Klarinet Archive - Posting 000118.txt from 2004/03

From: "Forest Aten" <forestaten@------.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Making reeds
Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 23:18:56 -0500


> A non-clarinetist friend asked me a very interesting question today:
>
> Do All professional clarinetists make their own reeds?
>
> I know that my private instructor does, as does Tom Ridenour and (I
> think) Larry Combs. Is there anyone else out there who makes their own?
> Do any of you? I want to be a pro- maybe I should start filing some
> bamboo... :)
>
> ~Ginger
>

Ginger,

At one time I made my own reeds. No more. Life is way too short. At least
once each year I offer up a master class on producing a reed from "scratch"
for interested parties. Erma Bombeck once said, "life is to short to stuff
mushrooms but if someone else will do the stuffing I'll do the eating". I
know several professional clarinetists that at one time made their own
reeds. I don't know any currently. Last time I was at Tom Ridenour's bench,
he was showing me his new reed working device. All of the reeds he was
working on and playing were from the big name producers of commercial reeds.
He may take the time to make his own reeds for pleasure...I don't know. Tom
doesn't play much around the Dallas/Ft. Worth area so I really don't know
what he does for his reeds.

Forest Aten