 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: graceej13
Date: 2006-01-05 02:47
Hi. I'm going to a music teacher's convention later in the month, (my son's band is performing). I am not a teacher, but am relearning the clarinet as an adult.
I'm wondering exactly what to expect? Will there likely be instrument vendors there? Is it possible to try out instruments at convention displays? What is the protocol - do I take my own mouthpiece/reed along with me?
Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks!!
PGrace
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2006-01-05 03:15
I've been to CMEA (California) a couple times as a performer. They've always had instruments to try, so yeah, bring your mouthpiece and reeds. There will likely be people there to sell you reeds as well if you like.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: William
Date: 2006-01-05 14:54
The venders will be more than willing to let you try the instruments on dispay, but: 1) do not expect them to be in good adjustment, and 2) with hundreds of others also try other instruments close by, do not expect that you will be able to tell exactly how the instrument sounds, if its scale is even or if it is well in tune. Convention floors are the worst possible of all environments for seriously auditioning any musical instrument (with the possinble exception of the bass drum). But, all of the major instrument manufactureres will most likely be represented and it is nice to see the instruments on display and talk to the sales reps. You may also have the opportunity to meet various professional performers who endorse the different instument lines.
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Author: larryb
Date: 2006-01-05 15:52
the Internatinal Association for Jazz Education is having its annual meeting in New York City in a couple of weeks.
There will be quite a few makers (Buffet, Conn-Selmer, Vandoren, Yamaha) as well as retailers with instruments to try. I received a letter from one retailer (Wright Music) saying that they'll be bringing Buffet and Selmer clarinets, for example. For info: <www.iaje.org>
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2006-01-05 16:41
Absolutely bring your own mouthpiece/reed with you.
As others mentioned, they are usually a "zoo" environment, so don't expect to hear if you are in tune, or really much of anything unless you can find a private area to try them in.
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2006-01-05 16:49
As a frequent convention exhibitor my observations are that at music educator's shows that clarinet manufacturers usually bring few professional grade instruments and not the "pick of the crop", with the exception of the Midwest Clinic and possibly TMEA where some players come specifically to buy a clarinet. At more clarinet specialty conferences like the Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium and ClarinetFest they will bring a number of their top tier clarinets. At these latter shows there can be some spectacular instruments which are selected by the manufacturers to entice more experienced players to purchase them - they do not sell them directly but there will be licensed dealers in the house that you can take them to and purchase the instruments. It is also a good idea to see what regular dealers are charging for a particular model before you decide to buy. Different times of the year yield different price marks on the same instrument and often a savings of a few hundred dollars on a top tier instrument at a dealer with a "show special" on a particular model. The larger dealers will probably offer similar pricing however.
It is indeed difficult and not a good idea to audition a clarinet on the show floor but they will often rent space to audition instruments, have discovered an out of the way back hallway, or a room in the adjacent hotel for serious players to give the clarinets a test drive. Being prepared with your mouthpiece of choice, selected reeds, a tuner, and a serious audition approach is a must too. Bringing a professional player or teacher along is not a bad idea either. At the specialty shows it is a good idea to go early because the truly great horns get snapped up quickly by knowing players.
If you just want to get the "heft" and key feel of various models shows are good places to handle a number of different models. Getting serious about tone, intonation, and instrument quirks takes time and diligent effort in a quieter environment.
L. Omar Henderson
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Author: GBK
Date: 2006-01-05 17:07
Omar is correct. At the last Clarinetfest there were a number of excellent instruments brought by the different dealers and retailers. In particular, Fred Weiner brought some very nice Buffets which were expertly set up by repair tech Mark Kasten.
At the Buffet display, in the first half day - 5 different A clarinets and 3 Bb's were snapped up savvy buyers. By Saturday afternoon there was still (IMO) a really excellent Buffet Vintage A clarinet that was still available. It stood out from all the others and when I asked Chris Coppinger about it he also agreed. (this particular clarinet had even been premarked/preselected and had a small identifying sticker on the barrel). I guarantee it was eventually sold by the end of the day.
It took everything for me not to pull out the credit card. ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif)
Be aware that many clarinets on dispay were not specially "set-up" and some clearly needed minor adjustments. As expected the clarinets all played with a wide range of resistances and coloration.
However, for the most part, the clarinets on display were "in the ballpark" and I'm certain, with the right tech, could be adjusted and regulated to one's liking...GBK
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