Break On The Clarinet

"The only thing keeping you from your goal is the *bleep* story you keep telling yourself as to why you can't achieve it.” I had been playing the clarinet since fifth grade. I thought I was a very proficient musician and I was the best clarinetist ever. My confidence in my playing was very high. One can say “I was arrogant when it came to my instrument”.
My sophomore year a potential new band director was visiting my school. On the day he arrived, my curiosity had the best of me and I hastened to the band room. The congenial person that I am, I went over to him and we chatted a little while. As we were talking he asked me “where is the break on the clarinet?” It felt like he was speaking another language and he had seen the look on my face, bemusement is the only way I can describe how I looked. After that he said “Son, you’re not as good as you think you are” and from that point, I began to dislike him. Now of course later that day I went and found out what the break was and as a typical high school student would say, “I knew what that was.” …show more content…
Before the school year started, we had band camp. During band camp, he had given me and the rest of the student's scales and exercises to play through. On the scale paper, it had notes in what is called the “altissimo register.” Previous before him giving us the scales I had never even attempted to play a note that was so high. So, me being the determined person that I am, I challenged myself and attempted to play one of the scales. Starting with “b flat 1”. In the altissimo register “b flat 1” consists of the d note. There I was making my way up to that note. I’m there now *SQUEAK*… I got to that note and made the most obnoxious sound ever. I was utterly appalled by that sound. Based on what “non-musicians” said I thought I was the best and could do