Klarinet Archive - Posting 000666.txt from 2004/07

From: "Christy" <perickso@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Noblet 45 Eefer
Date: Sat, 17 Jul 2004 15:04:51 -0400

Nancy said, "One doesn't have to spend him/herself out, but one
> must spend something. Playing on the same old and/or cheap equipment
> leaves you sounding like someone playing on "old and/or cheap
> equipment". "Investments" cost money.

Nancy, I wholeheartedly agree with you. I remember the band director's gasp
when I told him what I'd spent on the overhaul for daughter's Buffet Evette.
I did get that clarinet very cheaply but I've also had to put a lot into it
before it played well. She now has something that will have a decent
trade-in or re-sale value if she ever decides to try something new and in
the meantime, she produces some wonderful sound on it.
I've spent a lot on my clarinets also and get compliments about my tone
all the time. I had a student last summer (very talented young lady) who
had been playing from the start on an instrument in poor repair. There were
certain fingerings she had learned not to use due to the fact that she got
no sound when she used them. I couldn't believe that she had been playing
on that Vito clarinet all that time and no one had ever suggested to her
parents that they put a few dollars into it. I finally convinced them to do
so and that young lady made it into our middle school level honors band this
year. The extra money definitely must be viewed as an investment and I find
that if I take that angle with parents they understand. I also let them
know the instrument would be worth far more on a trade-in or resale if it
was properly cared for. I once loaned that Buffet Evette my daughter has
to a student to play in the honors band. After his parents heard him play
on it, his Dad sold every power tool he owned to buy that kid an R-13.
Now if I could just convince some of those Civic Band players that
their clarinet really does need to be cleaned and maintained at least once a
year, we'd sound so much better but so far, the highest level we've reached
is the understanding that you can't play on the same old reed for 5 years
and expect to produce a good sound. Christy

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