little known fact about myself: i played clarinet in band in 8thgrade. in 9th grade, i played clarinet in marching band. despite the amount of time that has passed since my questionable flirtation with the instrument, in a spurt of inspired optimism, i have decided to attempt to persue the clarinet once again. i know the limits of my musical ability, but i figure practicing can at least extend my efforts to be listenable/on beat/in tune: practice makes… better, right? though first attempts do show that i have forgotten how to read music, as well as all the fingerings of the notes. starting from scratch… what fun!

this renewed interest stems from my recent love affair with klezmer, swing jazz, and gypsy music. i know it’s gonna take forever, but i’d love to be a part of a group that makes music like the music these groups make, bands that slapdashedly combine words like ‘circus,’ ‘punk,’ ‘queer,’ & ‘gypsy’ when attempting to describe themselves:

Guignol (listen to: Bad Day at the UN)

Circus Contraption (Shneykol)

Mucca Pazza (Coat Czech)

Rude Mechanical Orchestra (Baraat)

(*bonus link! one (permanent) interpretation of ‘the bee’s knees.’)