Klock
Francois Klock, the leading expert on clarinet construction in North America, paid a visit to the NU clarinet studio at solo class Monday night. The guy was actually pretty funny.
"I don't like to to use oil for the bore," Kloc said with a thick French accent, "I like to use my oil for cooking."
Well, maybe you just had to be there.
I had Frankie put in a shorter register tube, which was supposed to help with clarity in the upper register. He reached into his tool bag and pulled out what looked like surgical implants and a probe. Unscrewed a key with a foot-long screwdriver. Dipped the little tube into a petri dish of yellow stuff, made the swap, and zip zip, and done. He handed me my horn to play-test it. I played a few arpeggios and nodded with satisfaction.
"Oh just one more thing," I said after I thanked him out loud. "I noticed these pads are a different color and was wondering if they should be replaced." I handed him my upper joint.
"They still have a good seal. Don't fix them if they still work."
I thought that was good advice.
Now of course you can't have a visiting VIP without a shameless promotion; along with his tooll kit, Klock brought some prototype clarinets with him straight from the factory. They were among the first models from the state-of-the-art Tosca line. This clarinet kept the best of the standard R-13, but was even better, thanks to 'modern technology.' But before he let us play test the new Porsches of the woodwind world, he handed us each a glossy red brochure. The front had this weird logo that resembled the pinky keys of a clarinet's lower joint. Beside it, the word Tosca in burning letters. For the background, ultra cool computer art that resembled a technicolor dream tunic. On the back, more noteArt.
"What do you want to bet they spent as much time designing that booklet as they did the fancy new clarinet?" I asked Joel as we were walking home.
Joel read aloud. "'The evolutionary result of most advanced materials and manufacturing techniques.' What the crap! Can you tell they translated it from French? 'A revolutionary keywork. And what the hell is that extra F-natural key there for? I want to rip it off."
Then he said, "I like my R-13 just fine, thank you."
And I thought to myself, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
"I don't like to to use oil for the bore," Kloc said with a thick French accent, "I like to use my oil for cooking."
Well, maybe you just had to be there.
I had Frankie put in a shorter register tube, which was supposed to help with clarity in the upper register. He reached into his tool bag and pulled out what looked like surgical implants and a probe. Unscrewed a key with a foot-long screwdriver. Dipped the little tube into a petri dish of yellow stuff, made the swap, and zip zip, and done. He handed me my horn to play-test it. I played a few arpeggios and nodded with satisfaction.
"Oh just one more thing," I said after I thanked him out loud. "I noticed these pads are a different color and was wondering if they should be replaced." I handed him my upper joint.
"They still have a good seal. Don't fix them if they still work."
I thought that was good advice.
Now of course you can't have a visiting VIP without a shameless promotion; along with his tooll kit, Klock brought some prototype clarinets with him straight from the factory. They were among the first models from the state-of-the-art Tosca line. This clarinet kept the best of the standard R-13, but was even better, thanks to 'modern technology.' But before he let us play test the new Porsches of the woodwind world, he handed us each a glossy red brochure. The front had this weird logo that resembled the pinky keys of a clarinet's lower joint. Beside it, the word Tosca in burning letters. For the background, ultra cool computer art that resembled a technicolor dream tunic. On the back, more noteArt.
"What do you want to bet they spent as much time designing that booklet as they did the fancy new clarinet?" I asked Joel as we were walking home.
Joel read aloud. "'The evolutionary result of most advanced materials and manufacturing techniques.' What the crap! Can you tell they translated it from French? 'A revolutionary keywork. And what the hell is that extra F-natural key there for? I want to rip it off."
Then he said, "I like my R-13 just fine, thank you."
And I thought to myself, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.