Things are much clearer now than then. The small surprises I've come across have focused and motivated me more than ever before. When you play music in an environment where everyone is a stranger the smallest bone is appreciated.
Almost 20 years ago I took lessons from a grad student at DePaul, where I would eventually go to school. I don't remember much about this teacher except that he gave me a mouthpiece that he made. It was an unassuming mouthpiece, with some scraggly initials scratched into it, but this thing was the mouthpiece that I always came back to after sordid trysts with other brands. Six months ago, when I started playing again, this mouthpiece was like the security blanket you find boxed in a closet. This is why I was crushed when it was scratched about a month later. Long story short, I found my old teacher online and he is a master mouthpiece maker now! Richard let me overnight my trusty mouthpiece to him and resurfaced it at no charge. A small thing to him, but an important boost to my confidence. I've since upgraded to an "R" model Richard Hawkins mouthpiece, but you can bet that my original will be waiting for me when I inevitably return.
Another surprise from last week. I found a publisher of Clarinet Choir music online and perused his site. After emailing him some ideas for arrangements he sent me his ENTIRE collection at no charge. This had to be hundreds of dollars of music that he sent me. Matt Johnston of Malejo Publications is based in Seattle and is currently working on an arrangement of "Take On Me."
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