 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: LeWhite
Date: 2003-08-22 10:30
Is it just me, or is the Clarinet (And especially Bass Clarinet) quite popular in modern music? Here in Australia, composers at the moment are using a lot of clarinet and bass clarinet. This is especially apparent with our whole college doing only performances on Australian music this semester within small ensembles - there's a fair bit of clarinet and bass clarinet work!
I think, on the whole, the clarinet is shaping up to be quite a nifty instrument, considering it's short history!
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-08-22 12:48
Unfortunately the so called popularity of the clarinet that you speak of in this instance (modern/experimental music) is largely confined to institutions of higher education and their somewhat captive audiences. It is a very small percentage of the population that seeks out and listens to this genre of music.
In the real world, the saxophone and saxophone related products have far exceeded the clarinet in listening popularity with the masses (especially the target 14 to 25 age group ), marketability, as well as being a vehicle to earn a living with, all in far fewer years.
The sad truth is that for the many outstanding clarinet performers that will graduate from colleges, universities and conservatories world wide, very few will ever earn a dime from strictly just playing clarinet.
Few can be more passionate about the love of clarinet than myself, as it is the ultimate vehicle of expression, but for students embarking on a performing career path, educators have a responsibility to make them aware of the reality of their dreams... GBK
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2003-08-22 14:26
GBK speak truth! I'm a bass clarinet specialist, but in nearly thirty years of part-time semi-pro playing I've made hardly a cent from playing bass clarinet and/or clarinet and probably 95% or more of my musical income from playing the various sizes of saxophone. If a clarinetist wants to make a living at music, learn the sax and learn it well! Doesn't hurt to double on flute, and if possible even oboe.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-08-22 14:48
Yes, both GBK and Dave, express my thots. As a retiree-mediocre-cl-saxist, I DO pay more attention to what I play and hear and see re: our woodwind families!! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2003-08-22 22:28
I still earna substantial part of my income from playing the clarinet albeit in other fields than legit music. I don't know where abouts in Australia you come from but in and around Sydney there is still some sort of jazz scene. I do a lot of accoustic jazz with trios and quartets using accoustic guitar, accoustic double bass sometimes with the addition of a cornet. The audience for this sort of thing is surprisingly young and I have found that people like the clarinet sound and are very definitely fascinated by the technical capabilities. I still do a couple of big band gigs a month on lead alto which requires me to play clarinet solos Golden Wedding, Moonglow, etc., the audience ages for this can be quite mixed. I also do quite a bit of Oompah, polka and ethnic playing in which the clarinet reigns supreme.
I agree with the comment above that higher education institutions are turning out fine legit players who will be lucky to make any money other than from teaching. I think the legit world would do well to look toward what they are actually playing. There is a lot of flysh*t being played out there in legit land both well and badly. Legit clarinet technique has been extended to such an extent that it has become meaningless to the general public. In other words they wont pay to listen to it, they will pay however to listen to someone play the Mozart. Soul less orchestral wind technique is another problem. Australian orchestras have muzzled their wind sections to the extent that they have become musical wall paper. No inflection, no vibrato, no musicality means nobody notices.
I have been a professional musician in Australia since age 16 and I am now 41 and have been through all the fads. For at least ten years I was doing 3 to 4 gigs a week with rock and roll package shows and dance bands playing tenor sax. This scene is no fairly defunct and tenor sax work is scarce. In the earlier days work was with club bands backing cabaret artists with immense amounts of doubling, flute/clari/sax/bassoon etc.. Theatre was big in the 1980's and I have played with the Opera and Ballet orchestra, Sydney Symph, Hunter Orchestra, The Australian Army Band Sdney and the Police Band. While I appreciate the efforts of people such as Mark Walton at the Sydney conservatorium, he is a great bloke and great player but lacks any credible professional experience in any wider field, the legit clarinet scene is moribund. I don't think anybody is going to go to crazy about clarinet ensembles playing music by Australian composers and it will remain institutionalised. I have had this conversation with many con students and their heads are so far up their cloaca's they wont listen. I am actively performing in a shrinking scene and the majority of the students will end up in another industry. I am however at the moment working on some recordings of Australian bassoon compositions. I am lucky I trained as a repairer.
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Author: CPW
Date: 2003-08-22 23:01
Answer:
Who gets the chicks (or hot guyz)...the one on the Grenadilla,
the one on the Stradavarius,
or the One on the Fender Stratocaster??
Res Ipsa Loquitor
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2003-08-23 03:29
Re the above......Not any of the above....It's the DRUMMER!!!
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Author: LeWhite
Date: 2003-08-23 13:21
I think you've missed my point, and I didn't make it clear enough.
Composers seem to be using a lot of clarinet and bass clarinet these days. It nothing to do with how much work is out there for a clarinetist.
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