 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Curinfinwe
Date: 2014-01-29 19:18
Hi everyone,
My senior recital is coming up, and my program includes a bass clarinet piece. I've only performed on bass clarinet in orchestras before, so I've never considered the difficulties of playing it in a recital dress! My initial plan was to wear a semi-formal/formal dress for my recital, but now I'm not sure it's possible. So:
Can it be done? I don't want to spend my time on a wild goose chase trying to find a dress when none exist that would work. If it can be done, is there a specific style of dress that seems to work better?
Thanks!
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2014-01-29 14:24
Is there some sort of rule saying you have to wear a dress? There are plenty of good-looking trouser suits these days and you wouldn't have to worry about fabric getting caught in the keys of a wide skirt versus showing "too much information" in a narrow one.
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: Curinfinwe
Date: 2014-01-29 14:28
No, there's not, but the school's I've attended are fairly small and recitals become a large affair. It's gotten somewhat stuck in my mentality that a dress is what you wear. Also, I wore a nice one last year for my junior recital and I was actually quite amazed at what the feeling of very formal wear did to my playing.
I'm definitely willing to wear pants and a nice top if I have to, just wondering if a dress was possible!
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2014-01-29 16:07
The problem with bass clarinet and its unguarded keys is that a sufficiently long or loose dress might get caught in one of those lower keys. In such a situation, trousers would be a better choice.
--
Ben
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Author: BobD
Date: 2014-01-29 17:02
I just have one word on the subject.....KULATS
Bob Draznik
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Author: concertmaster3
Date: 2014-01-30 02:49
The bass clarinetist in my quintet plays standing...we use what we call the "Mega-Peg". We've had two made out of metal dowels (I believe anyway)...although our first one was "made" by one of our clarinet professors out of the rod from an old filing cabinet (the one that goes in at the bottom of each drawer). She just took it out and put a rubber tip on it, and bam... you have a mega peg.
The other option is to change clothes before the piece, which is something that I've done (and singers do quite often!).
Good luck!
Ron Ford
Woodwind Specialist
Performer/Teacher/Arranger
http://www.RonFordMusic.com
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Author: Bret Pimentel
Date: 2014-01-30 07:04
I teach at a small college where a similar mentality has set in: we see lots of elaborate prom-type dresses. It really is quite unnecessary, and often a distraction if not an outright problem. Within recent memory I've seen the hem of a gown get tangled in a tympani pedal, and a pianist wrestling rather comically (er, tragically) mid-performance with a dress that apparently rode up in an uncomfortable way while making squeaking sounds against the piano bench.
Don't let the pageantry get in the way of your performance. Dress professionally and comfortably--dressy pants are entirely appropriate--and let your music speak for itself.
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Author: davyd
Date: 2014-01-30 07:54
Another vote for trousers. You're a musician, not a pop "singer". Your music is more important than your clothing.
Post Edited (2014-01-30 07:55)
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2014-01-30 03:58
20 years ago I went to a Guns n' Roses concert and the singer changed his clothes between songs. So... maybe you can play some Guns n' Roses songs?
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Author: Curinfinwe
Date: 2014-01-30 20:13
Thanks for talking some sense into me, everyone! I'm now sold that dress pants are the way to go.
I had considered standing, but I'm just barely over five feet and my low C bass is a little unmanageable for me unless I sit, so that's not really an option. Thanks for the suggestions!
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2014-01-30 20:55
Don't female cellists have a similar challenge? Perhaps do what they do (which I believe involves pants or culottes, as previously suggested).
I don't feel that playing standing up (while certainly possible, I've done it lots of times myself) is the perfect solution, especially with a "mega-peg" which seems to me would be very wobbly. Neck straps are OK if they are of decent quality and (very important) the strap rings are properly located on the instrument for good balance; the shape of the neck and mouthpiece angle are also factors.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2014-01-30 19:12
Pants suite. Simple. You don't want the material to get caught on a pad. During the summer I would sometimes have that problem at a rehearsal when wearing lose shorts so I had to make sure they were "tucked" in. I can't imagine a loose dress. My female students all played in pants.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-01-31 00:21
For any UK readers, don't contact Operation Yewtree as pants mean trousers in the US and Canada.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: cyclopathic
Date: 2014-01-31 07:10
Chris P wrote:
> For any UK readers, don't contact Operation Yewtree as pants
> mean trousers in the US and Canada.
>
and what else could they mean on your side of the pond???
nevermind, I just looked up "Operation Yewtree" on wikipedia.. TMI
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-01-31 12:18
Divided by a common language.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: cyclopathic
Date: 2014-01-31 15:30
Am: why do you call elevator "lift"?
Brit: ??
Am: we invented and named it "elevator"!
Brit: we invented the English
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-01-31 21:51
I was horrified when I lived in Canada and had just recently started school out there, they said I need to wear pants when skiing. I thought my legs would freeze if I went out skiing in just my pants. But found out soon enough they meant thermal trousers and not in my (under)pants.
Back at school in the UK, if you 'forgot' your PE kit (read that as you don't want to do PE), some sadistic PE teachers made you do PE in your pants (underwear) as a punishment. Maybe not nowadays as they wouldn't get away with it, but they did back in the '80s.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2014-01-31 18:39
I wear black pants (they're not cotton so they don't fade with repeated washings and they always look nice). I was able to find a black bling-y top to go with them that is very formal and lovely. I always feel "decked to the nines" when I wear it...and it DOES make you feel like your playing is better...just like you mentioned.
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Author: MSK
Date: 2014-02-01 05:16
As a fellow female, I vote for a nice pants outfit. I frankly don't like wearing a dress even for Bb clarinet if I'm sitting. You can still find something fancy.
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