Confused Legit Sax Player

[schssax04]

Ok, I want to play classical music. Travesty, I know, but jazz just isn't my forte, so i wish to persue classical music. I've spent the past year or so working on clarinet, and currently i think that i'm at approx an intermediate level, i play on a pomarico crystal sapphire mellow w/ a rovner dark lig on a 160xxx R13 with 4 V-12's and sometimes 3.5 56's.

My problem lies in this: I recently found out that clarinetists are a dime a dozen!

I was advised by a local musician to learn to play oboe if i was really interested in doing serious orchestral and classical work, but i have already put a lot of work into the clarinet and have developed a fondness toward it (not so in the first 6 months with it :wink: ). so, the question is this:

Can i a. get away with playing classical sax for these things? b. how marketable is clarinet in the real world of legit playing? and/or c. though i am a senior in high school and am about to go to college, would i be well served to start working up my oboe chops, and if so, how would i go about such a thing right as i start studying sax at a college level (CSULB with Leo Potts, in case anyone's interested)?

Whew, that was long winded

Thanks in advance, guys!

[WriterMom]

You might want to call the music director of the college you'll be attending and talk with him. Ask if there are any restrictions on certain instruments in the college band (for example, the director of our local college band will not even consider adding any more alto saxes, but welcomes clarinets). Also, ask which instruments he recommends for future concert work post-college.

My guess is that it will be easier to get into a college-level band playing clarinet than playing alto, but you might want to pick up a different instrument altogether (as you said, maybe oboe) for future classical playing ...

[JfW]

Ok, I want to play classical music. Travesty, I know, but jazz just isn't my forte, so i wish to persue classical music. I've spent the past year or so working on clarinet, and currently i think that i'm at approx an intermediate level, i play on a pomarico crystal sapphire mellow w/ a rovner dark lig on a 160xxx R13 with 4 V-12's and sometimes 3.5 56's.

My problem lies in this: I recently found out that clarinetists are a dime a dozen!

I was advised by a local musician to learn to play oboe if i was really interested in doing serious orchestral and classical work, but i have already put a lot of work into the clarinet and have developed a fondness toward it (not so in the first 6 months with it :wink: ). so, the question is this:

Can i a. get away with playing classical sax for these things? b. how marketable is clarinet in the real world of legit playing? and/or c. though i am a senior in high school and am about to go to college, would i be well served to start working up my oboe chops, and if so, how would i go about such a thing right as i start studying sax at a college level (CSULB with Leo Potts, in case anyone's interested)?

Whew, that was long winded

Thanks in advance, guys!

I don't call myself a clarinetist, and I'm certainly not an orchestra player, but from what I hear, persuing classical music as a clarinetist isn't as promising as one might think. How many performance majors graduate a year with clarinet? How many clarinets do orchestras or chamber groups employ?

I may be mistaken, you could inquire at the www.sneezy.org forums.

[mostly alto guy]

If you want to maximize your employability in classical music, learn violin--more of those are employed than any wind player. But if you're strictly a wind player, learn bassoon.

[awholley]

Definitely bassoon or oboe.

[Draconistarum]

I switched to contra-alto clarinet. You don't see many of those around.

[beth]

i say go for oboe...i'm currently an oboe major, but i only started it in 11th grade....
i was a flute player, and had all the intentions of being a flute player until about the middle of high school...and flutes are certainly a dime for TWO dozen. i found a fondness for saxophone, esp. after a 7 week music camp playing strictly classical saxophone (i had played flute and oboe for classical, sax for strictly jazz), but as you said, there isnt much need for classical saxophonists.
so here i am - an "oboist". i think its my best bet. even to give lessons privately it's good...in my area, suburbia, there was only about 3 oboe teachers.....you can make pretty decent money just from that.
but keep up your chops on your other horns
i do a lot of work with saxophone, and a decent amount on clarinet (mosty bass clarinet) and flute, and working up my bassoon skills. i feel this is the best thing for me, to be a double reed player AND competant doubler, to get gigs (esp. show work) and give lessons.

just my 2 cents...