Musical Innovations and Fox Music House Host Successful Clarinet Day

Musical Innovations and its Charleston affiliate, Fox Music House, recently hosted a Clarinet Day at their North Charleston (South Carolina) location. The event was co-sponsored by Buffet-Crampon and featured Buffet clarinets, Vandoren mouthpieces, and other related products; and co-hosted by Joseph Fox, owner of Fox Music House, and Marilee Barela, Charleston area clarinet specialist.

Clarinet clinician for the day was Andy Hudson, lecturer of clarinet at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Hudson earned his DMA in Clarinet Performance from Northwestern University, where he also earned his Master of Music degree; his Bachelor of Music degree was from Columbus State University’s Schwob School of Music. He is a noted interpreter of contemporary music and has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; and at the Art Institute of Chicago, at the Eastman School of Music and at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. Donnie Todd, Southeast district manager for Buffet Crampon, also attended the event and presented a display of step up and professional clarinets, music, and related accessories.

Maralee Barela, an area private instructor who organized the event, said, “The clinician, Dr. Andy Hudson, was top caliber, he got each student excited about music and the school year ahead. Plus he engaged with parents and gave an inspiring performance. We were incredibly blessed to have him share his gifts with our students at Charleston’s Clarinet Day! The joy he brought to the room and to the students has already been felt by their parents, families and teachers. And I can’t wait to use all of this new information with the rest of my students!”

She also noted, “The students who are college-bound gained even more experience and setup for auditions. Then, the younger musicians got the opportunity to experience pro-level instruments for the first time. Big thanks to Musical Innovations for inspiring the next generations of clarinetists, and also to Fox Music and Buffet Crampon and the tireless teachers that put this together. This is the second year of our event, and it nearly doubled; I see the growth continuing year after year.”