Blowing the reed

It has been slumbering inside of me for quite sometime now.  Especially since I started playing in Global Jam. When I was a kid I was put on all kinds of sports. I played Judo, Badminton, Hockey and another bunch of sports.  Must have been quite a strain on my parents having a child with a minor motor dysfunction. It meant countless of hours at the physical therapist doing stupid repetitive exercises and doing sports. Which I didn’t like. I was bad at sports because of this disability, in the first place. Ok the hockey kinda grew on me and I remained doing that until my adolescent days.

My family on the other-side was never really into sports. Sure we liked to watch it, but they are more of the artistic kind. And one thing that was really important was music. My sister learned the flute, my other sister learned violin and my brother learned to master the cello.  My dad played the base guitar and a contrabass as well as guitar and my mother played the piano.  I on the other hand could not even play a triangle. Because that required a certain degree in motor control as well. All my siblings went to AVO (General music education) and then went on to play an instrument of their choice.  Now I don’t blame my parents for not giving me this education, although It could have given me the necessary music skills to at least properly read a music sheet.I don’t blame them at all. There was a lot going on those days and I  know they did not intentionally withheld musical education from me. When
I was around 14 years of age I finally put enough pressure on my folks, to get me some lessons in clarinet.  The Clarinet gets it’s sound by blowing hot air, under light pressure past a reed membrane and by holding or opening holes in the clarinet a tone is produced.  Unfortunately I never really went far with it. Since the instructor was more interested in the blouse  of my fellow student,  or better yet what was under there, then in my play. So after about a year and a half  I quit.  But I never really forgot the sound of that marvelous instrument.

Years later I got a harmonica from my family, a tombo in D. And soon I figured out that playing the harmonica came quite natural to me. It didn’t require fancy finger work like a guitar or a piano. It only required some sinuosity from my tongue, which by then I had learned by interacting with some very special persons from the opposite sex.

Being touched by the blues, due to unfortunate events. I learned to play.

Then came Global Jam which learned me the awesome thrill of performing.  But that other instrument never lost my love. Once I love someone or something It will remain that way forever. And this is also true for the Clarinet.

Years ago I received a clarinet from my parents which we saw on a rummage sale which has stood in my house as adornment mainly because the mouthpiece was fubar.  Once every so often I said that I wished that the mouse piece was restored to see if I could still make it sound. which was carefully noted by my brother and sisters. Who to my great surprise gave me an new one about 2 years ago. Alas the clarinet is quite crappy and doesn’t play very well.

So I left it aside again and life went on. This year summertime from Gershwins, Porgy and Bess suite was nominated as a song in Global Jam. And listening to the original, hearing the clarinet awoke my love again. I have to play the clarinet.  And here I am.  Saving for an instrument. In the meantime practicing my technique on the mouthpiece and playing some notes on the crappy one from time to time. Yes I’m blowing the reed again. I thought it was easier in the past. Now I have to start from scratch again.

But I’m progressing. The first clear notes have sounded and I’m getting better everyday.

I think I just might keep you updated on my progress

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