 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Clarinetgirl06
Date: 2005-03-29 01:46
I was just wondering what everyone's first clarinet solo that they ever took to contest was.
Do you have any good or bad memories? Any stories about your experience? I love hearing these stories!
I took Alleluia by Mozart because it is a family tradition. I got a I at State-the only freshman in our band to accomplish that. It is one of my favorite memories.
I really like thinking back on the good 'ol days. (Only for me, that was 2 years ago, lol!)
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Author: angelpineapple
Date: 2005-03-29 01:51
I did Alleluia too but it was in seventh grade. I got a one but there's no State here for middle school. Our band director had most of the seventh graders from the top band play this piece. So I guess kind of a school tradition for me.
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Author: music_is_life
Date: 2005-03-29 02:38
my first solo for a competition was (unfortunately) not until sophomore year of highschool and I believe I played Weber's Concertino. or perhaps Andante and Allegro by...one of those fairly unknown composers who I can't recall the name of.
-Lindsie
Post Edited (2005-03-29 02:39)
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Author: VermontJM
Date: 2005-03-29 02:39
First solo ever played for audition was some Nocturne in the Contest and Concert book for HS Districts (Junior Year)... I hate that piece.
The first solo I ever performed (senior year, HS) was the Adagio of the Mozart Concerto. My mom was so proud. I remember my clarinet stopped working at the dress rehearsal and a couple of snide, "holier than thou" senior bball guys snickered and said that I just couldn't play. Turns out the Eb/Bb key flat spring had come loose. We fixed it and all was well. I still LOVE that piece.
OK- Add to your question-
First piece you ever played and walked away from TRULY feeling you had played it to the best of your ability (at that time) or that you were just REALLY happy with.
Mine would be recently (I've never walked off the stage happy with a performance until this one- ) Milhaud "Duo Concertant" which I performed last month.
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Author: mkybrain
Date: 2005-03-29 02:59
my first piece, in 7th grade. Intermezzo from Two Pieces by Mikhail Starokadomsky. i hardly remember anything about it and have never heard of the composer....lol.
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Author: Contra
Date: 2005-03-29 03:08
My first solo for an audition was this, my senior year of high school. It was Maxwell's Silver Hammer transcribed for solo Bb clarinet. It went great, too.
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2005-03-29 03:40
Attachment: theme.jpg (47k)
I can't remember if I played it or if someone else played it (too many years ago), but I recall this theme being somehow involved in my high school contest life, probably 10th grade in '82-83. Can somebody ID this? Been bugging me for awhile.
First solo I remember was Rabaud's Solo de Concours the following year.
________________
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: clarinetist04
Date: 2005-03-29 03:47
some piece transcribed for clarinet by Handel. I was in 5th grade. First good piece I played at a contest or whatever was the Weber Concerto No. 1 1st movement my freshman year of high school. That was a lot of fun.
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Author: Aussiegirl
Date: 2005-03-29 06:37
The first clarinet solo i can remember playing anywhere was "Old French Song" from the 66 Great Tunes book, i was 13 i think? Strange thing is that my lil brother is now playing it on trumpet at age 12...
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Author: GoatTnder
Date: 2005-03-29 07:33
>Author: Contra (---.dialsprint.net)
>Date: 2005-03-29 03:08
>
>My first solo for an audition was this, my senior year of high school. It was >Maxwell's Silver Hammer transcribed for solo Bb clarinet. It went great, too.
That's awesome! Completely awesome!
The first piece I ever worked up for performance was the Weber Concertino. At the time, there were two clarinet instructors at my highschool, and one of them (not mine, but the other) was working it up for his college band. So my band director heard me playing, and thought for sure it was the instructor (who is still one of the best clarinet players I know). I thought that was a nice compliment.
The first piece I ever felt I just nailed was the Malcolm Arnold Sonatina. It's short and sweet, and oh so much fun. That was just about 2 yeas ago.
