Random Thoughts on Mouthpieces, Reeds and Other Stuff
By Mike Zucek
7-11-09
Yes. I know. Judging from this blog’s title, it sounds like I couldn’t come up with a suitable topic this month; and that would be exactly the case! I’ve got a horrible case of “writer’s block”, and thought if I just started putting down thoughts that randomly came to mind, I could work through it. So here goes:
· Arnold Brilhart, designer of many famous woodwind mouthpieces, was actually part of the “Manhattan Project” to develop the first atomic bomb. His expertise with early forms of injection molded plastics led to his involvement.
· Rico cuts ALL its reeds with natural diamond cutters instead of the more common carbide cutters. Cane is a very abrasive material and wears out carbide cutters very quickly. The long life of diamond cutters makes for a product superior in consistency.
· At one time, Rico made a reed line for the Japanese market called “Nova”. These were Mitchell Lurie clarinet and Frederick L. Hemke sax reeds packaged as a private label brand for Yamaha.
· Getting back to Arnold Brilhart; as far as we can tell he made the first mass produced synthetic woodwind reeds. These date back to just after WWII and were injection molded plastic with a molded-in “grain” on the cut. They were either silver or gold in color and were sold under the “Enduro” brand.
· In addition to making “Roy J. Maier” reeds as a private label brand for The Selmer Co. in the seventies and eighties, Rico also marketed the same reeds as “RJM” brand reeds in many export markets.
· Rico produced a synthetic reed in the early 1980’s called “Rico-Plex”. These were actually produced from the same molds as Arnold Brilhart “Enduro” reeds but in a “natural” cane color.
· Lastly, when Rico first introduced the Brilhart-designed Rico Royal “Metalite” and “Graftonite” mouthpieces in the mid-eighties, we used to demonstrate the strength of their material by intentionally bouncing one off a hard surface to prove it wouldn’t break. (I remember repeatedly doing this at the Mid-West clinic Rico display!) At any rate, we once had a visit from the staff of a very well-known music trade magazine. Being eager to show off the new mouthpieces and their ability to withstand harsh treatment, one of our top executives let loose with the “unbreakability demonstration” by throwing a Graftonite mouthpiece against the wall in the production area. The mouthpiece hit the wall, bounced back and hit the executive square in the forehead and then hit the floor and bounced around. Sure enough, the mouthpiece didn’t break, but our executive needed some first-aid to stop the bleeding!
“See you” next month!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Rico… global and/or local!?
Dealing with artists all over the world, I frequently have musicians from one part of the globe asking about the situation of Rico in other corners of our planet.
A simple fact is that more and more players (whatever their profile is) are exposed to Rico and therefore can test and choose what works best for them from our reed line.
Rico is not ONLY played in North America by jazz players! We have more and more top classical orchestra players from Europe or Asia… and of course USA and Canada using Rico reeds. RICO is a GLOBAL brand not only repertoire wise but also geographically wise. That’s why Rico remains the leading reed manufacturer worldwide.
Now, can we define specific trends when dealing with musicians from different countries and musical cultures? Of course! And that’s why it makes our job even more interesting!
Without speaking about specific “schools”, there are facts that we take into account when collaborating internationally with musicians or in our R&D approach.
Here are a few examples:
CLARINET
A simple fact is that more and more players (whatever their profile is) are exposed to Rico and therefore can test and choose what works best for them from our reed line.
Rico is not ONLY played in North America by jazz players! We have more and more top classical orchestra players from Europe or Asia… and of course USA and Canada using Rico reeds. RICO is a GLOBAL brand not only repertoire wise but also geographically wise. That’s why Rico remains the leading reed manufacturer worldwide.
Now, can we define specific trends when dealing with musicians from different countries and musical cultures? Of course! And that’s why it makes our job even more interesting!
Without speaking about specific “schools”, there are facts that we take into account when collaborating internationally with musicians or in our R&D approach.
Here are a few examples:
CLARINET
- Germany with a specific clarinet system that requires adequate mouthpiece and therefore reeds. Rico designed the Reserve German reed for this purpose.
- England with a tradition of “more opened” mouthpieces that require softer reeds. Rico worked with English players on the calibration.
