Klarinet Archive - Posting 000038.txt from 2004/11

From: "Patricia A. Smith" <arlyss1@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Insturmentation, balance and purpose of the ensemble; was, Appealing
Date: Mon, 1 Nov 2004 23:34:40 -0500

Dan Leeson wrote:

> Military bands require uniformity of instrumentation. They serve a specific military purpose and generally do not serve as a cultural organization that can afford to be more investigative. So a standard
>instrumentation for navy bands is very sensible.
>
>

Dan,

I have nothing against a standard uniformity of instrumentation. The
problem I found was in the lack of innate balance in how the people we
had were used. Four saxes, and often four trumpets completely
overbalance three clarinets. I found, in my own experience (which was
in the larger bands, at Orlando -now Jacksonville, Great Lakes, and San
Diego - now Southwest) that it simply was not possible to hear the
clarinets at all over the trumpets and saxes. Now, granted that
possibly was because 1) we didn't have enough people filling all the
billets we were allotted (a problem that, no doubt continues to this
day); and 2) because instead of having the saxophone players play their
minor of clarinet flute or piccolo for ceremonies, and reserve the
saxophone for jazz and rock bands (a use they got quite a bit of, I
assure you), many played saxophone all the time. It simply was a matter
of poor assignment of instrumentation at hand.

As to comparing that sort of band with any other - people may or may not
do so. I found our audiences at ceremonies seemed to appreciate what we
did in that environment, and I was happy enough to have a job. I simply
am pointing out that the balance could have been better had better use
been made of the players already available.

As for other ensembles we had, there were people whose main instruments
were oboe and bassoon. The problem there was that they were usually
required to double on saxophone for ceremonies, which added to the
overbalance problem in ceremonial band, though it was WONDERFUL to have
bassoon and oboe for woodwind quintet and for concert band. Again, when
we did concert band, we had balance problems, because we still had more
trumpets and saxophones than we did clarinets and other woodwinds.
Those who made the instrumentation decisions and so forth for concerts
normally decided to mike clarinets, bassoons, flutes, oboes, etc. I am
not sure this really helped much.

Certainly, much could have been solved by simply telling the trumpets
and saxes to play softer. As to whether or not they would do so: you
may guess whether or not anyone ever did that, and, if they did, what
the answer to that would have been.

Basically, the same people were used for several different ensembles,
which, though economically efficient (The entire Navy music program cost
a lot less than your average cruise missiles bombing a medium sized
middle eastern country, I assure you), certainly didn't do much for
balance or some other things.

Patricia Smith

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