Hot News July 2006
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23-31 July 2006
Clarinet Summer Camp held in Songnison (South Korea)
Songnison, South Korea
During this workshop week in this summer camp, led by noted Professor Luigi Magistrelli of the Milan
Conservatory, and Im Soo Lee, Professor from Seoul, an intensive series of lessons and master classes took place
for a number of students and potential professionals from over the country. This project is held annually and is
growing in interest throughout Asia.
21 July 2006
The Clarinet Summer School 2006
Liverpool, England
A retrospective by Andrew Roberts
I can hardly believe that it is now 6 weeks since the end of The Clarinet Summer School 2006; time just seems to fly by!
The 2006 course was our most successful one to date with almost 40 students attending between the two courses.
This course can only thrive with the help and support of its sponsors, not just during the course but all year. Packer’s and Rosetti/Vandoren have been our main supporters from the very first course in 1997.
![[Image: Wolfgang Lohff]](http://www.theclarinet.co.uk/Images/2006review/photo1.jpg)
Wolfgang
Lohff has become a regular major sponsor and part of the course
offering advice and practical help to all.
Eddie Ashton of Woodwind & Co has been a long-term friend and supporter of the course, giving advice on a practical level for maintenance. My personal thanks to them all, without them this course could not happen.
Leblanc /VBI have kindly sponsored the course for the last few years and this year we were delighted that Buffet Crampon helped to support Philippe Cuper’s appearance.
Kerry, Andy, Wolfgang and Will put in a great deal of hard work, their generosity of time and good humour deserve all our thanks and appreciation.
Support for the Summer School also comes from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, with the loan of their E flat Alto and Contra Bass Clarinets and Peter Fielding for the loan of his library of ensemble music.
When the Contra arrived, Steffi and Charlie, my twin daughters, delighted in hearing and feeling the sound of this “elephant” like instrument!
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This
year we were very grateful for the loan of the Royal Northern College of
Music’s B flat Contra Bass This was put to good use by Janet Crossley
in a bass section that also included Alistair Logan, who this year became a
tutor for the Intermediate course.
Dramas are part of any course and this year it seemed to revolve around the arrival of our guest tutor Philippe Cuper, having to fly from the South of France at the last moment. However, it was worth all the stress behind the scenes, and thanks to Ryanair’s new route from Nimes to Liverpool running on time and with the help of my wife he arrived safely.
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Philippe’s dramatic and good-humored Master classes were unforgettable and his performance on the Monday evening was spectacular. For me, the beauty of his performance of Cahuzac’s Pastorale Cevenole will be with me for the rest of my life. We were very privileged to hear such world class playing from such a charming guy as Philippe.
An equally spectacular performance was given by John Wilson in accompanying Philippe in so many varied and challenging styles, not to mention his work during the Masterclasses. It is rare to come across someone as universally respected as John Wilson, always dealing calmly with any sight-reading that is put in front of him without complaint.
He casually mentioned to me (after a few drinks!), that five of the pieces he played with Philippe were works he had never seen before 7pm that night! Not that he gave that impression during the concert. This is perhaps a lesson for us all? Thanks again, John, for all your marvellous work.
Dr Christopher Mimnagh presented a brief but exceedingly useful lecture on what a bunch of abnormal people we clarinettists really are. This prompted a late night session later in the week on good posture, which amazingly everyone seemed to find the most interesting topic (on the last night), so maybe Chris has a point.
My thanks to him and Professor Alastair Watson for their insight into why and how we do what we do.
The
Clarinet Summer School would not be the same without Leslie Craven’s
input and dedication. He is not only a marvellous player but also a
real pedagogue of the clarinet. Les has been involved from the very early days
of the course and has just about earned a year off for good behaviour, so maybe
Chris (his lovely wife) will get to have a decent summer holiday next year! I
will miss Les’s support next year but will look forward to his return in the
future; in the meantime, all my heartfelt thanks go to him for so much
inspiration and encouragement over the past years, which helped to sustain the
growth of the Summer School.
Janet Crossley attended the very first Clarinet Summer School nine years ago and for the last two years has taken charge of the Intermediate Course with great success. As one of my ex-students, she is a fine player and a great personality to have onboard. I hope she will continue to build on her success with the course. I am sure she will want me to thank her support this year from Caroline Wheeler and Alistair Logan.
