 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2005-01-07 20:27
Attachment: DSC00056_edited.JPG (197k)
Ok, it's the weekend. Let's relax a bit. What kind of pets do you own and how do they respond to your practicing on your instrument.
I have a beautiful 11 month old Cocker Spaniel named Abbey. I've mentioned her before on this board. She howls the whole time I practice, so I have to put her in the back yard. The last dog I had laid quietly in the chair of my study--but she was 15 and deaf.
Are you a cat person or a dog person? Or, maybe a bird or fish person? I once had a bird that could mock the sound of the telephone and she used to call my dog (before the dog went deaf) by whistling and saying, "Here Brittany." The dog would come running and then discover that it was the bird. She would look at me like, "Do I have to answer to a stupid bird?" Of course, the bird wasn't stupid. The bird was quite manipulative and caused a lot of confusion in the house, so we ended up giving her away. She's probably earning thousands in the movies somewhere.
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Author: clarinetmama
Date: 2005-01-07 22:13
I named my basset hound Artie and would like another and name him Benny. Naturally they will hate each other.
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Author: John O'Janpa
Date: 2005-01-07 22:24
I have a cat named "Mr. Cat"
He usually lays with his head on my lap as I practice. His ears move with each note. If I play altissimo e or higher he takes that as his cue to leave the room.
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Author: ron b
Date: 2005-01-07 22:42
Not particularly by personal choice, Brenda, we have a cat - she's actually a stray our son took in about twelve years ago. The old girl sleeps through 'most anything that she's not interested in and, by her demeanor, I believe the clarinet is waaay down at the bottom of her list of interests.
My one student's family are pet friendly and currently have a dog they tood in a couple of years ago. Gracie actually snores quietly in a corner of the living room while we honk and toot our way through Baerman and song book duets.
My experience with music and pets is that the pets are pretty much indifferent, or maybe just plain bored, with the sounds I cause to waft their way.
- r[![[cool]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/cool.gif) n b -
"...so, Benny became famous and I didn't. End of story...."
(excerpt from personal memoirs)
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Author: Carol Dutcher
Date: 2005-01-07 22:47
One of my favorite subjects. We have an Australian Terrier named Lulu. She lies down by my feet when I practice. Sometimes she rolls over and shows her tummy. When I'm practicing high notes, she leaves the room and comes back when I'm done.
One of our neighbors once had a raven that would shout out the window "You're Drunk."
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Author: Pam H.
Date: 2005-01-08 00:19
I have cat named "Baby" that's a year and a half old and for now 3 kittens that are around 3 months old. I'm hoping to find other homes for two of them, but that's another story.
Most of them are curious when I get the instruments out, but once they hear something tend to scatter. Baby is funny though. When I'm practicing the flute, she tends to hang around more and is in and out of the room kinda singing along or talking to me more.
Oh yeah, she loves it when I swab out my clarinet because the little weight on the end is fun to swat at. What a hoot!
Post Edited (2005-01-08 00:28)
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Author: claclaws
Date: 2005-01-08 00:39
Fish person. They never say anything except rolling their eyes, but clearly show interest whoever approach the aquarium.
Lucy Lee Jang
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Author: hartt
Date: 2005-01-08 00:46
Nice Brenda, real Nice. (:o)
My dog, Truffle is a Cockerpoo, 2 yrs old.
If I leave reeds laying around, that's his cue for a chewy. He once gnawed on a Buffet / Chedville C crown.....with the BG lig. Both went to heaven (no, not the dog)
Interestingly, when I practice the Bb, A or C, he may (if he so desires) come lay under the chair I'm siting on.
When I practice the eefer, he comes running and sticks his nose into the bell. I have to shoo him away.
Sax's....he couldn't care less and would rather be outside sunning himself.
I also have 2 Desert Tortoises, Charlie and Willie.
Charlie is about 15 yo, 1/2 the size of a shoebox and weighs about 5#.
Willie is about 11 yo and smaller.
They hibrenate from Halloween to Easter.....fast asleep.
Now, as far as the clarinet itself.....are termites pets? ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif)
regards
dennis
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Author: clarispark
Date: 2005-01-08 00:48
I have two cats, Tiger and Jackie, and a dog named Shadow. Tiger loves the low notes on my clarinet but takes off as soon as I start on the high registers. Jackie is too lazy to move even when I play high notes, so she contents herself with rolling her eyes and flattening her ears. Shadow barks when I play. All of this makes me miss my dog Sandy, who died almost a year ago at the age of eleven. She liked my playing, even as a beginning student in the fifth grade, and lay down at my feet and thump her tail on the floor.
