Klarinet Archive - Posting 000727.txt from 2003/08
From: "Forest Aten" <forestaten@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] The standard for professional clarinetists
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 13:15:34 -0400
Dan,
I do appreciate your discussion on "schools" of clarinet playing. I don't
have the link handy. That's whey I baited you. Would you post this link so
that we could all re-read your thoughts.
Thanks,
Forest
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan Leeson" <leeson0@-----.net>
Subject: Re: [kl] The standard for professional clarinetists
> Forest Aten wrote:
>
> > Dan,
> >
> > I don't tell my students, "You must have a Buffet to be really with the
in
> > crowd."
> > I'm not sure that it's a good thing for you to imply that David and I
are
> > indoctrinating our students (you say, "And a statement such as yours and
> > that of David Blumberg says to every impressionable kid"), rather than
> > educating these "impressionable" kids.
> >
> > I go through a very careful set of selection criteria with my students
as
> > they select a clarinet. I also make sure that the parents are involved.
If
> > they choose something besides the Buffet...so be it.
>
> I am sure that you do do this thing. You would not be such a
> well-respected teacher if you did not. And you can assert that Buffet
> is the most popular clarinet in [name the geography] all you like,
> provided that some evidence is given in support of the assertion. This
> is a flash point statement not because it is necessary false, but
> because it is has never been established as being true, though lots of
> people believe it because they were told this in an uncritical fashion.
> Clarinet players do a million things on the basis of a tradition
> passed on from previous generations (such as dark sound, French sound,
> German sound, this reed, that reed, plastic reed, etc., ad infinitum).
> I, like many people, try to put out the "best clarinet" forest fire
> whenever I see smoke.
>
> Nothing personal, just a desire to create an environment where players
> will think for themselves and not perceive the first step in great
> clarinet playing as equivalent to requiring a particular clarinet brand.
>
> Dan
>
>
> >
> > I qualified my statement about my observations and made it clear that
these
> > observations were only "local". No real science here.
> > But.....data gathered from "personal experience", when gathered the
right
> > way, can represent a reasonably compelling body of evidence. But you
know
> > that already.
> >
> > How many professional clarinet players (do you know or have talked
> > to)....are we talking about in Russia?? I assume that you know about how
> > difficult it is for any player in Russia (and many other 2nd and 3rd
world
> > countries) to find/buy any kind of quality clarinet. These players often
> > don't have the opportunity to "pick and choose" the instrument(s) they
would
> > like to play.
> >
> > Forest Aten
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Dan Leeson" <leeson0@-----.net>
> > To: <klarinet@-----.org>
> > Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 10:21 AM
> > Subject: Re: [kl] The standard for professional clarinetists
> >
> >
> >
> >>Forest, I do not mean to minimize your own perspective of the situation,
> >>but your personal experience does not constitute evidence. In both
> >>Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, you will find almost no Buffet
> >>clarinets. Nor will you find very many in all of Russia, or the entire
> >>eastern block. In Russia, the Boehm instrument is currently the most
> >>popular and every time I see a Russian orchestra and ask about the
> >>instruments, I'm told that they, in the main, are Selmers.
> >>
> >>But my analysis is no better than yours. Using a gut feel to make a
> >>universal statement is just bad logic.
> >>
> >>I have (or had) a number of excellent Buffet instruments. I liked them,
> >>but did not base my opinion of them on what other thought. , "You must
> >
> > have a Buffet to be really with the in
> >
> >>crowd." And that is nothing more than doo-doo!!
> >>
> >>Dan Leeson
> >>
> >>
> >>Forest Aten wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>Dan,
> >>>
> >>>All of the studio and jazz players I know use Buffets. All of my old
> >
> > school
> >
> >>>buddies from North Texas, doing show work....use Buffets. I know it's
> >
> > not
> >
> >>>more than a local sample...but it's easy to check around and find out
> >
> > what
> >
> >>>the active professional players are using.
> >>>
> >>>Forest Aten
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>----- Original Message -----
> >>>From: "Dan Leeson" <leeson0@-----.net>
> >>>To: <klarinet@-----.org>
> >>>Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 9:35 AM
> >>>Subject: [kl] The standard for professional clarinetists
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>David Blumberg wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>"Buffet is still the standard for Professional Clarinetists and
> >>>>probably always will be. Sure there are others but put em all together
> >>>>and they still don't equal Buffet's Industry Marketplace. The best
that
> >>>>the competitors can do is to demonize the Buffet to try to get their
own
> >>>>model sold."
> >>>>
> >>>>Dave, your preference for clarinets is your own business and no one
can
> >>>>criticize you for your choice. But when you suggest something about
> >>>>what the industry marketplace has and does, you have to be able to
> >>>>defend that statement other than by a smell test.
> >>>>
> >>>>What evidence do you have that jusifies such a bold statement? Isn't
it
> >>>>enough for you to say that you have Buffets and like them? What high
> >>>>ground is taken when you make statements about an industry marketplace
> >>>>without providing statistics that confirm you assertion?
> >>>>
> >>>>If you consider the world of professional jazz players, or non
> >>>>Americans, I believe your assertion cannot be sustained.
> >>
> >>--
> >>***************************
> >>**Dan Leeson **
> >>**leeson0@-----.net **
> >>***************************
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>---------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>Klarinet is supported by Woodwind.Org, http://www.woodwind.org/
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Klarinet is supported by Woodwind.Org, http://www.woodwind.org/
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> ***************************
> **Dan Leeson **
> **leeson0@-----.net **
> ***************************
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Klarinet is supported by Woodwind.Org, http://www.woodwind.org/
>
>
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