 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: MSK
Date: 2017-01-28 06:39
Well this has been my week for clarinet solo artist opportunities. Last weekend I took my teen son to see Richard Stolzman perform a chamber concert and today we got Julian Bliss's autograph (on my copy of Mozart).
The occasion was an appearance at my local music store. It was sponsored by Conn-Selmer and there was a little bit of marketing for their new intermediate clarinet. However, it was mostly intended as an educational event for local music students. He performed a little, spoke some on his life experiences and musical training, and also went over some practice strategies to improve breath control, articulation, and learning of new tricky passages. He spoke quite a bit on everything from why you must swab your clarinet EVERY time to lessons on not giving up and the importance of hard work- whether for life's goals in general or music practice in particular. He is very engaging and spoke with much humor. It seemed like lessons that sound like nagging coming from parents or teachers were well received coming from this charismatic and talented young man. The room full of mostly teenagers was enthralled. Obviously it was particularly interesting to clarinet players but much of the session was meaningful to any musician. I spoke with a young violist afterwards and she seemed to enjoy it almost as much as the clarinetists.
I believe this event was part of an ongoing tour heading up the US East Coast. Because it was as much speaking engagement and mini master class as concert it was more interesting to teens than a typical classical music concert. For music teachers out there it would be well worth your students going if they come near you. One of the novel things about this tour is that he has visited some smaller towns (like mine) that usually don't attract big stars.
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Author: greenslater
Date: 2017-01-28 08:45
I saw him speak and give a masterclass years ago when marketing the Bliss clarinets. I agree, a very engaging speaker, and also gave a great masterclass. I'd envoy everyone to take the opportunity if it arises.
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Author: MSK
Date: 2017-01-31 21:29
The presentation itself was about 90 minutes with a meet and greet for autographs and photos afterwards. It was a suitable length for the target audience of teenage middle and high school age students. The students didn't play for him as in a master class. Rather he demonstrated particularly techniques and practice strategies that would be useful to a high proportion of students.
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Author: ClarinettyBetty
Date: 2017-02-03 05:05
He's coming to our studio class at the University of North Texas tomorrow. Seems like he's traveling all over!
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Eb: 1972 Buffet BC20
Bb: Selmer Paris Presence
A: Selmer Paris Presence
Bass: 1977 LeBlanc
https://gentrywoodwinds.com
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Author: DougR
Date: 2017-02-06 04:23
I don't know if anyone else on the Board has written about this, but I caught Mr. Bliss around a year ago, live, playing tunes associated with Benny Goodman with a band he'd put together in the UK. He had a vibraharpist, a guitar player, plus rhythm section, and for a classical player trying to play swing, he did fine. I remember the vibes player being the real standout, swung like crazy and had plenty of chops. Mr. Bliss was very self effacing, extremely respectful (almost deferential) to the 'real' jazzers in the band, and had a beautiful sound and fluency, although he never quite 'swung'--solos sounded a little 'memorized', although I'm sure they weren't.
He really impressed me, too, not so much for his playing as for the honesty and earnestness with which he tried to capture the Goodman oeuvre. It really takes guts to show yourself in a new vernacular that you maybe haven't quite mastered yet, to risk being overshadowed by your sidemen, to open yourself up to comparison to the original, and to do so out of an evident love for the genre. (He also played a scrap of a Paganini caprice, which I would have LOVED to hear more of, because it seemed like him slipping into an old, comfortable pair of shoes.)
Oh, and right after the first number, who should duck into the darkened audience and sit in the row directly ahead of me, but Paquito D'Rivera. He's evidently an old pal of Mr. Bliss's, and came to say hello and perhaps offer encouragement.
So props for Mr. Bliss, for finding more mountains to climb and doing so with panache!
Glad to hear he's out there inspiring younger musicians. Quite a guy.
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