Buzzing Reed- Classical Music & Clarinet Culture

Check out this post, You’re Great; Get Lost! (also available here), a well written, biting review of the motives and repercussions of firing Junichi Hirokami as Columbus Symphony Music Director.

After having very publicly fired their music director for having protested against trying to gut the orchestra, I wonder who the board thinks will agree to take his place? The world is full of conductors looking for music director jobs, of course. But ones on the level of Hirokami are few and far between. Good luck in convincing someone to work for a board that just fired the last guy for being as honest as he was competent.

It is a very sad day for me as a musician. Not only have I accepted a draconian cut in salary and benefits and work possibilities in Columbus, but now my beloved Music Director, Junichi Hirokami, has been dismissed. Yes, dismissed. Control of the press doesn’t mean control of everyone’s thoughts. A few people can have free thought, if not very free speech.

Here is the post I wrote in Feb., 2006, called Dreaming Big, heralding a new age for the Columbus Symphony. It’s the best way I can state my feelings now, by looking back at what was possible.

Reasonable criticism and discussion have been silenced. History will be rewritten in Columbus, as it already is, to make the powerful glow, and the rest of us quietly obedient.

Best Wishes to Columbus,
David Thomas

Hello. Thank you for visiting The Buzzing Reed. This is its new home. What do you think of the new design? I think it’s pretty snazzy! Before you leave, please tell me what you think of it with by clicking on the comment link to leave your opinion.

The background image behind these words is from a photo of Arundo Donax, the tall cane grass from which clarinet, oboe and bassoon reeds are made. Here’s a photos of a field of Arundo Donax. It grows in places like Southern France.

You may also notice that the web address for The Buzzing Reed has changed. It is now at http://blog.davidhthomas.net. It will stay here permanently. Please favorite it and save it now so you can come directly here for future visits.

Don’t worry, the old one re-directs here, so you won’t get lost if you go to the old one. However, I will eventually delete the old blog address after this one settles in.

Here’s another photo of Arundo Donax, dried to a perfect golden color in this beautiful picture. I don’t know where this photo was taken, but I’d sure like to harvest that cane for reeds.

Just in case you are curious about the wonderful header image at the top; it was designed, along with this whole blog design, by a company in South Africa called Web-Active. They have done wonderful design work for me during the past two weeks. They designed and built a sleek and classy performer’s web page for me, my very own professional performer’s site! I’ll write more about it in another post soon. It’s at http://davidhthomas.net. Go ahead. Take a peek. You’ll see that that design matches this one. I love it!!

I first learned to play the clarinet in 1972, after hearing a demonstration of various instruments, whereby I chose the clarinet because it “went the highest and the lowest” of them all.

The more I learn about playing music, the more I love teaching. At age 17 I was proficient enough in clarinet technique to instruct younger students. Through the experience of mentoring beginning players, I discovered that the process of deconstructing the mechanics of playing the instrument enables the teacher to better instruct himself. The enlightening experience of imparting knowledge to others has motivated me to continue teaching the skills of making music on the clarinet to this day.

Each new student shows me what they need. Since 1989, after moving to Columbus, Ohio as the Principal Clarinetist with the Columbus Symphony, I have had numerous students graduate from my studio and go on to study clarinet at the university level, including notably, Indiana University, Northwestern University, University of Michigan and the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. I also coach university level students and adult professionals, helping them prepare for orchestral auditions or other performance events as needed.

I have no preference for any particular age group when I teach. All ages are a joy to teach, each with their own unique breakthroughs in learning to learn and to express themselves from the core of their being.

Better understanding of how we live inspires better teaching. Beginning in 2003, my teaching philosophy has included some critical concepts of physical awareness which I learned from the Alexander Technique, with great success for my students. The Alexander Technique emphasizes balance and poise in the use of the whole self, including proper body coordination, mental and physical attitude, and physical and mental focus. The Technique enables me to analyze the student’s use of his or her self, allowing me to craft a style of teaching tailored to each student’s needs. Rather than merely “getting to the goal” of playing all the exercises in a particular book, which often comes with many negative compensating habits, I teach the most efficient and natural way for a student to learn to play the instrument, and by extension, learn to live better day to day.

The ultimate goal of any teaching method is to impart to each student a greater awareness of the complexity and beauty of playing music through their chosen instrument.

I teach from my home in Columbus, Ohio.

My little practice space is only 6′ x 11′ (2M x 3.8M), but it’s all windows. So it’s bright and warm in Winter, and has lots of fresh air in Summer. It even has a skylight and a high ceiling. I managed to squeeze two filing cabinets and two desks and a bookshelf into it. And I’m comfortable practicing while standing or sitting. I love it!