- Another tradition in some Eastern European countries such as Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey where the traditional clarinet requires very soft reeds.
SAXOPHONE
Because the saxophone is one of the most recent designed instruments, we don’t have such “musical cultural” gaps when dealing with the international saxophone community.
However, the tradition of classical saxophone being rather recent for example, a lot of players from Eastern Europe came to this repertoire after playing clarinet or bassoon… or jazz and therefore with sometime specific requests when choosing reeds.
For saxophone jazz players, it’s surely the easiest situation when it’s definitively a “globalized” market, mostly dominated by the American jazz tradition.
It’s our job to understand these trends, traditions, musical cultures that make the music world so rich to offer the best to clarinet and saxophone players all over the world when picking a reed.
By understanding the “local” dimension, we enrich our “global” offer!
That’s why Rico is proud to propose such a large selection of reeds and accessories to make sure that each musician can find THE sound he/she is looking for.
Monday, June 22, 2009
How do you spot good cane?
There are many myths among players pertaining to cane or "arundo donax" the material used to make clarient and saxophone reeds (and double reeds as well). Since there's no text book on cane and very limited research that has been done, it's hard to know the facts. Let's review some of the common beliefs and misconceptions about cane:
Myth 1 - "Cane is the same as Bamboo": While this may be obvious to some, cane and bamboo are not the same and cannot be used interchangeably. Cane resembles bamboo and they are both members of the grass family. However "arundo donax" belongs to a different sub-family than bamboo. Bamboo is much harder than cane and does not offer the same vibratory properties as arundo does. Bottom line, you can't make reeds from bamboo.
Myth 2 - "Green cane wasn't aged long enough": This is also an oft misunderstood point. Green cane is caused by one thing only - improper sunning. Cane is placed out to sun in the summer months (in France it beings end of May and goes through July). Cane is sunned after it's cured during the winter and spring with the husk removed. The actual sunning process only takes about 12-15 days on one side, and another 7-10 days thereafter to remove any remaining green chlorophyll from the bark. "Green" cane is simply cane that was either improperly turned during this process or was perhaps sunned too early or not given proper exposure to the sun. However it has nothing to do with the aging process.
Myth 3 - "Spotted cane is better": This myth is one of the hardest to dispell. This is perhaps due to the fact that about 50% of players believe the exact opposite "Golden cane with no spots is better". The simple fact of the matter is, there is good cane and bad cane and what causes this has nothing to do with the spots. The spots are caused by a naturally occuring fungus that grows in certain regions during the growth cycle. However good cane has much more to do with the proper density and cell structure than spots or no spots. Cane that is cut, aged, dried, and sunnned properly and then cut consistently will yield better results. Sorting your reeds based on the spots will only make you feel better, not play better!
Myth 4 - "Our cane is pesticide free": The fact is, all cane is pesticide free. Unlike many commercial crops, the cane industry is comparatively miniscule in comparison to corn, wheat, soy, or even vineyards. Thankfully, there are no known pestillance and cane plants are quite healthy. Therefore, there is no need to use any pesticides on cane.
Myth 5 - "Old cane is better": We've experimented using 4, 5, 6, 7, and even 10 year old cane. As cane ages, it softens and does not produce reeds that have durability. While there is initially a warm sound, the cane breaks in too quickly and does not have the strength to hold up during prolonged use.
Feel free to write in with more questions or myths you'd like us to dispell - the above are just a few of the many we've heard along the way.
Myth 1 - "Cane is the same as Bamboo": While this may be obvious to some, cane and bamboo are not the same and cannot be used interchangeably. Cane resembles bamboo and they are both members of the grass family. However "arundo donax" belongs to a different sub-family than bamboo. Bamboo is much harder than cane and does not offer the same vibratory properties as arundo does. Bottom line, you can't make reeds from bamboo.
Myth 2 - "Green cane wasn't aged long enough": This is also an oft misunderstood point. Green cane is caused by one thing only - improper sunning. Cane is placed out to sun in the summer months (in France it beings end of May and goes through July). Cane is sunned after it's cured during the winter and spring with the husk removed. The actual sunning process only takes about 12-15 days on one side, and another 7-10 days thereafter to remove any remaining green chlorophyll from the bark. "Green" cane is simply cane that was either improperly turned during this process or was perhaps sunned too early or not given proper exposure to the sun. However it has nothing to do with the aging process.
