{"id":4828,"date":"2020-11-09T18:05:03","date_gmt":"2020-11-09T18:05:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amateurmusic.org\/info\/?p=4828"},"modified":"2020-11-30T01:43:19","modified_gmt":"2020-11-30T01:43:19","slug":"blogpostjeffanderle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amateurmusic.org\/coda\/blogpostjeffanderle\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet ‘Weird Sounds’ Clarinet Mentor Jeff Anderle"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ever wonder what your clarinet could sound like if it didn\u2019t have to sound \u201cperfect\u201d? On November 21, clairnetist Jeff Anderle will take you on a journey of musical discovery in our online \u201cWeird Sounds for Clarinet<\/a>\u201d workshop, which promises to be fun, funky, and surprisingly practical.<\/p>\n

We reached Jeff at his Oakland home to find out more about his own life in music\u2014weird and traditional.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Jeff Anderle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When did you start playing the clarinet?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I grew up in Walnut Creek, California. In fourth grade I joined my public school\u2019s band program\u2014something that many public schools no longer offer, unfortunately. My parents remember that I came home and announced, \u201cI\u2019m going to play the clarinet!\u201d It was an extracurricular activity until partway through middle school, when I started taking lessons. When I applied to colleges, I still wasn\u2019t sure I wanted to be a musician. I ended up going to UCLA and majoring in music, but also getting a broad, traditional collegiate experience as well. Then I got a masters degree at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music\u2014where I\u2019m now on the faculty.<\/p>\n

How did you become interested in \u201cweird sounds\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It started when I was an undergraduate. I had an open-minded teacher at UCLA, and a couple of composer friends who would write stuff for friends to play. And I heard an important album, This Is Not a Clarinet<\/a><\/em>, by Evan Ziporyn, which was released in 2001. The first weird sound I discovered for myself was slap tongue<\/a> [producing a popping sound along with the note]. I discovered it by accident, because I couldn\u2019t play bass clarinet very well then!<\/p>\n

What makes a sound \u201cweird\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We have a school of \u201cproper\u201d sound production and timbre that we work on a lot. I\u2019m interested in thinking a little outside that box\u2014what happens when we break the rules? When we abandon traditional performance practice we can get some expressive, funny, or beautiful sounds. For example, a distorted guitar sounds like this<\/em>\u2014how can I create that <\/em>sound on clarinet so I can be more expressive?<\/p>\n

What have you been up to, musically, during the pandemic?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve done some online projects with one of my groups, Splinter Reeds<\/a>. And my bass clarinet duo, Sqwonk<\/a>, released a couple of short videos. [Watch Sqwonk perform \u201cDear Theodosia<\/a>,\u201d<\/a> from Hamilton.<\/em>] I\u2019ve had access to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music\u2019s audio system, and we recorded the chamber orchestra part of Gordon Getty\u2019s new opera, Goodbye Mr. Chips<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

How should workshop participants prepare?<\/strong><\/p>\n

You don\u2019t need any special equipment\u2014just an open mind. Approach the hour with the mindset of \u201cI\u2019m not afraid to see what sounds I can make on my clarinet.\u201d There are two sides to it: \u201cI play the clarinet and want to explore new sounds\u201d and \u201cOnce I know everything my instrument can do, then I\u2019ll understand it better and my traditional playing will improve.\u201d That sound you thought was a mistake is something you can do on purpose. And if you learn how to do it intentionally, you won\u2019t do it by accident anymore.<\/p>\n

You might also want to let your neighbors know it\u2019s going to get a little weird!<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tREGISTER NOW\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t