Waaaaaaay back when I was in high school (okay, it was only 10 years ago), I played clarinet. I really enjoyed it. Marching season was awesome and I liked stretching myself during concert season. I was competitive to say the least. My freshman year I was in 3rd band, 2nd band for sophomore and junior years, and finally 1st band my senior year.
When I didn't make 1st band my junior year, I was crushed. It actually ended up being a very good thing. It seemed like the director for second band chose music that really pushed my capabilities as a musician. I learned how to play some dang high notes. He was a great director and I enjoyed that year immensely. I was really proud of myself when I eventually became first chair in the first band during my senior year and I don't think it would have been possible without that experience. I also got to play in the full orchestra, with a solo my senior year.
My clarinet was a trusty Yamaha wood student model. My parents got it for me when I started playing in 6th grade. It took years of abuse and still kept going. At the end of high school, there were several missing chunks of wood that had been filled in and a couple of cracks were forming in the bell. It sounded okay, but the directors basically begged me to borrow my sister's clarinet.
Sarah's clarinet is also a Yamaha, but it is a professional model with silver-plated keys. I didn't think it would make that much difference, but I sounded so much better on her instrument. Sarah let me borrow her clarinet many times during my senior year, with strict instructions to guard it with my life. It made a great difference in several of my performances. I begged her to let me keep it, but she treasured it as a gift from Mom & Dad.
When I graduated from high school I also got my braces off. I didn't know how to play without my braces because my embouchure completely changed. I'm pretty sure I caused my ensemble to get a bad rating at State Solo & Ensemble. I hadn't expected it to make that much of a difference. So I stopped playing. Later, with a promise of a better clarinet, I sold my old clarinet - something I very much regret doing. I ended up with another instrument that was a bit better, but not nearly as good as what I wanted.
I'd wanted to start playing again for ... well, since I stopped. I don't need to play for anyone else, I just love making music. I love the sound of the clarinet: warm, round, smooth, and light. But every time I went to play that clarinet that I had bought, I just couldn't put my heart into it. It wasn't my clarinet. It felt like a stranger I didn't like who was invited in by someone else.
When I told Sarah about the frustration I was experiencing, she did something I never expected. She gave me her clarinet. It is one of the best gifts I have ever received. Sarah's clarinet is an old friend, with wonderful memories attached to it. I get to play again!
Sarah's clarinet is at the shop right now, waiting for an overhaul. I'm rather impatient to get it back so I can get working. I have the phone number for an instructor who teaches down the street. When my performance level is high enough, I hope to find an amateur ensemble. It'll take a while, though! Thank you, Sarah.
