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Last Login: 1/12/2008 8:30 AM
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| | Hi, my son and I have been playing the alto sax for a couple of years now. He is in the school band of course. He loves it. The problem is his band teacher is demanding he use another name brand reed that is 2.00 more and he has tried these reeds and does not like how he sounds or how much harder he has to blow. The band teacher claims that judges at regional competitions will know he is not using this brand. He now is using rico 2 I wonder if he can use a different size rico and if it can produce a "richer tone" the band teacher is saying he needs. We love the dependability and durability of the rico and want to stay with it. Any advice on this from someone would be great. The band teacher only sells this one brand in the room for 4.00 a reed. Concerts and marches are his main events. Thanks, Kay |
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Last Login: 1/1/2008 3:05 PM
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| | Hello Kay, I cannot believe a band director would tell you that a "certain" reed would make the judges grade you by what kind of reed you are using. I would use whatever reed that worked for me at that time. I don't really think anyone can tell you what kind of reed you are using. Also you will play much better if you are using the reed that you like and are satisfied with. It almost sounds like the band director is trying to make a profit $ by having you buy reeds from him. I can use a plastic reed made by "Legere" and no one has been able to tell if I am using a cane reed or plastic. I have been playing for over 30 years now.
clarinetdaddy,"The Only Thing Necessary For The Triumph Of Evil Is For Good Men To Do Nothing" |
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| | Thank you so much for your advice! That was my instinct as well. My son has since been to competition and was judged as an 8th grade player instead of the 7th grade player he is. He has tried an likes Rico royal. By the way the director is under investigation because a threat has been made to actually flunk a student for not using this certain type of reed that is being demanded. At the very least the director will be reprimanded. We must be carefull to keep the love of music, and to keep our school bands (a beginning for a lot of musicians) from becomming corporate owned. Then it becomes all about looks and reputation and we lose music in this tug of war. Again thank you! Kay |
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Last Login: 1/14/2008 4:47 PM
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| This band director reminds me of a "Beginning Winds" instructor I had some forty-three years ago in my middle school in Van Nuys, CA. He, the teacher, would not even let me try out for a "higher" seat in the middle school orchestra when the person above me graduated to high school. There were only two persons playing my instrument at the time that auditions were "opened" for trial. I also wanted to take up a woodwind [additionally] besides the brass wind instrument that I was playing at the time. He was very selfish and so, I gave him back my brass instrument and very politely told him to find a new player for the "second" seat that I was occupying. I never touched another musical instrument for thirty-three more years! Some ten years ago, I got lucky and found a musician that took me on as an adult student for my woodwind (alto sax) from "dead start". I now own an alto, soprano, and tenor and it is really gratifying and fun. I could `kill' that instructor for his 'tude! Never, ever let a personality of an instructor dominate or diminish your youngster's desire and musical ability; or yours for that matter. Make it fun and then 'git outta da way!
Take this advice from a guy that is kickin' himself for letting an a** discourage his musical determination for thirty-some years. |
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Last Login: 3/1/2008 11:55 PM
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| | While the band director is clearly in the wrong, I still can't help but agree that he may need to convert to a different sort of reed eventually. I wouldn't allow of any the clarinets I tutor who are also in middle school to play anything, in any brand (vandoren, rico, mitchell lurie) to play anything less than at least a 2.5, and a 2.5 only if it's the kid's first or second week. Rico's great for a starter reed, but once you progress, as obviously your son has, I would bump up to a Mitchell Lurie. It may be a bit pricier, I'm not sure, but if it is drastically different, consider ordering reeds online. You may find them ten dollars cheaper for a box of ten. And if vandoren reeds, you may find them twenty dollars cheaper. wwbw.com and muncywinds.com are both great places to look. He may be wrong about the judging, but I'd say Rico 2s just aren't a good reed choice... |
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