 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: dtiegs
Date: 2011-04-06 01:35
Hi,
I am currently playing on an alto sax and a clarinet, and wondering if I should play a flute to broaden my experience at 14. If I do pick up a flute, would it make me more qualified to get a scholarship in college? Would it interfere with the saxophone and clarinet or would it just be better to stick with the instrument that I love the most? (I've decided, it took me 3 months to find out, it's the clarinet, but i do love the sound of jazz)
I do love the sound of the flute, the really high notes of flutes and the clarinets.
Thanks...
Dalton
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: concertmaster3
Date: 2011-04-06 01:45
At 14, I would concentrate on really learning, and getting as good as you can on clarinet. I was a string player only until about 14 when I started learning oboe as my first wind instrument. I learned the others throughout my time in high school. If you want to go into jazz though, learning flute as well as clarinet would be a great asset to you. I actually learned saxophone so I could play flute and clarinet in my HS jazz band. But learning flute can wait a year or so, especially since you've got sax under your belt now too.
Concentrate on a little at a time, and once you feel like you've got a good feel for what you have on your plate, then add another. You want to be able to play each instrument as if you were only playing that instrument, not at a deficiency to any of your other classmates. So make sure that when you take on a new one, your previously learned instruments are at a great level.
Ron Ford
Woodwind Specialist
Performer/Teacher/Arranger
http://www.RonFordMusic.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2011-04-06 14:49
At age 14, neither you nor anyone else can know where your best talent lies. Experiment, experiment and experiment some more. The time to explore is now.
I took up flute when I was 14 and enjoyed it immensely. It also improved my clarinet playing. The more you know, the better it gets.
The flute was invented many years before the clarinet, so playing it gives you access to more music.
Each time I've done something musically new, it has interacted with and improved what I already know. I play recorder seriously, flute a little and oboe a very little. I also sing, which has made more difference than anything.
In my opinion, it's a mistake to ask whether something will improve the chance of getting into college or getting a scholarship. Being a good musician means having broad knowledge and experience, and now is the time to start getting them.
You do what you love, and the college entrance takes care of itself. If you do something just to help you get into college, you risk feeling trapped if it turns out not to be what you love. What counts is passion and commitment.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: EEBaum
Date: 2011-04-06 23:08
I'd encourage people to try new things all the time. There is a balance to be struck, though, between breadth and depth. The fewer things you do, the more time and energy you can commit to each of them. Try something, and see if you think you'd like to spend more time on it.
I wouldn't, though, put a lot of time and effort into something, especially musical, primarily because you think it might slightly improve your chances at something years down the line.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
