Author: Garret
Date: 2003-05-03 04:31
I also think it's the band director and the balance of the band. I played for one director who, with 8 clarinets and a huge brass section, thought we were too loud. Pianissimo in a mezzoforte was the norm. In a pianissimo section of music, even though I was section leader, I wouldn't play and we were still too loud. In recordings I could not hear the clarinet section. Everything was balanced toward the lower brass and horns. In another band, we have 12+ clarinets. This director wants everything up one volume level. When I hear recordings of this band, it is balanced towards the woodwinds, but you can still hear the brass. Go figure. Being a clarinet player, I dropped the band where I wasn't allowed to be heard.
My clarinet teacher is teaching me to project and to be heard across the room, to think of ALL notes as blowing past the bell. I now envision that I stand on top of a high point or cliff, and I want someone across a gorge or valley to be able to hear what I'm playing. This helped me without changing reed strength.
Just out of curiousity, how many people are in the other sections of the band?
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