Klarinet Archive - Posting 000210.txt from 2006/02

From: "David Kumpf" <dkumpf@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] The clarinet - Everywhere!
Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2006 23:39:35 -0500

Walter Grabner wrote:=20
> <beginning snipped>
>
> Mr. Prinz made the point that there are FAR too many =20
> clarinetists - which of course did not go over well in a=20
> recital hall full of clarinet majors.
>=20
<tangent warning>

There are a couple of interesting issues here.=20

One is the presumed notion (by those clarinet majors) that a person's
lifelong career ought to exactly correspond to his or her major at the
university level.

While perhaps more true during the first few years after graduation, I
suspect that there is little correlation between the work and the major
over a lifetime. For myself, I spend most days writing about healthcare
business and managing projects in that field, and little on designing
digital circuits or developing software (my college training). I imagine
that random samples of individual over time will show greater divergence
between the work and the major, as each person finds (or loses) his true
self (that is, what he really wants to do). There is probably extensive
research on that. College/university is just another growth step, in
which we acquire new strategies for learning and, with any luck, realize
that there might be one or two other ideas out there worth considering.

The second issue is the idea that the ability to perform well ought to
be a financially lucrative enterprise for everyone who possesses the
skill and talent. Some of this thinking has probably been fueled by the
recording industry, commercial radio, television series such as Star
Search and American Idol, and so on. Play well, be persistent, be a
star, get rich. There are certainly such stars in the classical music
genre (though likely not paid the kind of money that Led Zeppelin would
have made in a tour!). But it just doesn't happen for everyone that way.
I sometimes wonder if the need to succeed on that level -- or, perhaps,
the belief that one *ought* to succeed on that level -- has diminished
the sheer joy of just enjoying the playing for its own sake.

A couple years ago, I visited a good friend in another state who is a
professional player. We sight read some duets in Klose. His level of
playing is WELL above mine. Despite that, when we finished, he looked at
me and quite sincerely said "that was fun!"=20

And at least for me, in that moment, and now, that's what it's all
about.

Dave Kumpf
dkumpf@-----.com

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