Andres Cabrera
South Bay Wind Ensemble
sbwe@sbmusic.org
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Author: BassClarinetGirl
Date: 2005-03-29 11:53
My first solo was Night Wind by Fred Kay on bass... I loved it, learned how to play the above-the-staff notes, and am currently trying to decide between it and Deepwood for Contest (i've only got about three weeks to decide... argh, if only I wasn't a procrastinator!). My first contest piece was Guaracha by Alfred Reed on bass, which I played just last year (as a sophomore in HS). I got a Superior, and even hit my high notes.
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Author: hrvanbeek
Date: 2005-03-29 12:22
I'm fairly certain I played the Alleluia too in either 7th or 8th grade but it sure is hard to remember. I'm not even sure if it was for contest or just a school program. As a freshman and sophomore in high school I just played in ensembles (duets, clar choirs, etc.) for contest. Guess I was shy or something. ![[huh]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie11.gif) But my junior year I played the 1st mvt of the Mozart concerto and got a 1* rating, which also gave me the opportunity to audition for a scholarship to a summer music camp at UW-Green Bay. I won! Yay! That was pretty exciting stuff back then. 
On the silly side of things, in 6th grade (in a Catholic school in the middle of nowhere in northern WI ca. 1980) my friend Roxanne and I played a duet for a school program. It was the Theme from Rocky. Some serious repertoire there! We sure did think it was cool. It's amazing what you think is cool in 6th grade.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-03-29 13:14
The first solo I learned (myself) was the flight of the bumblebee - after 3 months of playing.
Learned the chromatic scale with it. No, it wasn't with a teacher as no teacher would assign that to a starting player (was the fischer edition), but I did get through it though pretty slow and uneven.
First competition piece I played and auditioned with at 8 months was the Schumann OP 73 Fantasy Piece Mvt 3.
It was solo and I had no clue of what the piano part sounded like with it at all. Certainly would have had a different concept of it had I had the op to play it with a pianist, but couldn't find one who could play it at the time.
Took it to "solo & ensemble festival" and got a I+ on it but come to think of it now, hmmmm..... should have had a pianist!!!!!!!!!
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Author: William
Date: 2005-03-29 14:03
I was he featured soloist for our first beginning band Christmas concert when I was in 5th grade. Our teacher decided to play a joke on the audience by stuffing a small rubber mouse up the bell of my clarinet. I was then instructed (taught??) to sqweek on his cue shortly after beginning the first selection from our Belwin Band Builder #1. The piece began and after a few measures, I got his cue.....sqweek went my clarinet. He stopped the band, looked at me (shrinking in the third row) and calmly restarted the band. After a short time, I got my cue again and....Sqweek!! Again, he paused, looked at me, looked at the audience and once more started the concert. But again--and right on cue--I performed my SQWEEEEKK with the best sound I could muster (intonation notwithwtanding). Again, he stopped the band but this time walked over to me and took my clarinet from my hands. After looking it over and adjusting the reed, he tryed to play it himself. You guessed it..........another sqweek. Startled, he looked at the audience and after turning the clarinet upside down and peering into the bell, he dramatically pulled out the rubber mouse and waved it at the ladies seated in the front row. At first, some of them screemed, but soon the entire audience erupted with rounds of laughter and applause as I stood up and took my first bow as featured clarinet soloist "extrodinare".
Mr Lee Peronto, my first band teacher, still lives in West Allis, WI (USA) and is remembered as the best band teacher I ever had. Most of his students from "back then" are still playing their instruments in local bands--a testiment to his ability to motivate as well as instruct. His use of humor to enhance instruction was an instructional model that served me well during my entire teaching career--and to this day, I still carry a little rubber mouse in my clarinet case to toss at fellow clarinetists who experiance impromto "5th grade" solos.
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2005-03-29 17:38
My first solo was the first movement of the Mozart concerto. I was in 9th grade and had started lessons that fall with a teacher who was pretty good, but maybe a little over-enthusiastic for me. My band director (also a clarinetist) had wanted me to play a "Class B" solo at Solo & Ensemble competition, but I went with what my private instructor had me doing...
I still remember my band director questioning, "Are you sure you're not biting off more than you can chew?"