The one person
who has been involved with the course more than anyone else is David
Walters. He not only accompanies everyone in his skilled and
sympathetic way, but runs the organisation behind the scenes at Hope
University to make it all happen. He too has earned a year off, but he
isn’t going to get one just yet! David is always charming and a calming
influence for me when things don’t go so well, so I send all my thanks to him.
My behind the scenes support is of course my wonderful wife,
Sandra. She always manages to fill in any gaps such as being taxi driver for
Philippe, doing emergency drinks run to Costco (to help cope with the
extraordinary heat we all experienced this year), and proof reading to name but
a few. All in addition to looking after our 3-year old girls, a full-time job
and me! It is about time she had some credit for all her hard work on behalf of
the course, which it is all too easy to overlook. Thank you from all of us but
especially from me.
The DVD of the final concert (including some footage from the Liverpool World Museum concert - which was very well received) is now available. Please let me know via email if you would like a copy (the cost is £5 including the postage).
Finally, the most important people to thank are you the students who attended the course. I know that all the tutors and everyone involved with running the course enjoyed meeting and working with you all. We hope that you will keep in touch and come to see us again in the future.
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We are planning the 2007 course at present and will release some details in a short while so keep watching this space.
With all best wishes, keep on blowing!
Andrew Roberts
Course Director
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15 July 2006
The United States Army Band (Pershing's Own) 4th Alumni Reunion Concert Weekend
Arlington, Virginia USA
The 4th Alumni Reunion Weekend convened at Fort Myer, Virginia with a special concert Friday evening including
the United States Army Concert Band, the US Army Chorus, and the Herald Trumpets to showcase the organization and
the former Army Band members and Retirees. Many traveled long distances from all over the United States to be part of
this major annual event. There are many Alumni Associations throughout the Military, and they all have a common thread-
a sense of comeraderie and that friendship connection with colleagues who served and present members still in the Band.
This weekend served to honor the service of those past members with a landmark performance with the present Band.
There were two major rehearsals, the Friday evening concert held at the Arlington Kenmore Middle School Auditorium
(a new facility), and a Saturday social at the Band’s Brucker Hall. Of special significance, two former Leader/Commanders,
Colonel Eugene Allen, and Colonel Gary Lamb, along with the current Commander Thomas Rotundi, participated on the events.
Performance of the Band at the concert was top professional to be matched by any ensemble in the country. Major
repertoire performed included Verdi’s ‘La Forza del Destino’, Verdi’s ‘Sicilian Vespers’ Overtures, Moussorgsky’s
‘Coronation Scene from Boris Godenov, with Chorus, and several other works suitable for a Summer Concert Series.
The Band received a standing ovation after the performance.
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A high point about the entire affair is the sentiment about the ‘old days’ when all were together involved in the daily
functioning at the Band, including special performances, tours, guest conductors and soloists, and many conventions attended
as part of the mission. The Band frequently plays for events at the White House, Congress, and for Heads of State along
with the tours. Sentiments span as long as 40 years, including events during World War II.
14 - 16 July 2006
Brevard Workshop on
Brevard Music Festival, North Carolina USA
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Michael Drapkin (BM ’79) graduated from Eastman with a degree in clarinet performance, and still identifies himself first and foremost as a performing musician. But as founder and director of the Foundation for Entrepreneurialism in the Arts (FEA), Michael is also devoted to training young musicians in the realities of the modern musical world, so that they won’t just get jobs, but that they will help to create the jobs they want. Michael himself is an excellent example of this: after playing in the Honolulu Symphony, he became a serial entrepreneur in software development, launching 30 different startup companies before deciding to help his fellow musicians find new avenues for employment and founding the FEA.
As part of this vision, he launched the first Brevard Conference on Music Entrepreneurship at the Brevard Music Center last month. The conference was a great success, selling out and drawing musicians, entrepreneurs, and educators from across the country.
“Call it what you want - entrepreneurship, leadership, management, vision, but every great revolution starts with one person who has an idea and figures out a way to make it stick,” said Drapkin, in his opening speech at the conference. “We want you to leave here inspired. To become a visionary. To dream about what might be, and to acquire the know-how to make it happen. An army of visionaries fanning out across American making things work. Finding a way to make things happen and clawing and scratching until some brick in that immovable wall comes loose, and you slip through.”