Myth 3 - "Spotted cane is better": This myth is one of the hardest to dispell. This is perhaps due to the fact that about 50% of players believe the exact opposite "Golden cane with no spots is better". The simple fact of the matter is, there is good cane and bad cane and what causes this has nothing to do with the spots. The spots are caused by a naturally occuring fungus that grows in certain regions during the growth cycle. However good cane has much more to do with the proper density and cell structure than spots or no spots. Cane that is cut, aged, dried, and sunnned properly and then cut consistently will yield better results. Sorting your reeds based on the spots will only make you feel better, not play better!
Myth 4 - "Our cane is pesticide free": The fact is, all cane is pesticide free. Unlike many commercial crops, the cane industry is comparatively miniscule in comparison to corn, wheat, soy, or even vineyards. Thankfully, there are no known pestillance and cane plants are quite healthy. Therefore, there is no need to use any pesticides on cane.
Myth 5 - "Old cane is better": We've experimented using 4, 5, 6, 7, and even 10 year old cane. As cane ages, it softens and does not produce reeds that have durability. While there is initially a warm sound, the cane breaks in too quickly and does not have the strength to hold up during prolonged use.
Feel free to write in with more questions or myths you'd like us to dispell - the above are just a few of the many we've heard along the way.
Monday, June 15, 2009
A Career In The Music Industry
A Career in the Music Industry
6-15-09
Mike Zucek-Regional Sales Manager
`
Like many of you, I once dreamed of playing my instrument for a living, but reality set-in after I left college and realized the tremendously competitive nature of such a proposition. Fortunately, in addition to my love of music, I also had a keen interest in what we made music with; in other words, the instruments and related equipment of our art.
So one day I walked into a small band instrument repair shop and talked the two proprietors into hiring me as an apprentice repair tech. At that moment, my life’s direction changed, although I hadn’t yet realized it. I abandoned the thought of becoming a professional horn player, as well as a band director (my “backup” career choice) and embarked on a successful life-long career in the music products industry.
The experience I gained learning to repair musical instruments at that little shop led to a position with a larger company. When an opportunity opened up in the sales dept, I took it. When I had an offer from a downstate music store that would double my meager salary, I took that. The experience I gained there led to an offer from a major west coast company, Rico, which just happened to be the world’s largest maker of woodwind reeds, among other things, so I took that. After 21 great years there (and an MBA with Rico’s help) my wife and I moved back home to the Mid-west and I worked as a District Manager for Yamaha for nine years. This, in turn, led to my current position at D’Addario, when they decided to purchase…. Rico!!
So what’s the point of all this? Simply that one can have a great career in Music without playing for a living. Did I play at all? You bet! For most of my career I played in a great variety of local orchestras, opera companies, church groups and bands. Along the way “rubbing shoulders” with some pretty well known artists and continuing to enjoy the thrill of making music. And if I had it to do over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.
6-15-09
Mike Zucek-Regional Sales Manager
`
Like many of you, I once dreamed of playing my instrument for a living, but reality set-in after I left college and realized the tremendously competitive nature of such a proposition. Fortunately, in addition to my love of music, I also had a keen interest in what we made music with; in other words, the instruments and related equipment of our art.
So one day I walked into a small band instrument repair shop and talked the two proprietors into hiring me as an apprentice repair tech. At that moment, my life’s direction changed, although I hadn’t yet realized it. I abandoned the thought of becoming a professional horn player, as well as a band director (my “backup” career choice) and embarked on a successful life-long career in the music products industry.
The experience I gained learning to repair musical instruments at that little shop led to a position with a larger company. When an opportunity opened up in the sales dept, I took it. When I had an offer from a downstate music store that would double my meager salary, I took that. The experience I gained there led to an offer from a major west coast company, Rico, which just happened to be the world’s largest maker of woodwind reeds, among other things, so I took that. After 21 great years there (and an MBA with Rico’s help) my wife and I moved back home to the Mid-west and I worked as a District Manager for Yamaha for nine years. This, in turn, led to my current position at D’Addario, when they decided to purchase…. Rico!!
