clarinet

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L i n d a S h e a

Location:

Denver, CO

Position:

Colorado Springs Philharmonic

3rd/bass Clarinet

School:

University of Colorado, Boulder

University of Northern Colorado, Greeley

University of Denver

Hometown:

Denver, CO

Greatest opportunity through music:

Performing a chamber music recital with friends in a small village that was located in the middle of the Costa Rican rainforest.

The best thing about the clarinet is:

It can play really high, really low, really soft and really loud.

How I got started in music:

I started out by playing the piano. Then in fourth grade when I was able to join band, my parents told me that I had to play the clarinet because they already had one. Later on my mom told me that if she had known I was going to stick with music for the rest of my life, she would have let me choose my instrument. I probably would have chosen to play the trombone instead but everything worked out okay with the clarinet.

Bb & B a s s C l a r i n e t s

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Bb C l a r i n e t

Today, clarinets are usually played in bands, orchestras, dance bands, and woodwind ensembles. It is often featured as a solo instrument. Clarinets are usually made of African blackwood (grenadilla), but can also be made of ebonite or plastic. Most bands need a large clarinet section to play many different parts and be heard above the louder brass instruments. The most commonly played are the Bb, Eb, and bass clarinets. The clarinet has a mouthpiece and a single reed. The ligature holds the reed in place. The reed is made of cane. When air is blown into the mouthpiece, the reed vibrates and the sound is made. The clarinet's sound is mellow and quite soft.

Hear Linda play Ariel by Ned Rorem

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B a s s C l a r i n e t

The bass clarinet is pitched an octave (eight notes) lower than the normal clarinet in Bb. The first bass clarinet was built in the 1770's. However it was used very little by composers until the 1830's. It was around this time that Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone, improved the bass clarinet. Further improvements came a decade later when Buffet and Klosé applied the Boehm flute key system to it.

Hear Linda play Concerto for Bass Clarinet by Laderman