Klarinet Archive - Posting 000223.txt from 2006/02

From: X-MailScanner-tom.henson@-----.com
Subj: RE: [kl] The clarinet - Everywhere!
Date: Wed, 15 Feb 2006 13:13:43 -0500

I also became aware of another professional clarinetist who has
"retired" from professional playing when doing research on Wurlitzer
clarinets. His name is Charles Stier. He was listed as a Wurlitzer
factory rep. for the U.S. and I contacted him.

He promptly referred me to Gordon Bobbett, who lives in Knoxville and
was one of his clarinet teachers. In talking with Gordon about Mr.
Stier, Gordon told me that he had become burned out and simply walked
away from playing clarinet. Gordon told me that he won't even take them
out of his closet to look at them and doesn't even teach clarinet even
though he could probably have a very lucrative income doing this with
his training.

I had the opportunity to e-mail Mr. Stier to ask him a couple of
questions about how he set up his Wurlitzer clarinets, and while he was
very polite, he simply told me that he no longer wished to discuss
anything clarinet and was no longer doing that as a profession. This,
coming from someone that was starting to be fairly well known in some
circles before he just dropped off the radar and disappeared a few years
back.

He still maintains a website about his professional career and has
several very interesting articles. One of these articles specifically
deals with those people that desire to become a professional clarinetist
and the article is quite an eye-opener. One feels pretty doubtful about
ever becoming a professional clarinetist after reading this article. I
believe he even says that you have a better chance at winning the
lottery than becoming gainfully employed as a professional clarinetist
in an orchestra in the U.S. The sad thing in my mind is he became a
victim, in a sense, of his own writing in that he reached a breaking
point and quit before he lost his sanity. He also states that many
professional musicians suffer from loneliness and depression, many of
them end with a drinking problem.

http://www.cherryvalleymusic.com/books/graduation.htm

As a follow up to all of those amateur clarinetist on this list like
myself, let me just say, we may have it better in some respects than
those that make a living at it. Those blessed with good careers and jobs
can afford to buy good equipment and have the time to indulge their
passion on the side. I was told by a very well respected clarinet
technician that some of the clarinets that I had were better than those
being played in the Chicago Symphony. I simply couldn't believe this,
but was told it was indeed true and was told you wouldn't believe what
some professionals are playing on. They just can't afford to go out and
buy a new clarinet or have a very expensive overhaul done on it. That
may explain why so many of them end up as factory artists. They probably
have access to discounted equipment.

On another note, I am aware that in Germany at least, and someone please
correct me if I am wrong on this point, that most major orchestras pay
for yearly overhauls on instruments. Bernd Wurlitzer told me that every
summer when the Berlin Philharmonic is off that all the clarinetist send
their clarinets in for a full factory overhaul paid for by the
orchestra. Perhaps in the U.S. some orchestras will help subsidize the
cost of repairs, but I have no first hand knowledge of this practice.

Tom Henson

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