So what’s the point of all this? Simply that one can have a great career in Music without playing for a living. Did I play at all? You bet! For most of my career I played in a great variety of local orchestras, opera companies, church groups and bands. Along the way “rubbing shoulders” with some pretty well known artists and continuing to enjoy the thrill of making music. And if I had it to do over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Looking for the perfect reed…
With the new Reserve baritone, Rico is completing this month the launch of the whole Reserve line particularly dedicated to classical saxophonists (of course, it doesn’t mean that other players cannot use it. Just try it!).
After my experience of 10 years working for Henri Selmer Paris and now 3 years as Market Development manager for Rico / D’Addario, I had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with many key classical saxophonists.
But what means being a classical saxophonist? Do they have specific “needs” in terms of reed set-up?
All is about looking for the perfect reed… for the «magical» reed with the perfect sound «ready to play”!
· A warm and full sound with a lot of resonance,
· A good articulation on the whole range of dynamics and for all styles and techniques,
· Longevity as being sure that the selected reed will go thru the all concert is an imperative.
But let’s never forget that weather conditions and human factor could change so many things!
Therefore, despite the high quality of reeds, musicians have no choice but learning about how to select the real good reeds that will give them comfort in each different situations.
Some musicians may advice to constantly listen to your “voice”… The sound that is in your ears and one good reed will indeed help you to find your sound. It is a very challenging balance to find but feeling comfortable remains the most important. The reed is therefore a kind of “second nature” for classical saxophonists.
The Rico « Reserve » saxophone reed line really helps the musician to find a great sound quality.
Great cane selection, specific design for classical repertoires, strength consistency especially if you protect your reed with ReedVitalizer tools.
Then, be confident in your reed to build Your sound!
After my experience of 10 years working for Henri Selmer Paris and now 3 years as Market Development manager for Rico / D’Addario, I had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with many key classical saxophonists.
But what means being a classical saxophonist? Do they have specific “needs” in terms of reed set-up?
All is about looking for the perfect reed… for the «magical» reed with the perfect sound «ready to play”!
· A warm and full sound with a lot of resonance,
· A good articulation on the whole range of dynamics and for all styles and techniques,
· Longevity as being sure that the selected reed will go thru the all concert is an imperative.
But let’s never forget that weather conditions and human factor could change so many things!
Therefore, despite the high quality of reeds, musicians have no choice but learning about how to select the real good reeds that will give them comfort in each different situations.
Some musicians may advice to constantly listen to your “voice”… The sound that is in your ears and one good reed will indeed help you to find your sound. It is a very challenging balance to find but feeling comfortable remains the most important. The reed is therefore a kind of “second nature” for classical saxophonists.
The Rico « Reserve » saxophone reed line really helps the musician to find a great sound quality.
Great cane selection, specific design for classical repertoires, strength consistency especially if you protect your reed with ReedVitalizer tools.
Then, be confident in your reed to build Your sound!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Festival de l'anche
10 years ago when organizers announced that a music festival celebrating the use of reed cane, known locally as "canne de Provence" would be held in the small Mediteranean town of Hyeres, everyone said it couldn't be done. However the Festival de l'anche (Cane Festival) did happen and has grown considerably from its humble beginnings to a lively and exciting event.
This year will mark the 10th anniversary of the Festival de l'anche and Rico is proud to once again be a sponsor of the events. The 3-day festival takes place May 29th through May 31st in Hyeres, France (about 140km west of Nice).
Concerts are held at several concert venues including the Casino de Hyeres, the Théâtre Denis, the Olbia Archeological Site, and Rico's own Roso France plantation. Featured guest artists include top name acts like The Benny Golson Quartet, Manu Dibango, and many other exciting concerts. The final concert on Sunday evening is held outdoors in Rico's cane fields and is a beautiful setting to hear one jazz music's greats - Benny Golson.
An exhibt of woodwind and reed companies is complemented by workshops and other displays of crafts and products that make use of cane. These include calligraphy, paper making, and even the manufacture of the calameau, a wind instrument made from cane!
