Author: exclarinetist01
Date: 2023-01-17 09:25
Hello all - I remember this site from many years ago when I was studying clarinet in college. I've since moved to another career, though I still have my clarinets and will take them out to play occasionally. I'm glad to see the community is still active.
I've been wondering about something and figured this was the best place to get informed thoughts. I hope this isn't too off topic.
My son is in fourth grade and will have the opportunity to join the school band this fall. I haven't pushed him to play clarinet, but of course he has heard me play before and has heard all my stories about my various experiences as a musician and the friendships I made along the way.
I've inquired if he has any interest in the clarinet and he seems to be leaning towards other instruments because he says there are no other boys who play clarinet at his school! I was a bit shocked to hear that. I had a somewhat unusual experience as a young kid playing clarinet because I went to schools without band programs until the second part of high school. I remember being one of the few males in the section, but I was too much of a band geek to care I suppose.
I did notice that as early as high school, the all-state bands and summer music camps I attended had mostly males in the clarinet section. Then at the conservatory I attended, it was almost all men in the clarinet section. To say nothing of professional orchestras, where sections seem to be very male dominated.
So what gives? How did clarinet end up being more female dominated at the elementary and middle school level, and then going in the opposite direction as clarinet players get older and more advanced? I can't think of this being the case with any other instrument. Perhaps flute to some extent, although I noticed far more women in flute sections in conservatory and professional orchestras.
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The Clarinet BBoard
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