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Author: Dano
Date: 2005-01-08 01:34
My German Shepherd wants to smell the bell of my clarinet and tries to lick it while I play (I hate that!). After a few scales, she just goes into another room. I don't think she likes it very much. I used to have a Boxer that would bark at me like this clarinet was attacking me and she didn't know what to do. I would stop playing and try and show her the clarinet but she would run away from it. I also had a parrot that would shreik only when I stopped playing. He seemed to be in a trance while I played. I would have to wait a few minutes for him to settle down before I could start playing again. His favorite thing to say was " I can talk, can you fly?"
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2005-01-08 01:39
My 2 cats, Bug and Noodle, do NOT like the clarinet at all. I first played flute to them about the 2nd day I got them and they liked that, but then I took out the clarinet and they went running even when I played low notes. They even scrammed when I put a clarinet cd on the stereo once!
Now that I'm living in a house, they can move around a lot more, and once when I was teaching a student, Noodle had run to the basement. My roommate later told me that during a particularly long "discussion" the student and I had (he hadn't practiced at ALL), Noodle crept slowly into the kitchen. When the first note sounded again, he slowly reversed the process, backing down the steps!
My roomie is a flutist, and says that when she practices the cats stay right near her unless she's playing Elliott Carter...
Katrina
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Author: contragirl
Date: 2005-01-08 02:23
My computer's name is Musique... after Bonade's wife's dog.
--CG
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Author: Gandalfe
Date: 2005-01-08 02:28
After finding out that my cats Jake and Max have two of the top three most popular names I decided I need to think out of the box. The names are too pedestrian. My next cats will probably be named Desmond (Desi) and Thelonius (Theo). :o)
Jim and Suzy
Pacifica Big Band
Seattle, Washington
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Author: BassClarinetGirl
Date: 2005-01-08 03:53
I am a horse person, but we have one housecat, Fritter. She detests my clarinets (all of them), and if she's in the same room i'm playing in, she will make a noise like "eck eck eck eck eck!" and runs out of the room.
Beck
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Author: Michelle
Date: 2005-01-08 05:14
My pets couldn't care less... it's my toddlers who are most interesting! When they were younger they would cry until I stopped playing and picked them up. Now they run by and whack the clarinet and when I stop playing to tell them not to hit the instrument they try to grab it and play it themselves. "Mom, can I play your crar-a-neck?"
They also like to hold my music. Upside down, folded, backwards, layered or spread all over the floor... it's all fun to them.
Gandalfe- I see you're near me. I grew up in Totem Lake. I've since moved northward though into the Skagit Valley.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-01-08 05:22
My dog, Katherine (Katie, for short, unless I'm mad at her in which case I 'full-name' her), used to dislike it, but after continued practice has grown accustomed to it. She doesn't leave the room when I take it out or start to play. She simply continues to do the usual 'absolutely nothing' that she was doing before I practice.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: rc_clarinetlady
Date: 2005-01-08 08:11
I have 2 cats and a dog. The dog is named Bingo and is a Beagle mix. He's almost 13 years old. He just ducks his head and leaves the room when I play. I think it hurts the ears.
Pepper and Gracie are my two cats. They both leave the room when I play but at different times. As soon as Pepper sees the case she hisses and she's gone. Gracie has to hear the first few notes before giving up her warm spot.
I have a question for all of you with cats. My two cats both seem to love music, even though they don't like the clarinet. When I sing or whistle, they both will climb up on me and start purring and lick my face. Sometimes they even try to nuzzle their nose into my mouth while I'm whistling. I died laughing the first time this happened. Seriously though, even with singing they just purr and are happy to sit on me and listen. Anybody else have this same kind of reaction from cats or know what it's all about? Rebecca
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Author: HedgeWitch
Date: 2005-01-08 11:46
I have shared my life with most every kind of pet you can imagine from snakes to horses, currently I have a houserabbit named Thornton, a Siamese cat named Reggie and a hamster named Oxnard.
None of the animals pay any attention to my music, in fact I'm lucky if I can be heard over the cats constant yowling.
Post Edited (2005-01-08 11:49)
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Author: John Stackpole
Date: 2005-01-08 12:11
My favorite home-pet (AKA "wife") complained that I was "too shrill" (first complaint in a loooong while). I had just bought a tuning meter and was striving to get that d---ed C6 above the staff (and its neighbors) up out of the flat side of the meter. She shut two doors between me and her.
