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Long time no post...

Author: Ted Donaldson
Date: 2002-07-21 01:58

I doubt many of you remember me so let me give my short bio...

My name is Ted Donaldson and I live in modern suburbia. I was on my way to an eating establishment one day when I blurted out to my mom, "Mommie! I want to play the clarinet!" That was in third grade :P. Well we got a good old bundy for me to start out on (That is sarcasm of course... about the good...) And I played that until early sixth grade. Then My band director begged my parents to buy me a wood model. So the next day we went out to our pro music shop, and I talked my dad into the Buffet E-11 (Tried the R-13 but he wasn't in that good of a mood) So off I went happy for a few weeks. Then the best thing in my life happened to me.

We were in class one day, and my band director asked if anyone wanted to play the bass clarinet. Well, he didn't pick me, because I was a sixth grader in the eighth grade band. He thought it would hurt me to play something so big and heavy. Well, the first two he chose dropped the instrument because they couldn't work any magic with it. So, out of desperation, he asked me to play it.

It wasn't beatiful, good sounding or anything of the sort. It was a ten year old vito, that hadn't been to the shop in a good five years. Well after some fine tuning it we got it working ok. I played that instrument for about six months. Then another great thing happened. My parents decided to get me my own wood bass!

So one day in Panama City Beach while on vacation, we went Bass Clarinet hunting... After asking many stores to show us their basses, and seeing many bundy's and vito's, we were about ready to give up. So out of humor, I said, "Hey let's go to the guitar shop and see if they have anything."

So we did.

As I walked in my jaw dropped. I saw the most beautiful bass of my life. A vintage King Mariguax In mint condition with a serial number of 2XX, yes a three number serial code! Well, I fell in love with the Frenchy goodness and we bought it.

After a summer of practicing school started, and I was first chair all year... big surprise when there is only one bass. Then I made the second best purchase of my life... The Walter Grabner CXBS bass mouthpiece. I would take it over anything, anyday.

After getting it two weeks before all county try outs, I tried out. And to my surprise, I made first chair all county. That was probably the most challenging music I have played until two weeks ago.

I attended the Junior High Concert Band Camp at FSU, and made the top band. The music wasn't all technical, although some was kind of tricky at first, but it needed emotion to be played right.

Basically, I have finally gotten past the barrier of playing music like it is written, and started playing it from my heart.

So here I am going into eight grade and starting to practice for the Florida All State band... And just made another huge advance. I can now play the chromatic scale 3 octaves crystal clear on the bass. So I am on cloud nine at the moment.

I have just one question... Can someone reccomend a grade five through eight bass clarinet solo... My band director always picks easy ones...

This is your life Ted Donaldson! :P

Sorry for the Long post... Oh well...

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