Klarinet Archive - Posting 000094.txt from 2009/02

From: Kennen White <white1kd@-----.edu>
Subj: [kl] Re: Bass Clarinet Major
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2009 06:50:36 -0500


On Feb 4, 2009, at 5:01 PM, klarinet-digest-help@-----.org wrote:

>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2009 08:49:02 -0500
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> From: Andrew Seigel <andrew.seigel@-----.com>
> Subject: Bass Clarinet Major
> Message-ID: <f4306d290902040549t54f3c0b4x96b5ba53d48b9dae@-----.com
> >
>
> Hi all -
>
> I'm looking to gather some information about colleges and universities
> that allow clarinet students to either "major" or at least focus on
> bass clarinet. I remember this coming up in past years, but have not
> had luck finding it in the archives, so...
>
> I wonder if someone might either
> a) point me to the archived messages or
> b) list a few (or more!) schools that allow for this type of thing.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> -Andrew
>

Hi Andrew,
As you know, I'm the clarinet professor at Central Michigan
University, and I should state that I love bass clarinet and play it
quite a bit myself. Our policy at CMU is that a student must
audition on Bb clarinet and be accepted on the strength of their Bb
(or A) playing. If they also play bass, that may be a point in their
favor, but we insist that they be a strong clarinetist first. The
students who study with me will primarily play Bb for the first
several years and their juries will be on Bb through their sophomore
year. After that, they may work on bass clarinet in addition to Bb.
In fact, I try to have all students get some experience on bass or Eb
(or both). I've had several seniors give full or partial recitals on
bass clarinet.

The reasons we expect a student to audition on Bb and become strong on
Bb are:
1) Professional bas clarinet jobs, whether orchestral or band,
require strong Bb playing. As you know, some orchestral bass
clarinet auditions may listen to only Bb clarinet in the first round.
Obviously, college professors, free-lancers, studio musicians all need
to be strong on Bb.
2) There is a lack of repertoire for bass clarinet. Unless one wants
to specialize in difficult, contemporary music, or play
transcriptions, there just isn't enough solo or pedagogical material
for 4 years of bass clarinet study at the college level. [I hope this
doesn't start a flame war]

Unfortunately, I often have high school students approach who want to
be music majors and have played nothing but bass clarinet since 7th or
8th grade. Sometimes they've gotten a I at festival, been first chair
in an honors band, love music, etc. but don't really remember how to
play Bb clarinet, and typically have only an old plastic clarinet. If
they start working hard on Bb in 10th or 11th grade and get private
lessons, they can sometimes get up to the level to play a reasonable
college audition by spring of their senior year.

I've been on a bit of a mission to educate people in my area,
especially band directors, about this, so I'm glad you brought it up.
I tell band directors that if they have students on bass clarinet who
seem like they might want to audition for college, to have them start
working on Bb as soon as possible. As far as I know, all the colleges
around here, at least the ones that are selective, expect a student to
audition on Bb and be strong on that instrument before specializing on
bass.

I hope this helps,

Kennen White
white1kd@-----.edu

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