JDS
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Author: William
Date: 2005-01-08 14:41
My choc. lab. Bailey doesn't seem to mind my clarineting and usually just lies down and falls asleep--much like some members of my audience. But Bailey does seem to possess some degree of musical taste. While he likes, or at least tolerates, my clarinet efforts, he expresses extreme displeasure when I get out my tenor saxohone.
(JS--LOL)
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Author: Bradley
Date: 2005-01-08 15:14
Rebecca- I've had this happen to me too!
When I'm playing my cat Isis just stares at me with a cautious demeanor waiting for me to come too close and then she runs away. However, if I whistle she runs towards me and tries to find out how I'm making the sound. Usually this means trying to put her paw near where the sound is coming from (which is not allowed). Usually when I used to sing music (last year I had theory and was trying to improve my still horrible sight singing but now have music history) she would meow until I stopped as if something was wrong. The outside cat I feed- Socrates- usually doesn't hear me practise, but once I was playing on the patio and he came running up from the lake and sat up against the screening to listen.
Bradley
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2005-01-08 15:16
Pets are so great! We have a house that was originally built in 1895, and we've just finished restoring it. It has wonderful acoustics in the downstairs great room, but if I practice there Abbey really gets upset. She was the most upset when I got out my guitar (which sounds really wonderful with the concrete walls and wood floors). She became angry and started attacking the guitar. I finally decided it was because she was partially jealous over the way the instrument is held next to me, and partly because of the sound. So, now I have to go to the top floor and use my study.
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Author: Amateur Artist
Date: 2005-01-08 16:57
I can't believe noone's mentioned Parakeets or any other kind of bird. I have two parakeets who will sing along as i play my music. I know I haven't been practicing enough when Cutie and Lady have forgotten the rhythm. They usually know it after a few tries and when i'm in truly bad shape they have to remind me how it goes.
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Author: contragirl
Date: 2005-01-08 17:14
I was gonna mention my parakeets, but I usually never play my clarinet when I am at home. I played my flute a few times around them and they both have a superioty complex. Be it my flute, the vaccuum cleaner, or me talking to my boyfriend, they have to be louder!
"So I was going to the store..." *ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK BLOOPP BRRRRRRR BLOOP*
Mine are too dumb to talk to or repeat music. But they're so cute.
--CG
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Author: edk
Date: 2005-01-08 17:49
We picked up two cats from the shelter around Thanksgiving. As of today, the vet bills are around an R-13 and a half.....arrrgggghhh
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-01-08 18:17
Attachment: Jan and Dave.JPG (81k)
Attachment: Dave.JPG (278k)
Both Dave (the cat) and Mrs GBK have heard me play for too long and are now oblivious.
...GBK
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2005-01-08 19:55
Amateur Artist--I started the thread with a mention of my bird included. She could mock any sound almost perfectly. You really couldn't tell if it was Memorex or the bird.
Great photos, by the way.
Right now Abbey is watching Canine Agility contests on TV and bugging my husband to take her out to play ball.
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2005-01-08 21:33
Gosh GBK,
Your Dave looks rather like my Noodle!
Katrina
Edit: I tried attaching a photo, to no avail.... :(
Post Edited (2005-01-08 21:40)
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Author: Kathrynsmom
Date: 2005-01-09 01:58
We have five dogs.
Middle school daughter plays on the heated and air-conditioned back porch, which is the dogs' sleeping place. They lay around her and watch as she plays. A couple of them will go to sleep, on occasion. They like clarinet and love classical music.
When she turns on her CD player with Hilary Duff music, they want to go out.
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Author: Pappy
Date: 2005-01-09 12:32
We are dog people here. Used to be Labs but we gradually transitioned our house to Bichons and the smaller dogs are easier to handle as we get older and our lives a bit more hectic.
We have 3 Bichons now (the last of the Labs died a week ago :(
They love to sit under the chair when I'm practicing. They don't actually have "clarinet names" but they are named Stanzi, Wolfi and Nannerl (Guess I need one named Stadler or Süssmayr).
Post Edited (2005-01-09 12:33)
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Author: Frodo
Date: 2005-01-10 02:46
Bradley, GBK beautiful pets!
Brenda, sounds like my dream house.
We've got a cute black and white cocker spaniel named "Joe's son" who doesn't mind my playing. She's stayed by me from day one. She's not deaf but somehow she's conditioned herself to sleep through the whole thing. At the beginning she raises her head sleepily when I squeaked badly but that doesn't happen often any more. A few times I tried quietly moving to another room in the middle of practice but after a while she walks in finds a good spot and goes back to sleep.
