Why I play the clarinet by Rheuben Allen

I started playing the clarinet in grade school but really wanted to play the saxophone. The band director talked my dad into having me play the clarinet. The reason he gave my dad was it would be too big and heavy for me to carry it. Now, in grade school I was already 5’ 10” tall and weighed close to 200lbs and my dad bought the band director’s reason.
I did not like the clarinet, so I did not want to practice it. I was last chair in the Junior High Band.

Then one summer I went to visit a friend in Texas, and he talked me into going to a band camp. Even though I did not like the clarinet I had a good tone and somehow, I got 1^st chair in the band. I was always afraid they were going to ask me to play something by myself and I knew I was not very good. It was a long two weeks.

When I got home, I was so embarrassed about my playing I started practicing and started liking the clarinet. When school band started, I got 2^nd chair 1^st I had improved a lot and loved the clarinet now. I am now going on 50 plus years of playing the clarinet and I still love it!