 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: reprise
Date: 2012-09-26 19:21
A few years ago, I wrote a post looking for advice and got back a tremendous number of heart-warming responses:
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=20&i=1315&t=1315
It occurred to me that I should send a brief update, as well as more gratitude to those of you who answered.
Since that time, I took some lessons to get my playing back up to speed and found my way into a more advanced community band. Through people I met there, I got playing opportunities in other bands & ensembles, and started getting asked to sub in some community orchestras. Now, instead of the disappointing band experience I was having when I first wrote, my primary musical activity consists of playing in two high-level community orchestras.
It took me six years to go from "haven't played the clarinet since I had to drop out of grad school 15 years ago" to playing nearly as well as I did when I left & having great ensembles to play with, but it was worth it. And I owe a big debt of gratitude to this board. Thank you!
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Author: Paula S
Date: 2012-09-27 08:52
That is really heartening to hear, especially as I have returned to playing the clarinet and learning again after a long gap. One thing that drives me on is the Artie Shaw story. I didn't really know much about him until I came on this board and I am really starting to develop a feel for jazz. I would never have been given any encouragement in that direction by my teachers when I was younger. It amazes me to think what a genius Artie Shaw was and yet he gave it up when he was 44 years old and lived on until he was 94yrs. I am a little older now than he was when he gave up. Would I swap my life for his given the opportunity? Absolutely not and if I live as long as he did I potentially have another 46 years of clarinet playing to look forward to! ;-)
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