 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Melissa
Date: 2008-06-09 19:52
I actually posted a very similar topic on the facebook clarinet job group so my apologies if you're in that group.
What do you think about clarinet in popular music? Or what about classically trained musicians turning to popular music? Are they "sell outs" or progressing with music today?
I know of a couple of musicians who have turned to popular music after classical degrees such as Owen Pallett of Final Fantasy who studied violin at the University of Toronto and Basia Bulat who studied flute at the University of Western Ontario.
What about Clarinet in popular music by trained or untrained players? There are a couple of bands that use clarinet such as Grizzly Bear and The Islands which use a bass clarinet.
Any Thoughts?
recordings of these musicians are available here:
Final Fantasy: http://www.myspace.com/owenpallettmusic
Basia Bulat: http://www.myspace.com/basiamyspace
Grizzly Bear: http://www.myspace.com/grizzlybear
The Islands: http://www.myspace.com/islands
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Author: BP
Date: 2008-06-09 20:58
I feel that anything it takes to keep playing and you can live with the decisions that you make is a good thing. I don't beleive that the musicians making the choice to play popular music are selling out, they are doing what they need to do (at that time) to keep playing. And who said that expanding your horizons is a bad thing? It could effect your classical playing in a positive way. I think it is all in your attitude. You have to go where your heart is, not listen to what everyone's opinion is and "Go for it." For a good book that talks about this read Quincy Jones's autobiography.
Bill Payne
www.billpayne.wordpress.com
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Author: jwiseman114
Date: 2008-06-09 22:49
I'm for it. We all know that this is a tough business and anyone who can make a desent living, regardless of the music they choose to play, gets a hat's off from me.
Unless of course they make too much money and then they become hated, low life sellouts!!!
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Author: Syaoran_2001
Date: 2008-06-10 04:53
Just because a musician is "classically trained" doesn't mean they have to play classical music or symphony or orchestra music all the time. I think it's cool that pop bands are starting to incorporate woodwinds or brass instruments in their music. One of my favorite bands, Jethro Tull, is great because of Ian Anderson's excellent flute playing. I don't think Jethro Tull would be nearly as interesting as they are if they hadn't incorporated the flute. And of course, you can't forget Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, who successfully incorporated classical elements into his compositions. You shouldn't say that clarinetists or other classical musicians are "selling out" if they play popular music; I think they're just exploring different types of music to which they are accustomed to playing. You shouldn't be restricted to the types of music you play just because someone says "oh, you're a clarinetist, you should be playing classical music." Music is an art form, what one considers music, another might not.
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Author: beejay
Date: 2008-06-10 08:24
On the other hand, Placido Domingo singing tangos is about as bad as it gets.
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Author: allencole
Date: 2008-06-11 04:54
I'd love to see more clarinet in pop music. How to make it happen is another question. After all, before Kenny G. there was Benny G.--and quite a few others. I don't think it's selling out at all. I think a lot of us are trying to sell it, but just can't find any buyers!
The main problem for classical musicians, (and some jazz musicians) is that the instrument lives today in an atmosphere of very esoteric stuff, and many 'trained' players can't quite get their brains wrapped around pop music sensibilties and practice. (witness James Galway and Pink Panther, Annie's Song, etc.) Ian Anderson or the guy from Canned Heat most likely can't touch Galway as a player, but they make up for it by their immersion in their groups' styles.
The main difference that I see between these guys and---let's say Country/Western musicians is that most high-level country musicians are familiar with Charlie Parker and Beethoven. But an awful lot of classical and jazz musicians are woefully unfamiliar with with key instrumentalists in country and other pop traditions. Who here can tell me about Leon McAuliffe or Joe Maphis without looking them up on a search engine?
Our instrument is most likely absent from pop music because of our failure as a group to really embrace those styles and adapt to their demands. And--shudder if you must--it's guys like Richard Stoltzman and Acker Bilk who have managed to break through that barrier post-WW2.
(this is not to knock either of these gentlemen, but I am addressing what I see as the prevailing attitudes we've shown towards them)
Allen Cole
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Author: davidsampson
Date: 2008-06-11 04:56
Ska music regularly incorporates a horn section, with instrumentation similar to that of a jazz band. And I have heard the clarinet used occasionally in ska, to great effect. Check out Streetlight Manifesto, or Catch-22.
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Author: Bruno
Date: 2008-06-16 04:06
For the most part one doesn't have to worry about "classical" instrumentalists "selling out" by working in pop or jazz venues. With rare exceptions (Eddie Daniels and one or two others), every one that I've encountered over the years is totally lacking a sense of syncopation and jazz phrasing. They actually play eighth notes as eighth notes! If there are four, they play four - evenly spaced, all held the same length of time . . . and dead.
This is not to denigrate classical players or classical music. Players trained solely in classical music just seem to lack a bone somewhere - maybe it's the "swing bone". Yo Yo Ma sounds so clumsy trying to swing! He sweats and smiles and strains but just doesn't make it. My clarinet teacher, a wonderful musician, sounds like an eight year old on his first lesson.
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Author: Jameslyons
Date: 2008-06-16 16:08
I don't know. Isn't playing an instrument about playing an instrument? I've only been playing for nine months but my technical ability jumped when confronted with Bach and Mozart. However, Bach and Mozart get boring. Even Bartok does (especially for somebody of my skill level). I mean Bach is all timing in thirds then eighths then thirds (trill the second note) etc. Mozart slurs up in thirds and then does a chromatic scale to the next chord progression. Have you ever seen the Braule movement in Bartok's Romanian Folk dances!?
Jazz, Klezmer, and even pop music open several avenues of music to players of all levels I play the guitar and bass, as well as the horn. I play in Jazz/blues bands (so long as they're slow like me), and we have a great time just playing. Sometime our singer plays piano, sometimes our drummer picks up a bass. And I, an unskilled clarinetist plays a couple basic chord progressions in that swingy jazz style. I even try a trill or two.
I like having fun on the clarinet.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-06-16 17:10
I'd been playing sax for a few months when I saw this on telly (we only had the one telly back then and my brother was a Jam/Style Council fan): http://youtube.com/watch?v=1B88VUROxFg
Seeing that made me think 'Hmmm... maybe I ought to take up clarinet as well'. Though I was still annoyed with Paul Weller for knocking David Bowie's 'Ashes To Ashes' off the No.1 spot back in 1980.
Looks like the BBC props department got their (oh, I mean the licence fee payers') money's worth from those brown monk robes - they turned up again here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=MIOkzbR9MnA No clarinets this time, but there's a balalaika!
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2008-06-16 17:35)
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