 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ben Shaffer
Date: 2019-02-02 19:58
Well, I took up the Clarinet in 1959 in 4th grade at the Northside Elementary School in Levittown Long Island.
My Dad was a Band Director in the Air Force at the time.
Prior to my first day of playing the Clarinet, my Dad presented me with Clarinet in a brown Case.
I could be wrong but I'm guessing I may have had a Air Force band issued Clarinet!
i remember my first Group class, 6 or so fledgling clarinetists sitting in a semi circle with Mr. McArthur the School Band director.
My question for the Board does anyone have any idea which Clarinet or Clarinets were issued to the Air Force band Clarinetists back in the late 50's?
If I did in fact have a Military issued Clarinet I may have had a much better Clarinet then than anyone in the group!
That Clarinet went away after my Dad was transferred to Georgia several years later.
I do remember the Band Instruction method book... it was the blue cover Tune a Day Book.
Any ideas?
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2019-02-02 20:46
All kinds of clarinets can be military issue. I recently sold a Paul Gerard alto (French stencil by Malerne) clarinet that was a US army edition and had U.S. engraved on all joints. I've also previously had a Navy issued Silver King which had custom nickel plating. Pretty much any clarinet could be purchased for use in military bands, and many manufacturers would differentiate these instruments by engraving "US" or "USN".
If it was a brown case I would guess it was a Conn Director, but this is a complete shot in the dark based off of the fact that I have seen a Conn Director engraved with "USN" that came in a brown leather case.
Now as for wether these instruments were better than their standard counterparts? In my experience not really. These instruments do tend to be mostly "professional" so if all of your band mates were playing student instruments then I suppose it's possible you had the best clarinet by default. However it's also possible that your father's band was issued the cheapest instruments that they could obtain (AKA the Conn Director). Without finding more information about the instrument it's impossible to tell.
-Jdbassplayer
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-02-03 00:37
As a red blooded American tax payer, I suppose I should want the military bands to purchase prudently. However, at least by 1989 when I was in an Air Force band, the notion was that you needed to spend your annual allotted budget or risk having it reduced upon the next iteration. This meant we had the BEST as determined by the section leaders who finalized requisitions. In 1989 we mostly had R13s. Of course if there was a heinous amount of money that "had to be spent," anything we could find was on the table.
The Army Bands I was in subsequently had a sprinkling of all sorts of exotic top of the line horns. Needless to say.......that was cool.
.................Paul Aviles
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2019-02-03 07:45
The late 70's and early 80's when I was in the DC band, Air Force, it was Buffet only and Selmer Mark 6's. Vandoren reeds. Probably doesn't answer your question.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2019-02-03 09:15
Brit military band mostly used Boosey and Hawkes woodwinds up until about the early 80's and after that most seem to have Buffets. Rank and file got Emperors or Edgwares, soloists got 926 Imperials. I have an ex-military Emperor and an Imperial, both in hard rubber. I also have an Albert metal Eb Buffet which I souvenired from the RAF Station band in which I played in the early 60's. The base was closing, and if I hadn't liberated it then it would have probably have sat on a shelf for 50 years and then been sold as scrap.
Tony F.
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Author: clarimad
Date: 2019-02-03 13:32
I've been told by a worthy ex-military bandsman here in the UK that when their new replacement instruments arrived, and were top of the range Selmers and Buffets, they were instructed to take their "old" instruments and put them in the skip outside the bandroom.
Nevertheless, many never got as far as the skip and were kept personally or sold on!
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Author: Morrigan
Date: 2019-02-03 16:53
Air Force bands in the UK got Buffet Legendes last year! Prior to these we were using Prestiges that just hit 18 years old. The Greenlines used for outdoor work aren’t much newer than this.
The old instruments are usually kept as spares, as far am I’m aware we can’t sell nor give them away as they’re technically the Queen’s property.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-02-03 17:34
Interesting.
There is an age related "wear date" on US military equipment. So instrument don't get old here. Once they have reached their "wear date," (which is around 5-10 years I believe) they go into an even more complex system of "disposal" which results either in finding their way to a military supply auction or donation to and educational institution.
..................Paul Aviles
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Author: Ben Shaffer
Date: 2019-02-03 18:32
The only Clarinet Player I remember from my Dad's Air Force Band in the late 50's was Robert Watson.
His nickname was Mud as he was from Rolling Fork , Mississippi.
I've got a number of pictures of the Band and you can see the Clarinets, but not close up enough to tell what brand they might be.
The name of the band I believe was the Continental Air Command band.
Of interest was the band staring to incorporate Bagpipes into the Band.
I remember going with my dad to a Scottish Store and him ordering all the Bagpipes, equipment and regale for the band Members who were picked to play the Pipes
In the early 60's was band was moved to Robbins Air Force Base in Georgia.
I think they pulled out all the stops for the band in Georgia and I believe they even had a recording Studio
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-02-04 00:15
Back in early 90's the Warner Robbins band was still the one outside the Academy and D.C. to strive for. On a quick search I found this:
https://www.onlineathens.com/local-news/2012-03-10/warner-robins-air-force-band-falls-budget-cuts
The "excuse" of saving money by budget cutting the band is strictly Public Relations and has NOTHING to do with saving meaningful monies. One tank equals the budget of all the US Army bands for an entire year, and you know the US Army has more than one tank.
Of course historically speaking "bands" were used in actual combat (Persia, Rome, Civil War, Vietnam) to confuse and intimidate the enemy. They came to be used most actively of late for military ceremonies and public relations (P.R. is the only official mission of the US Air Force Bands anymore). The argument that is being made is that they are superfluous. And that may be true. But the elimination of them will not save any percentage of funds for the military that will amount to any actual savings.
The only legitimate argument is whether the military wants to continue to hire and maintain military musicians or not. It is that simple and that arbitrary. Any other rationale is not being honest.
end of rant
end of preaching to the choir
...................Paul Aviles
Post Edited (2019-02-04 08:16)
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