Hi! So I'm going to be a high school junior this fall, and I've been looking at potential colleges. I play Bb sop. clarinet, but since I started playing bass clarinet two years ago I've really grown to love it. I want to make bass my primary instrument, but I'm having a hard time finding somewhere that actually allows that. Any suggestions?
Not sure how long ago this was inboxed, buuuuuuuut:Find the clarinet professor you want to study with first. Make sure that you have plenty of options to pay for school available to you (because nothing hurts worse than pulling loans senior year). And if they don’t offer bass clarinet performance: MAKE THEM. My university didn’t offer bass clarinet as a main instrument of study. But I kept coming to lessons and juries with a TON of bass clarinet repertoire that was challenging, showed the full range and ability of the instrument, and showed them that I can play in any style. I ended up doing my entire senior recital on the bass clarinet. ALSO: get used to being able to sight-transpose bassoon and cello parts. Your value as a player will skyrocket. I was able to perform in the festival orchestra with InterHarmony in Italy because I can sight-transpose with ease (which is a skill set I developed on my own from always wanting to play flute/violin parts on clarinet), so they didn’t have to hire another bassoonist, and I got to be a part of a really incredible orchestra. Transposing 2nds is easy: up a step and add 2 sharps to the key signature you’re playing in.



















