"Extreme doubling" is becoming increasingly common in the jazz world. I know several first-rate saxophone players in New York who have not just the standard doubles (flute and clarinet) but oboe and English horn as well. No, Charles Pillow wouldn't win the audition for the English Horn chair in the Met Orchestra, but he certainly doesn't embarrass himself, either. He's the best double-reed doubler in the jazz world right now, but there are lots of others who have been getting their double-reed chops up to par. I must admit it was somewhat surreal to go to my first BMI Jazz Composers Worskshop reading session and see the sax players breaking out all of these double reed instruments -- and playing them well!
- Darcy
As long ago as the '70s, Indiana offered a degree in woodwind doubling. Someone on that degree studied one instrument with a faculty big name each semester, and the other instruments with grad assistants. The fastest-moving recorder class my wife ever taught there was 4 or 5 doubling majors who discovered an entire woodwind family that they couldn't play yet!
John
-- John & Susie Howell Virginia Tech Department of Music Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A. 24061-0240 Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034 (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
