 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: contragirl
Date: 2008-08-22 17:48
HI GUYS!!!
Anyone miss me yet? >.<
Anyway, I have been missing the past few years to those of you that remember me. I graduated UMD in 2005, and I was still tinkering around with the clarinet here and there. But the past year, the group that usually calls me for gigs hasn't called me. They apparently have a fulltime clarinetist now. *scoff*
Well, after graduation, I went on tour to different places with them (Africa, England, Mexico, Cali) and other local gigs. I also joined a community Orchestra, but quit since it was an hour drive to the rehearsals, the group wasn't up the level I would have liked, and they required me to miss a paid gig for one of their concerts. I really was that snotty musician.
Anywho... I am considering getting back into it again, which means I need to pick the horns up and start practicing. Mainly, I am thinking of doing pit orchestras again, but what always held me back was flute. I got away with using a C clarinet on a few occasions but I don't own one, and I do own a flute. I just can't play it all too well. I am afraid my adultness/ADD won't let me "learn" anything else!
Anyone ever tried to learn a new instrument after a hiatus? And not fail at it? LOL
THANKS!
Contragirl
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Author: William
Date: 2008-08-22 19:09
After 55+ years of trying to play the clarinets, saxophones and flute, I won a silent auction at my wifes church for an old 3/4 size violin. Needs some work & a new bow, but I'm going to give it a try--I'll let you know.........
btw, welcome bach.
Post Edited (2008-08-22 19:10)
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2008-08-22 21:15
Welcome back Contragirl! I seem to remember lots of posts by ya.
Look at all those folks who are picking back up clarinet after 5, 10, 20+ years that are posting on this board about their progress! If they can do it, so can you!
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: pewd
Date: 2008-08-22 21:51
i quit clarinet for 17 years. i'm a symphony principal now.
regional mind you, not a big one.
however, it can be done.
flute - i never learned to play one - maybe i will one of these decades.
good luck.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: JMR
Date: 2008-08-23 11:16
I quit for 15 years. Then I was asked to play Amahl & the Night Visitors in a local church production at Christmas. I was asked because I worked with the conductor in my day job. All the other musicians hired were from the orchestra. A couple of weeks later, I got a call to audition as an extra with that group as the 2nd player was trying to cut back. I ended up playing in that regional orchestra for 18 years.
A new conductor was hired & he moved all performances to weekends which interferred with a sport I was heavily involved in & my travel plans. So, I quit. Lately, I'm not traveling as much as earlier so I've just traded my Rossi's on new clarinets & am getting in shape again. I hope to play some in the orchestra again this season.
I've enjoyed playing more in the past few weeks than ever before...it's never too late.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2008-08-23 13:35
Come on, a Terp can do anything. Just turn off the TV remote and the cellphone and the IPOD and the FaceBook and........and start practicing again.
U of Md. class of '79
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Author: GeorgeL ★2017
Date: 2008-08-23 14:56
I had a 15 year break from music after college and then played sax and clarinet for a few years before I tried to learn flute. I took lessons for a couple years - the only music lessons I have had since high school.
My observations:
Will you have a problem reading notes that are multiple lines above the staff? This may not be a problem for a clarinetist who is used to playing high parts, but my reading stops at the high F of a saxophone.
My original goal had been to play the piccolo part of "Stars and Stripes Forever". Then I saw it - lots of very high notes (on the flute version), and lots of flats.
Get a good flute. I had a $100 pawn shop student model. I tried a Powell my teacher had - it was a lot easier to play well than my flute, but a lot more expensive.
End of my flute story, and my flute career.
But I do know a guy my age (mid-60's) who plays clarinet and sax very well and who has been learning flute for the past few years and getting quite proficient. It can be done.
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2008-08-23 17:05
Welcome back, contragirl! I'm a comebacker, too. After nine years off from piano, recorder and clarinet, I went back to those, started on saxophone for the first time, branched out to several sizes of each of those winds and picked up "a smattering of ignorance" on cornet and flute, too, although I'd never claim I can play either of those last two. Musical polygamy has been a lot of fun for me as an amateur, and with your stronger background than mine, you'll probably enjoy branching out even more than I did.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: claritoot26
Date: 2008-08-24 02:47
Bonnie,
Of course it's not too late! It takes a lot of discipline, though, like Dave S. says. Set yourself some concrete goals and schedule your practice time, and get into some lessons once or twice a month if you can afford it. For flute, maybe hire a less expensive young grad. But keep up on clarinet. You have a lot of natural ability and a nice tone. I bought a bass recently, and am busy learning that. If you can, maybe you should get a professional quality bass if you don't have one already (even a used one), since that was your forte in college. Spend the most on the instruments you play the best, and bass clarinet is definitely one of those for you. I don't play flute, but have heard that an excellent flute is pretty important to succeed. That's kind of why I bought a bass cl. first instead of flute, since I already know that family of instruments, and I want to do orchestral stuff. Pit would be nice, too, but later. So I intend to learn flute at some point after earning enough teaching and playing my other 5 instruments (4 clarinets and an alto sax). I may be over 40 at that point, so I'm sure you can do it in your mid 20's! Go Bonnie, and welcome Bach.
Lori
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Author: alanporter
Date: 2008-08-24 04:06
You youngsters should know that it is never, ever, too late to start in any type of music. I started to learn soprano clarinet, and how to read music at the age of 70. I took up the bass clarinet a year later at 71. I am now 72 and enjoying every minute of it, but regreting, at the same time, that I didn't have the opportunity to start in my early years. I have missed a whole lifetime of a wonderful thing, but I am making the most of catching up. I am certainly appreciative of all the valuable learning and advice that comes from this marvellous forum. Bless you all.
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Author: contragirl
Date: 2008-08-25 14:46
HI LORI!!
Yeah, I have been a bit out of my game lately. It's harder to get performance opportunities in Southern Maryland, especially classical music. I do own a bass clarinet now, it's a wooden 2 piece Noblet (60s or 70s?) low Eb. Not my wonderful 9 Series, but it's decent. I never got it overhauled since I bought it though. >.< No point of putting in the $$ I didn't have for something I didn't play anymore. I had bought it when playing Annie Get Your Gun for the Potomac Players a few years back.
We have a local theatre troop here that I was considering auditioning for, and as I had mentioned, the lack of my fluting is what mainly keeps me back. I can play a sax, but I have yet to own one of those. I was able to pick up a semi-almost-pro flute a while back from Ebayz. I can get a nice tone, but the note-y things are hard!
I miss college cuz it kept me on my game, now I am just a lazy bum!
Thanks all! I should totally set up a regime to start practicing again. Luckily, I haven't lost my tone, but I have gotten worse at counting (my rhythm reading was always horrible).
-------------------
My armada:
Buffet Bb R13
Buffet A Continentale
Buffet Eb R13
Noblet Bb Bass (Diamond, to Eb)
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