Klarinet Archive - Posting 000361.txt from 2003/10

From: "Matthew Lloyd" <Matthew@-----.uk>
Subj: RE: [kl] band directors
Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2003 12:49:16 -0400

Deidre,

Funny you should say that about your uncle. I was on the Queen Elizabeth
recently and there was a traditional jazz band on - which was
fascinating. What I know about jazz can be written on the back of a
postage stamp.

The sound that the clarinettist made was totally different from the
sound I make. It may well be that he couldn't produce my type of sound -
I don't know - but I am sure that I couldn't produce his. Your reference
to two instruments is exactly what my reaction had been.

I had an opportunity to have a good look at his clarinet. It was an old
simple system (I think) instrument (two rings for each hand - middle and
ring fingers) which was wonderfully light (half the weight of my
Buffet?), a lay that was absurdly short and a wide opening. Unplayable
for me I wouldn't wonder. But he managed wonderfully.

It's instructive to see the detail in a clarinet that makes such a
fundamentally different sound. Not better or worse, but different.

Unusually for me, I bought their CD which was on sale on board (twenty
dollars!!!)

Matthew

-----Original Message-----
From: Deidre Calarco [mailto:DLeigh@-----.org]
Subject: Re: [kl] band directors

> i'm amazed. In australia, kids have lessons and after a year probably
join a
> band. The top bands at high school would have 99% of their students
having
> tuition, and the director merely conducts and does not teach in
rehersal
> time. Music is seen as a fun thing, but i wouldn't say it's to let off
> steam- sport is seen for that here.

Ironically, many students take sports more seriously than music here;
they'd
never skip training, practice, or workouts, but they wouldn't think
twice
about just playing in the band for fun and never practicing. The people
in
the top bands do generally practice, but many don't study privately.
There
are also students who treat music like a sport; they work hard, study
privately, and are very competitive. Unfortunately, the music sometimes
gets lost in the process of building skills and trying to be the best.

This has probably been going on for a very long time. I know some
pretty
old people (there are probably some on this list) who love to play an
instrument, have played since they were in school, and have never taken
a
lesson. I have a great uncle who's that type of clarinetist. He
started
playing in his school band and taught himself to play along with jazz
recordings. He still plays regularly to this day, and he really enjoys
it.

We had a visit when I was in high school and he was newly retired. The
two
of us took out our clarinets to play together. Culture shock! He plays
by
ear and can improvise. He has a jazz sound, and not a very well
controlled
one, and his reading isn't great. I couldn't improvise and hadn't tried
to
play by ear since I started taking lessons, but had my well-trained
classical sound and could sight read almost anything. It was as if we
played different instruments.

I wouldn't put down his way of being a musician, though. Improvisation
and
playing by ear are just as useful and difficult to learn as sight
reading
and producing a pure, controlled sound. He kept playing over the years
and
I didn't. Trying to be a good classical player is demanding and high
maintenance, but there are other ways to play. Actually, I'm looking
for
one now. Any suggestions? LOL.

-Deidre

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