Abstract:
The vast majority of clarinetists worldwide (professionals, students, and amateurs) perform on commercially manufactured reeds. However, a number of performers, including many professionals, maintain that commercial reeds can never match the high quality of reeds handmade from tube by the performer. For clarinetists this time-consuming practice was once standard procedure and still is with double-reed performers (oboe and bassoon). This reed-maker supports the position that the best reeds are produced by the performer. Recently, tools have become available that accelerate the process of making one's own clarinet reeds. Using some of these tools a reed will be fashioned from arundo donax tube during the presentation and its sound will be demonstrated.