Klarinet Archive - Posting 001150.txt from 2003/06

From: "Patricia A. Smith" <patricia@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Electronic Acoustical Performance (Warning: Only Marginally
Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2003 21:29:51 -0400

Karl Krelove wrote:

>Warning: the following rant is about music performance, not limited to
>clarinet.
>
>My bottom line is this question for anyone who cares to comment: Why should
>I go to (and pay for) a live performance of what should be (at one time WAS)
>acoustical music if all I am permitted to hear is an electronic effect that
>is simply a bigger, louder version of the stereo equipment I have in my
>living room? At least in my living room MY fingers are on the volume
>control.
>
>Just venting - I feel better!
>
>
Thank you Karl! It's about time SOMEONE said something about this
dreadful practice. I HATE it when performing organizations do this sort
of thing. I remember playing in an organization (which will remain
unnamed in order to protect the GUILTY) in which EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE
was miked because we didn't have enough clarinets, flutes or other
woodwinds to balance what was already an over-balanced saxophone and
high and low brass section. Yes, I didn't have to die to go to hell,
folks. Did I say anything about it? No, I had a number of good
reasons not to, believe me. One of which was that the powers that were
didn't think it was all that bad! 8-O Who got the brunt of the
complaints when anything did sound bad? You guessed it, the clarinets.
Did I have a burning desire to choke people on a daily basis? You
betcha. Did I hate having to play at double forte nearly all the time?
Yep. Especially when it was up in the third register and no one else
really knew how to do it and stay in tune with brass that were about ten
cents sharp.

Now, I've let out a rant I've held in for, oh, about ten years. Do I
feel better? Maybe. Was that fun? Probably. Am I glad I'm no longer
there? Most of the time. Chasing screaming kids and teaching one of my
twins (soon) his first notes on the clarinet beats playing in that
stressful situation, believe me. Some things are way too broken to EVER
be fixed. The cure is simply something that most people do not want to
hear about!

Patricia Smith

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