The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: James
Date: 2002-06-22 04:11
Hey everyone! Right now I am back at the Illinois Summer Youth Music Camp at U of I in Champaign-Urbana where I am the returning principal clarinetist. Anyhow....Tomorrow I get to play in krannert hall (any illinois clarinetist would know this place) and I have some decent solo's in two pieces, Scarabin's Nocture arr. by afred reed and most importantly, Blue Shades. Now I am not sure how many of you are familiar with this piece but its a jazz piece with a huge clarinet excerpt. I think I am it pretty good and its weird for me becuase my director seems very unhappy with it even though the professor things its good. I don't know its just a little frustrating. The guy is Mr. Waybright of the florida state university. Hmmm........ hes kind of a rough guy to work under. I don't know how, I am just frustrated because I'm used to director's being quite happy with the way i play. Especially a band director, i mean...... ITS BAND!! (forgive me for puntucation and other errors, its quite late here)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ken
Date: 2002-06-22 12:32
If your director can't specifically and in musical terms you can understand tell you what he doesn't like about it and how to change it don't worry about it and play it the way you want...you're a clarinet player NOT a mind reader. It's a screaming, rowdy, out of control solo anyway. Have fun with it and shine!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-06-22 14:02
James wrote:
> I don't know how, I am
> just frustrated because I'm used to director's being quite
> happy with the way i play.
Then this is a great experience for you, since many times in the future you're going to find directors who <b>don't</b> like how you play something. You have a few choices:
1) Listen and learn. Perhaps there's a different way you haven't thought of. In any case, the band director's responsible for the sound of the band.
2) Play it your own way. You really didn't need the principal's spot, anyway.
3) Bitch and moan about the band director. You didn't really want to be in that band, anyway.
There's variations on all of these, but I know which one <b>I'd</b> pick.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Dan Oberlin
Date: 2002-06-22 14:12
James,
There's nobody with the name Waybright listed
in the 2002-2003 edition of the Florida State
University Bulletin. To satisfy my curiosity
would you mind rechecking your conductor's
name and institutional affiliation?
Thanks,
Dan
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: William
Date: 2002-06-22 14:56
"Especially a band director, i mean...... ITS BAND!"
I wouldn't make snobbish statements like this around bands like the President's Own or the Eastman WE. And, I would second Marks advice about being a flexabile and cooperating principal clarinetist (and remaining so).
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Greg
Date: 2002-06-22 18:16
James has the wrong university; I am actually attending the same camp as I write this, playing in the 3rd clarinet section Dr. Waybright is at the University of Florida, not FSU. Look him up there and see what you find.
(I may be mistaken, but I think he recently referred to FSU as the "evil people who live up in the northern part of the state"...)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ron b
Date: 2002-06-22 22:46
The director in not always right, but he/she is always the director.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clairgirl
Date: 2002-06-23 04:04
I love Blue Shades!!! yay Frank Tichelli!!! haha
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Kim L.
Date: 2002-06-24 09:20
Band music can be quite challenging...Have you seen The Star Wars Trilogy, Lord of the Rings, or the other contemporary music by Philip Sparke, Jack Stamp, et al. Never judge a book by its cover. Just because its band doesn't mean that you shouldn't try.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bob
Date: 2002-06-24 13:01
James: Lucky you to be first chair AND in beautiful Champaign-Urbana. "Don't go swimming in Boneyard Creek"!!... I am a UI grad and familiar with Blue Shades...but from second clarinet sheet only. I don't yet agree with even the composer's stated meaning of the title so my comments aren't gospel..however...my personal feeling is maybe the director wants you to be more loosey goosey in your interpretation of the first solo section of the piece. Why don't you just ask him what it is he wants? (p.s. "Blue Shades" ...to me...means "Dark Sunglasses" as worn by some musicians during the Boogie Woogie days)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: tim k
Date: 2002-06-24 15:06
Always remember the difference between a bull and a band. The bull has the horns in front and the (synonym for rectum) in the back.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ken
Date: 2002-06-25 03:22
If you want to tackle some really challenging concert band literature try working-up some of Donald Grantham's compositions such as "J'ai été au bal" and "Southern Harmony"...it'll banish you to a practice room for days.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
|