 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-07-28 15:06
I've noticed that on occation we get someone posting here who really "knows their stuff" by dint of having been in the music business for some time. Some of the names we recognize; many we don't. People like Alphie, David Hattner, Larry Liberson, Gregory Smith, or, in the case of one I had to look up since his postings were so lucid, John Moses (I apologize to those people I missed - please post a bio!). I asked John to send a short bio to me so I could share.
I'm actively looking into changing this software over to a different BBoard format so people can have a "profile" where you can keep this kind of information, but I have to make sure I can do a data conversion so we don't lose all the postings we already have. If only I had a week of uninterrupted time ... ;^)
Anyway, here's some info about John. I strongly encourage any other working professionals (including repair, mouthpiece, barrel, etc. people) to post a short bio so we can see where they're coming from when they answer in this forum. Please put "Short bio - [name] in the title.
In this one case a little self-promotion is allowed :^)
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John Moses is New York City's leading free-lance clarinetist. Having performed with virtually every musical group in the area, he is currently the first clarinetist with: The American Composers Orchestra, The New York Pops, The Little Orchestra Society, and The Westchester Philharmonic.
He has performed regularly with: The New York Philharmonic, The New York City Opera, The St. Louis Symphony, The San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, and The Royal Philharmonic of London.
Mr. Moses has been involved with many Broadway shows including: the new 2002 Oklahoma!, Titanic, Nine, Into The Woods, Crazy for You, Jerome Robbins Broadway, and Sweeney Todd. He has also been featured on over 150 film scores including: You've Got Mail, Analyze This, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. He has also appeared on: The David Letterman Show, Good Morning America, Ainsley Harriott and The Rosie O'Donnell Show.
A graduate of Juilliard, he is currently on the faculty at Brooklyn and Queens College, and has lectured at Yale, Curtis, Eastman, Mannes, and The Manhattan School of Music. His recordings include works with many solo artists: Marilyn Horne to Celine Dion, Placido Domingo to Mandy Patinkin, Wynton Marsalis to Judy Collins, as featured on RCA, Angel, Elektra, CRI, Varese Sarabande, BMG, and Columbia.
John lives in Leonia, NJ with his wife, Lori, and their three children, Leah, Rachel, and David.
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Author: HAT
Date: 2002-07-28 17:19
You left out the part about being an excellent flute and sax player. HA!
-HATTNER
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Author: John Moses
Date: 2002-07-28 20:12
Thank you, Mark, and my friend HAT.
I didn't realize that my bio would actually be posted, I expected it to only be read by Mark, at his request.
HAT is a fine player here in NYC, and also a happening conductor, but don't hold that against him(joke).
If I can add a little to this fine website, then I've begun to pay back all those fine old players that helped me over the years, without websites and computers.
Thank you one and all,
JJM
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Author: Sandra F. H.
Date: 2002-07-29 18:18
Hey, this BB is getting interesting this week! I agree with John, thank you to some of the "old players" who have helped me during my clarinet playing years! Sandra
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Author: ChattyClar
Date: 2002-07-30 19:36
<<I've noticed that on occation we get someone posting here who really "knows their stuff" by dint of having been in the music business for some time>>
Mark,
I really resent the implication that only the pros have value to offer on this board because nothing could be father from the truth. I've gotten some great advice on this board from amateurs and some lousy advice from your "professionals." I don't need someone's bio to tell me whether his advice is worth a damn. Let's face it: some of the best players are horrible teachers!
What makes this board special is that we get different perspectives from players at all different levels.
Mike~
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-07-30 19:51
ChattyClar wrote:
> I really resent the implication that only the pros have value
> to offer on this board because nothing could be father from the
> truth.
Resent it you might, but the pros do it for a living and have a different perpective than those of us who are amateurs.
> I've gotten some great advice on this board from
> amateurs and some lousy advice from your "professionals." I
> don't need someone's bio to tell me whether his advice is worth
> a damn.
Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't. Personally, someone who's "in the business" gets a more weight in my mind when they discuss a topic then someone who's just scratching the surface.
You're free to ignore all the bios you want. Pick and choose at will. Since I run the board, not you, I will continue to welcome bios from those that make a living playing, building, repairing, and improving the instrument.
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Author: John Moses
Date: 2002-07-30 20:14
Hey Mike:
Sorry you feel that way. I've been playing clarinet professionally for 30 years and I don't know it all. But what I do know is, that I enjoy sharing my knowledge and experience with others, so if you have a specific question for me...shoot!
JJM
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Author: catina
Date: 2002-07-30 21:51
Mark,
Can you add "teaching" to your list of "those that make a living playing, building, repairing, and improving the instrument."?
C.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-07-30 23:32
catina wrote:
>
> Mark,
> Can you add "teaching" to your list of "those that make a
> living playing, building, repairing, and improving the
> instrument."?
