Don Menza on learning orchestration.

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Don Menza discusses the importance of learning jazz history.

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Don Menza on playing the clarinet.

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Transcription

Q: “Do you play clarinet? As part of your arsenal but not to play, right?”

A: “Yeah, part of our arsenal, you know, I don't bring my oboe on the job and I don't bring my clarinet, either. As a matter of fact, for a long time, I couldn't ... the clarinet was just a nemesis for me. I could not get it together. And I used to bury it on the backyard, you know. I didn't want to know about it, but the dog used to keep digging it up and bringing it back to me. Then when I started putting time in it, he'd take it out and bury it. He couldn't stand the sound of it. He’d cry and howl. However, yeah, I do play the clarinet. I've managed to get myself to get myself to get my act together on it because it's a necessity out there. I mean, you have to do it.”