 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: bradfordlloyd
Date: 2012-10-08 14:59
A few other clarinet playing friends and I have been talking about forming a group to play some "chamber" music for clarinet ensembles of various sizes -- mostly classical transcriptions. We have willing players, have found a rehearsal space, and have even located several pieces of music that look and sound promising (the ICA is a treasure trove and there are several other good sources as well).
Question -- is there any audience for this kind of music? Was there ever? We are happy to play for our own enjoyment, but were wondering if we can get hired for enough weddings, civic events, cocktail parties, etc. to at least offset the cost of the music and materials.
What are your experiences with these knds of groups? Any ideas or suggestions as we go down this path?
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2012-10-08 15:12
I play in two clarinet choirs (one of which was originally a quartet when I started with them), and they're fun, but non-lucrative. Neither group has ever played for pay; we mostly play at senior homes/retirement centers, with the occasional freebie public concert at local small auditoriums (auditoria?).
Your mileage may vary.
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Author: bradfordlloyd
Date: 2012-10-08 19:21
Hmmm...much as I suspected. I was hoping to just break even on the sheet music purchases with enough for a couple of beers once in a while after practice.
Dang these labors of love.....any other suggestions? How do you keep the music playing, as it were?
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2012-10-08 21:19
One thing you can try is to market to a niche audience. Find or compose klezmer quartets for Jewish ceremonies. Latin quartets and pair up with a Latin band where you play during their set breaks for a small fee so the music never stops. Children's music with choreography and a narrator trlling s childrens story (think peter and the wolf, but apply it to other popular childrens books) and you can maybe get hired for fairs, parades, special sessions at schools, things like that.
But straight classical? Gonna be tough.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
Post Edited (2012-10-08 21:27)
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2012-10-08 21:24
Couple more ideas, buy a set of recorders, learn baroque, and market yourself to renaissance fairs or a mediavel times if you have one nearby. Learn video game/music to star trek and other scifi things and market yourself to local comic book conventions or other events of that type. The opportunities are there, but they may require you to go out of your comfort zone. Unless you are all VERY stellar players and then classical type stuff would be enough.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
Post Edited (2012-10-08 21:25)
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Author: Mike Clarinet
Date: 2012-10-09 07:16
If you have a local community band / orchestra / choir / other music group, approach them and see if you can do a couple of numbers during one of their concerts - perhaps (at first) as a novelty item. Or pehaps playing in the foyer before their concert, or during the interval.
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Author: bradfordlloyd
Date: 2012-10-10 11:04
Great suggestions, thanks!
Based on Alexi's comment, I have been looking for ways to update and energize the basic clarinet quartet/quintet concept. Youtube is a treasure trove (or garbage dump?) of this kind of stuff....so, I stumbled on this group, The Breaking Winds Bassoon Quartet and think that the clarinet world needs it's answer to them...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQVV472R0Go
Your thoughts? (I'm not sure that this is a marketable, pay-for-play group either, but it sure is a lot of fun)
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Author: FDF
Date: 2012-10-10 23:31
Playing for fun is, I think, the top priority. All else will follow. Our clarinet choir has played for weddings, retirement homes, a VA hospital, area Christmas shows, in the lobby of a community theatre, and for a PBS station's money maker. The list goes on. As we perform for more groups and are seen and heard by others, we grow as a group and for potential audiences.
The only money maker for us has been weddings. Our director uses as much freebie music as possible. Search the web. We all help to pay rent for rehearsal space.
Forest
Amateur
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2012-10-11 17:59
Dave and all,
It's all a matter of marketing. I had a friend once who told me she had an add in local media advertising all types of music ensembles for all occassions. Once a call came in and she was given a date for the gig, she'd say, "Oh I'm sorry, we only have a flute duet available on that day." They got a fair number of good gigs out of that.
As I sat there open-mouthed at the story, she added, "business is business."
...................Paul Aviles
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2012-10-11 20:33
Alexi -
Recorder is great. I play them as much as I do clarinet. The fingering is very close to clarinet, and you already have both C and F fingerings built in -- they correspond with the clarion and chalumeau registers.
By far the best place to begin is the plastic Yamaha 300 series. They're better than anything else at less than five times the price. A set of five (sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, bass) is only $347 at http://www.bill-lazar.com/.
Recorders are quite soft, and and even a light breeze interferes with the "air reed" that produces the sound. You really can't perform on them outdoors. Indoors, be prepared to sing and add light percussion.
In addition to light repertoire, it wouldn't be difficult to arrange slightly more serious items such as Berio's Opus Number ZOO.
Ken Shaw
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2012-10-12 18:25
Ken Shaw wrote:
> Alexi -
>
> Recorder is great. I play them as much as I do clarinet. The
> fingering is very close to clarinet, and you already have both
> C and F fingerings built in -- they correspond with the clarion
> and chalumeau registers.
>
> By far the best place to begin is the plastic Yamaha 300
> series. They're better than anything else at less than five
> times the price. A set of five (sopranino, soprano, alto,
> tenor, bass) is only $347 at http://www.bill-lazar.com/.
>
> Recorders are quite soft, and and even a light breeze
> interferes with the "air reed" that produces the sound. You
> really can't perform on them outdoors. Indoors, be prepared to
> sing and add light percussion.
>
> In addition to light repertoire, it wouldn't be difficult to
> arrange slightly more serious items such as Berio's Opus Number
> ZOO.
>
> Ken Shaw
Ken (and others)
A friend bought 5 of them (the yamahas) and brought them with us when we deployed. He asked a few woodwind players (clarinet and sax) to work through some quintets with him. Just for fun and cause his ultimate goal was to help his children learn to play and play music with them for fun (he had four kids, all sons!) It was a very easy basic transition and when you realize how little air is needed to play them it makes for a REALLY fun instrument to play!
I still would like to get back into it, but I do have my plate full for the foreseeable future. But I do plan to get back into it when I can find the time.
And Paul, while your friend's marketing tactic might have worked, I do not agree with any form of "bait and switch" marketing. Others reading, please don't use this tactic. The method your friend used (advertising styles of music she never even could deliver on and then convincing something else) is illegal. But that's probably for another post....
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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