I ended up with a "I" but the judge put a little "-" sign after...
Katrina
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-03-29 18:08
------------------------
clarinetist04 (---.RES.cmu.edu)
Date: 2005-03-29 03:47
some piece transcribed for clarinet by Handel. I was in 5th grade. First good piece I played at a contest or whatever was the Weber Concerto No. 1 1st movement my freshman year of high school. That was a lot of fun.
-----------------------
My hunch is it's the Voxman edition of the Handel Three Pieces published by International Music
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Author: clarispark
Date: 2005-03-29 18:42
I played some obscure clarinet arrangement of Nocturne No. 9 by Chopin. For my first serious solo, I played the first allegro movement of Mozart's clarient concerto. Then for my college audition, the Adagio from the same concerto. Guess I just need to play the rondo now....
![[happy]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smiley12.gif)
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Author: Tim2
Date: 2005-03-30 02:00
First piece I ever played for solo and emsemble was "Piece in G Minor" by Faure. I played it in 7th grade. This was probably transcribed, I remember it being like a little dance.
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2005-03-30 13:02
For those of you who did K622 in high school, were you able to do it on A?
________________
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: Katrina
Date: 2005-03-30 15:29
Not me, Ralph. I didn't get my A clarinet until I got a pile of cash for High School Graduation, and then bought the instrument...
Katrina
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Author: gsurosey
Date: 2005-03-30 23:41
The first (NYSSMA) solo I ever played was "Menuet in G" by JS Bach; I was in 4th grade. I played the Mozart Concerto in high school (on Bb, didn't get my A until college). Someone mentioned Andante and Allegro (played that one too), I think that was by Lefebvre.
----------
Rachel
Clarinet Stash:
Bb/A: Buffet R13
Eb: Bundy
Bass: Royal Global Max
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Author: clarinetist04
Date: 2005-03-30 23:55
DavidBlumberg:
>My hunch is it's the Voxman edition of the Handel Three Pieces published >by International Music
You're Probably right. I don't remember though...believe it or not, I still have the music at home, but I'm at school right now and can't look it up.
Yes, I played the Mozart on A when I was in high school. I was leant an A for my high school career by my youth orchestra, thus, I was able to use it for anything I needed for (with permission of course...but she said I could do any event with it!). It was fun. Interesting comparison, I found it easier to handle the staccato notes correctly in the first and third movements, but harder to hand the lyrical parts (than Bb) probably because it takes more air.
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Author: Aussiegirl
Date: 2005-04-01 08:33
Heeheee minuet in G...anybody remember music man? dahdeedahdeedahdeedahdeedahhhhhhhh.......
I did the 2nd mov of the mozart in high school and did it on my Bb. still waiting for my A clarinet, i think a new mp and an alto sax mite come 1st tho...
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Author: Robert Moody
Date: 2005-04-01 21:17
First solo I played for a competition was the Nielsen Concerto when I was 10-years-old.
What is today, anyway? ![[right]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie8.gif)
Robert Moody
http://www.musix4me.com
Free Clarinet Lessons and Digital Library!
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-04-01 22:48
Well, if you really must know, it was Country Gardens.....duh
Bob Draznik
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Author: Low_Reed
Date: 2005-04-01 23:06
I tried to answer this question succinctly, but I suck at succinct. So here's the Cliff's Notes version:
My first solo in front of a paying audience was last June, at age 53. (I know, it's not exactly what you asked, but it's all I got!) I played a self-accompanied bass clarinet duet version of Thelonius Monk's "Well, You Needn't" at a midnight cabaret in Minneapolis. What a blast! (Even though I screwed up some, it was still a rush.)
For the full story, go here:
Solo blog
-- Bruce
**Music is the river of the world!**
-- inspired by Tom Waits and a world full of music makers
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2005-04-03 11:42
My first solo was a full evening recital when I about 14, got a nice fee aswell if I remember. Can't remember the full programme but it did include Weber Grand Duo Concertant, shortly after i did Weber's Concertino with thw local Orchestra. Haven't looked back since.
Peter Cigleris
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