Klarinet Archive - Posting 000276.txt from 2006/08

From: "Bryan Crumpler" <crumpletox@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] RE: $650 mouthpieces???
Date: Sun, 20 Aug 2006 20:20:07 -0400

Sorry for the length. It's a mixed post from the digest.

>--- kurtheisig@-----.net wrote:
>We mouthpiece makers pour our lives into helping
>others to meet their dreams.

I have a really hard time believing mouthpiece makers consider their job an
act of kindness to "help" people meet their dreams. I hope this was a joke.

>To: klarinet@-----.org
>From: Mark Charette <charette@-----.org>
>
>Bryan Crumpler wrote:
> > I, in fact, have no opinion of it other than the fact that I think it
> > costs too much...
>Which was a prejudice which carried through your post. You weren't so
>much as _asking_ why it costs so much, but were _telling_ us it costs
>too much. A distinct difference.

I wasn't asking *why* it costs so much at all. I was asking if anyone had
tried the things and could give me their opinions of it from having tried
them so as to possibly change my own opinion and maybe think about
purchasing one. You must have missed that.

I had already done enough research and homework and had enough experience
with other brands to have the opinion that $650 was too much. But even if I
hadn't, it goes without saying... "I don't have to eat doodoo to know that
it tastes like sh!t," which is a little over the top in this context... (not
implying the mouthpieces are sh!t).

But the point is, all the information I had gathered didn't lead me to leap
to that extra step.... So I guess (following the metaphor) I was asking if
anyone had dipped in the toilet bowl lately and taken a bite. *vomit*

>From: Adam Michlin <amichlin@-----.com>
>
>It does seem like musicians often think that mouthpiece makers and
>repair people are supposed to do their work out of the goodness of
>their hearts. Ironically, these are the often the same musicians who
>moan and groan that they don't get paid enough to perform.

That sounds a little too cliche to be credible. It may "seem" that way, but
the fact of the matter is that I, and no one I know personally, has ever
handed a repairman his/her instrument and expected repairs to be free.
However, it's a fact that too many musicians are asked if not expected to
play for too little or no fee at all (regardless of status). I've
experienced this myself. Take Robert Spring & Eddy Vanoosthuyse, for
example... the clarinet choir at the Conservatory of Ghent practically
forcedly sat through 20 hours of recording within a total of 36 hours for
Summit Records to only to end up recording 25 minutes of a CD that is to be
commercially released -- and the only thing we had in return was some free
cola, orange juice, and sandwiches made of 1 slice of cheese or 1 slice of
ham, and nothing else in between. They (Eddy/Robert) claim they were doing
this for free... although we have reason to believe otherwise, but I
certainly know no royalties or even the smallest of payment has been offered
to the members of the choir, which recently has been purported to be the
best clarinet choir in the world (not my words - I don't know enough
information about other choirs to even agree, but I doubt it). And there's
still 40 minutes of music left to be recorded. Who's getting paid for that?
Not me, for sure.

>From: "Geoff & Sherryl-Lee Secomb" <gsecomb@-----.au>
>
>What annoys me most about some of the statements made in relation to Brad's
>$650.00 mouthpiece is that those who complain the loudest are not those who
>have had the courtesy to approach the man himself and talk to him about it.

Hearing it from the horses mouth doesn't make it any more justifiable (the
price that is). If someone said you were the best clarinetist to ever set
foot in New South Wales, could you vouch for that? Most likely you would
never even claim that. But imagine if those words came out of *your* mouth,
even if it were true? I would guess it wouldn't make you more credible so
much as it would make you look like an arrogant prick.

So, drawing on that, I really don't think anyone needs to ask Brad for his
opinion of his mouthpieces. Of course it's going to be biased... whether in
the positive or in the negative. Someone who is too modest won't give it
adequate justification, although I think his pricing already tells us what
he thinks about it. And someone who is pompous will blow it up to be more
than it actually is, although I don't suspect that would be the case with
Brad. But, there's little way to really tell except sollicit third party
opinion if you don't have the means or opportunity to try the equipment
first hand. That's all I (at least) was attempting to do.

Regardless, this all only makes me curious towards an opportunity to try
them at some other stage in my career. I've made investments in my career
that justify charging high rates for performances, and with money I didn't
have at the time. I'm paying for it in interest fees for loans. But when a
concert organizer profits with well more than 300% of what I asked as an
honorarium... no, I don't have the slightest of regrets for asking the
price. After all, it's not free to record promotional CDs, get press kits
pressed, have websites maintained, make business cards and the like. But
having a $75 mouthpiece or a $750 isn't going to get me any more gigs now
than I did without it. The professional equipment that I DO have I was
fortunate enough to receive as gifts from people who thought I had talent to
put the material to good use. And I have. I consider myself fortunate.

>-----Original Message-----
>From: dnleeson [mailto:dnleeson@-----.net]
>Subject: [kl] Brigham Young University Clarinet quarete
>
>Last evenine, the programs were so boring that I wandered through
>the channels looking for something to watch. And I fell on a
>little miracle.

Those guys were so funny to watch. They were doing some nice things, albeit
stiff as boards. Made me want to pinch the pianist to see if he wasn't
paralyzed except in his fingers. I was elated, however, to see them smile at
the end of Ponchielli because in the process, they didn't look like they
were having much fun. I didn't catch the rest of the broadcast as I was too
busy watching Flight 93, which I hadn't seen yet. Touching movie. Was that
real?

(I'm kidding)

Bryan

www.whosthatguy.com

-------------------------------------------------
New CD Release MONOCHROME: Now available at www.whosthatguy.com

Discs also available via Amazon.com, Borders Books, Walden
Books, Target, Virgin Mega Soon available at Tower Records & CD Baby
-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Klarinet is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc. http://www.woodwind.org