Olympus-OM
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [OM] IMG: Tooting my own horn

Subject: Re: [OM] IMG: Tooting my own horn
From: Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 17:48:27 -0400
Thanks, great story.

Chuck Norcutt


On 3/25/2014 2:44 PM, Peter Klein wrote:
> Chuck: I was always attracted to the lower-sounding instruments. When I
> was in 3rd grade, my town's school system had a good string program. I
> wanted to play the cello, but my mother talked me down to a violin,
> which I didn't really like. That lasted only a couple of months. I
> learned folk guitar instead, and continued to take piano. I also taught
> myself Baroque recorder while in high school.
>
> Fast forward to 1974, the summer before my senior year of college. I was
> conducting a summer theater with an orchestra. We were doing Rodgers and
> Hammerstein's "Carousel." One evening after rehearsal, I was talking to
> one of the horn players, who was kind of the "den mother" of the
> orchestra. I mentioned that working with the orchestra, I'm really
> feeling that I'm missing out on both an aspect of musicianship and a lot
> of fun by not playing an orchestral instrument. I told her about the
> cello. But, I said, it's really too late for me to start a string
> instrument as an adult, it would take too long to get even tolerably
> competent. But the bassoon is the same range, and I like the sound and
> character, and I look kind of like one. So if I ever find a bassoon in
> someone's attic, I'll figure it's fate and I'll learn to play it.
>
> And she said, "Peter, I have a bassoon in my attic."
>
> It turned out to be an old French-system bassoon, very different from
> the German (Heckel) system that is used almost everywhere except France.
> I borrowed it for a few months, managed to jerry-rig fix it enough to be
> playable and taught myself the rudiments. I soon realized that if I was
> going to get anywhere with the bassoon, I'd better play the standard. I
> ended up buying a German-system instrument from a Boston Symphony player
> who lived in my town, and started taking lessons. I got pretty good
> pretty quickly, and was playing in a couple of community orchestras and
> my college musical a few months later.
>
> In 1990, a carpal-tunnel-like computer injury sidelined me. I had
> surgery and recovered from the injury, but I didn't want to risk my
> livelihood by putting additional strain upon my hands. So I didn't play
> bassoon for over 20 years. Then about 2.5 years ago, I realized that
> something important was missing from my life. I realized that I just had
> to play again, and did.
>
> --Peter
>
>   > On Tue, Mar 25, 2014 at 10:27 AM, Chuck Norcutt <
>   > chucknorcutt [at] chucknorcutt.com> wrote:
>   >
>   > > Thanks. I've always wondered how one comes to play a less usual
>   > > instrument such as a bassoon.
>   > >
>   > > Chuck Norcutt
>   > >
>   > > On 3/25/2014 3:08 AM, Peter Klein wrote:
>   > > > The Rain City Symphony woodwind section, taken by the son of one
> of our
>   > > > orchestra members. I'm the guy playing bassoon sitting just to the
>   > > > right of the female clarinetist in the center in the picture.
>   > > >
>   > > >
>   > > > --Peter, speaking softly but carrying a big stick.
>   > >
>   >
>   > Nice. Looks like you're having fun.
>   >
>   > --
>   >
>   > Paul Braun
>   > Certified Music Junkie
>
-- 
_________________________________________________________________
Options: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/listinfo/olympus
Archives: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/private/olympus/
Themed Olympus Photo Exhibition: http://www.tope.nl/

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Sponsored by Tako
Impressum | Datenschutz