> C.
Teaching professionally - sure. I don't know of any who teach as a profession that don't play as a profession, too.
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Author: Larry Liberson
Date: 2002-07-31 13:05
Marc said "Teaching professionally - sure. I don't know of any who teach as a profession that don't play as a profession, too."
Well...I guess it's all about what one regards as "playing," right?
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-07-31 14:40
Actually, Larry, I know there's been a few teachers/instructors who really didn't play all that much professionally (did the renowned pedagogue Leon Russianoff play "professionally"? I'm not sure. But I'd sure as heck welcome him here to explain things - would that he be still here with us ...)
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Author: ChattyClar
Date: 2002-07-31 16:01
My clarinet teacher in high school gave up playing many years ago before I started lessons with her. She was a clarinet major at the University of Illinois back when Howard Klug was there, and one of the top chairs in the top band. She decided that what she really wanted to do was teach music and since she didn't have the practice time necessary to maintain a level of playing that she would be happy with, she gave it up completely. She knew more about clarinet than most who play professionally. I say this because her students consistently outperformed students who studied with professionals in the DC military bands.
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Author: Larry Liberson
Date: 2002-07-31 16:41
Mark -- I totally agree with the fact that there have been (and still are) teachers that really did not play, but were (are) fine teachers. My comment was only to illustrate that many who teach professionally do not play professionally (and, likely, never have). Furthermore, we can all differ on what, as I stated, one regards as playing.
As far as ChattyClar's comment "She knew more about clarinet than most who play professionally. I say this because her students consistently outperformed students who studied with professionals in the DC military bands." ...well, a generalization such as this is little more than unsubstantiated, opinionated drivel. Unless you have taken the time and effort to study with and learn from "most professionals" you have little right to comment on what you really have no idea about.
Furthermore, we can argue forever on what a professional really is...i.e., there are many (despite the fact that they do earn a military income) who feel that those in the service bands are not professional, etc. And if you do happen to regard this genre of musician as professional, it hardly encompasses the entire professional world; in fact, it barely scratches the surface.
You obviously had a very talented teacher who very well possibly attracted similarly talented students. However, to use this as an indictment of "most who play professionally" is nonsense.
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Author: ChattyClar
Date: 2002-07-31 17:50
Larry,
All a professional clarinetist is, is a person who makes his/her living playing clarinet. A professional is a professional even in the clarinet world! Yes, not all professionals are created equal, but that doesn't change the definition.
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Author: ken
Date: 2002-07-31 20:57
ChattyClar said: "She knew more about clarinet than most who play professionally. I say this because her students consistently outperformed students who studied with professionals in the DC military bands."
I restfully disagree. This is an interpretation and personal opinion. You’re also comparing apples and oranges between a full time TEACHER who earns her living strictly as an educator and a full time PLAYER that teaches on a part time basis. A DC band clarinet players' job while in uniform is to play, NOT teach. Also, the colleagues I know (about a dozen) have earned Bachelor's and Masters degrees in "performance" NOT "education". That by no means makes them any less qualified as teachers, but if all conditions were equal, they quit playing and hung out a shingle anyone of them could produce/turn out just as fine students/players. And what about the quality/talent and work ethic of the students themselves that the teacher is saddled with? Clarinetists in the DC bands hold down incredibly hectic concert/touring schedules, over 300 performances annually and anywhere between 60 and 180+ days a year traveling the globe. And that’s just the beginning; they’re also required to maintain daily administrative/additional duties that amounts to a 50-80 hour week while the horn stays in the case. Not to mention working every holiday, often Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years and some have recently been mobilized getting rotated/deployed overseas 90 days at a time. These people earn every dollar they make in spades; many are world-class players that could easily enjoy a top orchestra, solo and/or teaching career. I know two DC bands clarinetists that are first-call alternates in the National and Baltimore Symphonies. One DC Band in the past 8 years alone have recorded 25 multiple-ensemble full-feature CDs.
Also in response to one other comment, I say money is money and still "green" whether paid/earned in the private sector or with Federal/taxpayer dollars. Collecting a military income as a working musician has no bearing on a clarinetist’s musicianship, professionalism and/or teaching acumen. And those who are of the opinion DC band clarinetists aren't pro players, that's a perpostrous and uniformed position. They can visit any one of their websites, request free CDs and hear/judge for themselves instead of blindly stereotyping. v/r KEN
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Author: catina
Date: 2002-07-31 22:09
Way to go Ken!
My fiance is taking the trumpet audition for the Marine Band next month. He is currently in the New World Symphony, and many of his colleagues look down on his decision.
SOME of his reasons are: job stability, incredible benefits, early retirement, musically challenging, travel...
and since I play clarinet, the chances of my getting into the same band as him are about ten times higher than playing in the same orchestra. We both love being musicians, and we're happy to have other alternatives.
Catina
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