Klarinet Archive - Posting 000110.txt from 2007/10

From: "Forest Aten" <forestaten@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Unexpected Solo
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 10:03:14 -0400

Mark,

Hummmm....

Western Nebraska....do you mean the 'soon to be cold' Western Nebraska? We
may have to wait until last spring for this trio.
Where are you located? The North Pole? ;-)

Talking about "old war horses"...
My high school band director (many years ago) was a graduate of the
Vandercook School. Vandercook is a college that specializes in music
education. I think they have a broad arts program now...but in the days my
band director attended the school...it was all about becoming a music
educator. Mel Meads was his name. A great man and a wonderful teacher.
Playing the "old war horses" was a routine matter in the '60s. It was a
transition period for bands in America. Much more original literature is
available today. The band director of that time knew the orchestral
literature well. Many were very accomplished performers. I'm sorry to say
that many of the current crop of young directors in the Dallas/Ft. Worth
area, have no idea about how many Symphonies Brahms wrote. Some may
recognize a 'tune' from one of the great works....some....
While many of the "war horse" transcriptions were poor....they worked the
hell out of the clarinet section. Add that to the great march literature for
band...and you built technique. A lot of it... (not like the marching
efforts today in American....some of you know....like playing Beethoven's
9th on the field at half time...with the clarinets playing whole notes and
half notes)(not a joke unfortunately)

Mel Meads:
"part my hair with sound"
"fill every part of this room with good sound"
To the trombone section...Mel was a fine trombonist: "do we need to get you
guys skirts"
"did you get any on you"
"it doesn't matter how loud you play, I can still hear each and every one of
you" (that got our attention)
"did you rip your drawers on that one"

There were a million of these quick hits...they still make me smile. I'm
sure he'd be in jail now-a-days. Hahaha He was a character...and a very good
educator and a first rate man. Very few people in my musical experience knew
how to "turn a phrase" like Mel Meads.

Best

Forest

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Thiel, Mark [mailto:thielm@-----.com]
> Sent: Friday, October 12, 2007 8:29 AM
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: [kl] Unexpected Solo
>
>
> Thanks for sharing, Marcia, intentional or not. Now you'll have to
> identify the " Hokey Old Warhorse " for the whole list.
>
> I've often wondered if there were a good name for the feeling you get
> when you realize that you are suddenly very alone and wondering "is this
> my big solo or am I just horribly lost".
>
> Trios? I'm up for it! (If it's you Forest & I, I think western
> Nebraska would be a good geographical compromise).
>
> Mark Thiel
>
>
>
> > From: "Marcia Bundi" wrote:
> > Dear Forest,
> >
> > The thing I like best about the Hokey Old Warhorse is that I get to
> play
> > with both the bass line and the soprano, usually one right after the
> > other.
> > At rehearsal the director wanted everyone to hear what the basses were
> > doing
> > at a particular point and I had the same line, so I played, too. Well,
> > they
> > stopped and my part continued up in the soprano line, and the director
> > didn't stop me until the end of the phrase. It was high, it was
> staccato,
> > it
> > was *fast* -- and I nailed it. It was exhilarating!!
> >
> > I still maintain that the only reason I turn red is from the exertion
> . .
> > .
> >
> > So, how is the opera season shaping up? What else are you playing?
> (Winds
> > of
> > MT -- kinda like All-State for adults -- is coming up the first
> weekend of
> > November for me.)
> >
> > Trios? (If this isn't going to work out, please, let me know and I'll
> stop
> > bugging you!)
> >
> > Marcia
> >
> >
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------

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