A highlight of the festival is the weekend tours of Roso France, Rico's cane plantations. These tours are guided by Mr. Jean Francois Rico who helped build Rico's plantations starting in the mid 1970s. Tours take place Saturday and Sunday morning and a free shuttle leaves from the Casino to Roso France.
This year will mark the 10th anniversary of the Festival de l'anche and Rico is proud to once again be a sponsor of the events. The 3-day festival takes place May 29th through May 31st in Hyeres, France (about 140km west of Nice).
Concerts are held at several concert venues including the Casino de Hyeres, the Théâtre Denis, the Olbia Archeological Site, and Rico's own Roso France plantation. Featured guest artists include top name acts like The Benny Golson Quartet, Manu Dibango, and many other exciting concerts. The final concert on Sunday evening is held outdoors in Rico's cane fields and is a beautiful setting to hear one jazz music's greats - Benny Golson.
An exhibt of woodwind and reed companies is complemented by workshops and other displays of crafts and products that make use of cane. These include calligraphy, paper making, and even the manufacture of the calameau, a wind instrument made from cane!
A highlight of the festival is the weekend tours of Roso France, Rico's cane plantations. These tours are guided by Mr. Jean Francois Rico who helped build Rico's plantations starting in the mid 1970s. Tours take place Saturday and Sunday morning and a free shuttle leaves from the Casino to Roso France.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Applications For Rico Plasticover
Applications for Rico Plasticover
By Mike Zucek-North Central Regional Sales Manager
My blog this month gets away from packaging and instead presents the Rico Plasticover reed and its uses.
Plasticover has been around for decades, having been developed by a Hollywood musician named Herman Hansen, as early as the mid-to-late 1930’s. Herman was experiencing the usual problem for “doublers” in that the reed on his alto sax tended to dry out and wrinkle while he was playing his clarinet. As a result, it was not ready to play when he needed to switch back. He gave lots of thought to this problem and came up with the idea of spraying a very thin coat of a safe-to-use “plastic” on a natural cane reed. This tended to keep the reed “wet” while it was not being played; thus ready to play no matter how long his double instruments sat on their stands. This coating worked so well that the “plasticover “application was adopted by Rico, who quickly brought the Rico Plasticover to the market, and also provided a full time job for Herman at the Rico factory until his retirement in the late 80’s!
But Plasticover benefits more than just the woodwind “doubler”. The same properties that keep Plasticover ready to play also make it less susceptible to changes in humidity and temperature, making it a terrific outdoors reed and perfect for concerts in the park. And because the Plasticover coating provides greater projection, it’s a miracle worker for the marching band director who needs to help the woodwinds balance the brass! This same projection has also endeared Plasticover to many Jazz saxophonists; just ask Dave Koz!
Remember that the Plasticover reed is a real cane reed that plays with the response and sound that you’d expect from cane. You owe it to yourself to give Plasticover a try.
By Mike Zucek-North Central Regional Sales Manager
My blog this month gets away from packaging and instead presents the Rico Plasticover reed and its uses.
Plasticover has been around for decades, having been developed by a Hollywood musician named Herman Hansen, as early as the mid-to-late 1930’s. Herman was experiencing the usual problem for “doublers” in that the reed on his alto sax tended to dry out and wrinkle while he was playing his clarinet. As a result, it was not ready to play when he needed to switch back. He gave lots of thought to this problem and came up with the idea of spraying a very thin coat of a safe-to-use “plastic” on a natural cane reed. This tended to keep the reed “wet” while it was not being played; thus ready to play no matter how long his double instruments sat on their stands. This coating worked so well that the “plasticover “application was adopted by Rico, who quickly brought the Rico Plasticover to the market, and also provided a full time job for Herman at the Rico factory until his retirement in the late 80’s!
But Plasticover benefits more than just the woodwind “doubler”. The same properties that keep Plasticover ready to play also make it less susceptible to changes in humidity and temperature, making it a terrific outdoors reed and perfect for concerts in the park. And because the Plasticover coating provides greater projection, it’s a miracle worker for the marching band director who needs to help the woodwinds balance the brass! This same projection has also endeared Plasticover to many Jazz saxophonists; just ask Dave Koz!
Remember that the Plasticover reed is a real cane reed that plays with the response and sound that you’d expect from cane. You owe it to yourself to give Plasticover a try.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
