "Buckman, Nancy" <nebuckman@-----.edu>
>Reply-To: klarinet@-----.org
>To: <klarinet@-----.org>
>Subject: 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]
>Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2003 11:20 AM
>To: klarinet@-----.org
>Subject: [kl] My alto clarinet story...
>
>
>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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> >
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