Hubbub

I read that CEOs from the big three US automakers were in Washington DC this week looking for a bailout. The automakers have mismanaged their companies. Despite warning bells sounding over 30 years ago, decision makers failed to pursue a course of long term responsibility. Instead they chose to push SUVs, mini-vans, pickup trucks, and other large, inefficient vehicles.

Because US auto companies directly and indirectly account for a huge number of US jobs, consideration of a bailout is warranted. However, not without strings attached. Read the rest…

In the early 80s I bought my first real bike, a Miyata 210. For its time, the 210 was considered a well built touring bike featuring a triple butted chrome-moly frame, 18 speeds, and down tube shifters. At 28 pounds stock plus additional mass from a heavy “U” lock and other accessories it was no lightweight.

Throughout my teens, I rode that Miyata all over town using it both for transportation and just something to do in nice weather. For my first couple years in college the bike was my only means of private transportation. Read the rest…

Computers, like all other electronic devices, have finite life spans. What begins as a powerful, bleeding edge, technological wonder eventually outlives its usefulness. In just a few years, new applications come along that require more memory, more storage, faster processors, better quality media cards…. The computer becomes antiquated.

But the machine still works and you just can’t bear to throw away something that works. Read the rest…

In the world of musical instruments and accessories, someone always is laying claim to a breakthrough that will revolutionize clarinet playing as we know it. Every aspect of the instrument is fair game: mouthpieces, ligatures, barrels, bells, thumbrests, key work, pads, reeds… The list is endless. Years ago as a serious music student, I experimented as time and budget allowed. Occasionally there were noticable benefits. But they usually came with a price and ultimately I decided my time was best spent practicing and playing rather than trying equipment.

Thus it was with a great deal of skepticism that I decided to try out the conspicuous brown bells that were popping up everywhere. A friend (and a fine clarinet player) had invited me to drive with him to Backun Musical Services in Vancouver, BC. Read the rest…

[This is the third in a series of posts about my experience with the Federal Way Symphony. The previous post is: Federal Way Symphony Part 2: From Bad to Worse.]

Several weeks of turbulence preceded the first rehearsal of the Federal Way Symphony’s 2007-08 season. A number of musicians–including me–had declined to sign the Symphony’s contract but nonetheless had made clear their desire and intent to continue playing without a contract as they had been doing for the previous three years. Read the rest…

[This is the second in a series of posts about my experience with the Federal Way Symphony. The previous post is: Federal Way Symphony Part 1: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.]

Over the 25+ year reign of the music director, the Federal Way Symphony became known throughout the Seattle-Tacoma region for mistreating musicians, particularly wind players. The orchestra’s reputation was so infamous that it had difficulty recruiting and retaining qualified players both in sub and regular positions. Too many good musicians had been abused, handled unprofessionally, and purged. For those of us who remained committed, particularly in the woodwind section, the enjoyment of playing regularly with other fine musicians won out–barely–over frequent mistreatment and abuse. Read the rest…

I joined the Federal Way Symphony as principal clarinetist at the start of the 2001-02 season. My six year tenure with this small budget, medium sized (50+) professional orchestra has been a mixed bag and has illuminated some of the best and worst aspects of orchestral playing. Read the rest…