Author: echi85
Date: 2017-08-14 06:32
I agree completely with the modern homogenization of sound. It's something that I have tried to fight my entire playing life. However, I must bring up the fact that these types of sounds are the ones that are gaining employment and as such are then perpetuated.
I can think of at least 5 winners of recent auditions that were won on Vandoren mouthpieces. I myself have won a professional audition on a Vandoren mouthpiece. In fact, most of the professionals I talk to who are still on the circuit say that they switch to Vandoren mouthpieces specifically for auditions because they are the least offensive.
The fact of the matter is that most people on an audition committee don't play the clarinet. They hear a sound that is homogeneous and pleasant. I know quite a few people who won their jobs on Vandoren and then continue to use their Vandoren mouthpieces while doing the job, to the detriment of audiences I would argue.
An interesting thought I often have is what if Robert Marcellus were still alive today? Say he was young and looking for work. Would he actually win the job we know him for? I'm not so sure.
In my opinion, the brightness issue is more complex than we give it credit for. Like I said in a previous post, a bright sound doesn't really sound great up close. Many teachers, band directors, and eventually students are chastised for this. They object to how a person sounds standing right next to them with no regard as to what it sounds like far away. This cripples students from the very beginning. They are put down a path that leads to dullness.
The other fact of the matter is that most students starting playing the clarinet in middle school/high school band. This is the majority of their playing exposure. They are taught to not stick out. I would argue that the generic quality of many mouthpieces lends itself very well to this type of playing. Students are not flexible because if they are, they are scolded for being different. In fact, I knew a few band directors who force all of their students to play the same mouthpiece/reeds in order to achieve homogeneity. This is not all band directors, but it's enough to cause concern. Even more so when they do well at competitions.
|
|
The Clarinet BBoard
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
