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Re: Are even clarinet hobbyists a dying breed?

Author: Steve Epstein
Date: 2006-01-10 03:43

Clarinet as a hobby is not popular because clarinet players allow themselves to be put in a box as far as what they believe they can do with the instrument, the same box as if they were pros. For example, from reading this board, one may get the impression that in order to play jazz, one must be competent at least on several different types of saxaphone and flute as well. This is most likely true for a pro, but an amateur can do whatever he/she wants -- if you don't expect to make any real money from playing -- we are talking about clarinet as a hobby, aren't we? This is not to say you can be a bad player, because other musicians won't want to play with you, but it does mean you can be less than a virtuoso and still live with yourself.

The clarinet "box" also includes the view that the clarinet is used only for certain types of music. For example, you may play classical music, jazz, or klezmer/"ethnic" music on a clarinet. What about old time American Appalachian fiddle music, or Irish jigs and reels? This "box" is reinforced by people from other musical traditions such as those looking askance at clarinet players who wish to play their music. At one time, there was no accordion in Irish music, but it's certainly popular now. I just bought a CD of accordion music which includes classical selections. Things changed because accordion players wanted them to.

I play a lot of the aforementioned traditional music on a C-clarinet for contradancing. Again, the "box" would specify that a C-clarinet is used only for certain types of that "ethnic"/klezmer music where the "real pros" use C's, some traditional jazz, and opera where specified. Playing on a C because it makes the keys more convenient without transposing (unlike an A) would be considered invalid because the rules that the pros go by require one to become proficient in C to Bb or A transposition.

I played a contradance the other evening and afterwards, a young woman came up to me and complemented me on my playing. She told me that she "used to play clarinet in high school and never knew you could play this music on clarinet and play it like that". Here was another clarinet player who put it away after high school because she found no use for it. My horn gathered dust for 20 years before I began to play on it again, and when I restarted I resisted the temptation to get lessons from someone who would have likely had me playing method books on my Bb and encouraged me to join a community band. Nothing wrong with that, but I would have found it ultimately unsatisfying, and put it away for another 20 years.

When more clarinet players get out of the box and stop trying to emulate pros, to be minor-league pros in their approach to music, there will be more clarinet hobbyists. I won't need a C-clarinet because clarinet will be so popular, all the fiddle tunes will be played in our keys and the fiddle players will be the ones to suffer.

Excuse me for venting.

Steve Epstein

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