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2005-01-10 12:54
Frodo, forgive the obvious, but--Joe's SON? For a female? Did I miss something there?
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Author: John Stackpole
Date: 2005-01-10 13:10
Things are different in Middle Earth.
JDS
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Author: Meri
Date: 2005-01-10 19:47
A black-and-white chat--who literally looks like a Holstein cow! Though lots of clarinet players I know seem to have a cat, and totally adore them!
Meri
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2005-01-10 20:53
I don't have a cat, but the neighbor's cats all hang out on and around my house. We also have a yard full of squirrels and had 2 opossum families at one time. Sometimes we get a couple of snakes from the lake that's only a few yards from our house. I don't consider them pets, however. Also don't consider the opossums as pets. They drive Abbey (our dog) crazy.
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2005-01-10 21:34
Attachment: conan.jpg (35k)
Attachment: peggy_small.jpg (31k)
My dog Conan couldn't care less about the clarinet, no matter how hard I try to rile him up.
My cat Peggy, though, will steal my reeds when I leave them out to dry after preparing them.
________________
Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.
- Pope John Paul II
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Author: Frodo
Date: 2005-01-11 00:02
Brenda, John, and all,
Apologies from Middle Earth.
Forgot to explain why "Joe's son" is a female. We adopted her from the SPCA three years ago where someone who was probably too busy to look gave her that name. "Joe's son" also means "good morning" in Chinese so we just kept it. If I find a photo of her soon I'll post it.
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Author: Bill
Date: 2005-01-11 02:31
My teacher's pug, "Bunny," all through the hour sits and watches us play and discuss - he looks like Winston Churchill, on these tiny little legs.
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Author: rc_clarinetlady
Date: 2005-01-11 04:45
GBK,
Your Dave is just a dead ringer for my Pepper. Their markings are so similar and they both look like they've not missed many meals. Pepper is about a 15 lb. female cat, 5 years old and is clearly a one person cat. She loves me and no one else. She and Gracie eat the same amount of food but Gracie is a skinny little thing with a feisty attitude. She's a silver gray and white with blue/green eyes. Striking cat. She was an adoption and was about to be put down within hours. We wanted a declawed, female about a year old and she fit that description. We took her that day! If I were the least bit technical I'd take a digital photo and post it but I'm not so I won't. How old is Dave?
Bradley,
Isis is beautiful too. It's so interesting that we have cats that come when we whistle and sing. Funny. Even your stray comes to singing. Maybe we sing so well that we sound like birds. HA HA!!!! I know I don't. I know mine run when I play my clarinet.
I have noticed that a lot of clarinet players are cat owners too. I also want to be a Papillon (dog) owner in the future. Hopefully soon.
Rebecca
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2005-01-11 13:26
Ok, one more pet story. When I was 12 I bought a baby rabbit that was with a group of hundreds for sale in front of a store before Easter. He didn't even have his eyes open yet and was so tiny he fit in part of my fairly small hand. I paid $1.50 for him. I walked across the street to my dad's barber shop and showed him the rabbit and he just groaned (I had lots of pets).
"It won't live," he declared. "It hasn't even been weaned."
With that word of encouragement, I went home and figured out how to make a formula for the rabbit. I got one of my doll's tiny bottles and fed him several times a day. But, being a fairly young kid at the time, I put him on his back in my arms like he was one of my baby dolls. To make a long story short, he was a very, very tame rabbit who came when I called and climb into my lap. He got along beautifully with my pet Pekingnese. They laid side by side in the sun in the back yard and my dog would fiercely guard him from intruding cats. When I grew up and left home I gave Skinky (the rabbit) away to a rabbit breeder.
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Author: Iacuras
Date: 2005-01-11 20:37
I too have a cat. His name is Simba. He is a white/tabby mix. He doesn't listen to me practice. He is afraid of things he doesn't know. When my brother came in for Cincinatti, my cat saw him, and jumped down a flight of stairs without touching one step. Now that's an amzing feat.
Steve
"If a pretty poster and a cute saying are all it takes to motivate you, you probably have a very easy job. The kind robots will be doing soon."
"If you can't learn to do something well, learn to enjoy doing it poorly."
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Author: Tom J.
Date: 2005-01-12 23:12
My neighbor has a horse that always gives out a whinny when I play excerpts from 'La Mare' (ha ha).
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The Clarinet Pages
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