Klarinet Archive - Posting 000069.txt from 2004/09

From: GrabnerWG@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Resurfacing after a long pause..
Date: Fri, 3 Sep 2004 13:30:58 -0400

Hi all, I'm back. I took some time off in August, just to get away. Visited
some friends in Dallas and did the tourist thing.

While I was in Dallas, I did have a chance to meet Forest Aten and his wife.
They were kind enough to ferry me around a bit, and also to take me and my
wife to dinner! Thanks, Forest!

The best thing was Forest kindly taking some time to test out some of my
mouthpieces - both bass clarinet and Bb. This type of real life test, with a
player of Forest's caliber is so incredibly helpful. Forest was very clear in
discussing what he liked, and didn't like, in my various models. This kind of
feedback really helps a mouthpiece maker improve his/her overall product.
Thanks, so much, Forest! (BTW - Forest said he was "out-of-shape", but he sounded
pretty damn good to me!)

I've been doing a lot of overhaul work, including several full bass clarinet
overhauls. I tell ya guys and gals, value your repair techs -- you can't
believe how demanding this kind of work is. Writing software for running a
$100,000,000 manufacturing company was easier!

I am also doing more stuff with barrels, working on the acoustic effects of
various tapers and bore diameters. Boy, could this be a great topic for a
Doctoral dissertation! You could spend years researching this stuff.

I also want to say a public thank you to Lawrie Bloom. He has been reviewing
my mouthpiece work for several years now, and he has been incredibly
generous with his time. He was kind enough to invite me to a CSO rehearsal this
summer, so I could hear one of my mouthpieces in a full orchestral setting.
Again, a totally invaluable experience.

I'm getting ready to do some playing soon. I was lucky enough to be asked to
do another solo performance with the new Sinfonietta Arts Chamber Orchestra.
Thanks to Nancy Buckman for suggesting the piece "Truat Melekh" by Andre
Hajdu. It's a piece originally written for Giora Fiedman, for solo clarinet and
bass clarinet with string orchestra. Although very serious in style it has
several "klezmer" sections which are a lot of fun. Thanks, Nancy, for bringing
this wonderful piece to my attention.

The adventure continues........

Walter Grabner
www.clarinetXpress.com
World-class clarinet mouthpieces, repairs, barrels

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