Klarinet Archive - Posting 000215.txt from 2006/02

From: Adam Michlin <amichlin@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] The clarinet - Everywhere!
Date: Wed, 15 Feb 2006 05:20:26 -0500

Unfortunately, if only by tacit admission, the presumed notion that a
person who majors in clarinet can and will make a living playing said
clarinet is perpetuated by many schools of music. Even worse, many
schools promote the virtuoso soloist over fundamental player
philosophy. Clarinet students who can play major concertos backwards
but can't play throat A in tune to save their lives. I exaggerate,
but not so much.

As far as having fun playing music, perhaps it is a bit like
chocolate. People who rarely have to the opportunity to eat chocolate
could never understand why someone on a steady diet of chocolate
could come to find it distasteful. There was a time in my life when I
*had* to wake up to practice for hours every day. It was nice for a
bit, but I could easily see someone becoming bitter about it since I
know I came very close (some of my colleagues might say I was
there!). This was one of biggest reasons I gave up my performing
career, but I'm constantly aware that I had options other people
might not have had and therefore am hesitant to judge professionals
who have come to dislike their career (whether it be music or any
other endeavor).

-Adam

At 11:38 PM 2/14/2006, you wrote:
>There are a couple of interesting issues here.
>
>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!"
>
>And at least for me, in that moment, and now, that's what it's all
>about.

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