On Friday, July 26, 2019, clarinet history was made during ClarinetFest 2019. Three hundred and sixty-seven members of the International Clarinet Association joined together at the University of Tennessee to form the World’s Largest Clarinet Choir. Previously, this record included a clarinet choir of 362 clarinetists. Thank you to everyone who participated in this event, including Matt Johnston, who arranged the music, and ICA President Mitchell Estrin who conducted the group.
Our tie-breaking clarinetist, #363, was Jana Rose Sanders, who shares a bit about herself below:
Name: My name is Jana Rose Sanders. I attend Liberty University studying as a clarinet performance major in my junior year with Dr. Cassandra Hibbard as my professor.
How long have you been playing the clarinet? I have been studying clarinet a little over ten years now.
How long have you been a member of the ICA? I am a relatively new member to the ICA and have been a member for several months now.
Why do you think clarinetists should join the ICA? I believe all clarinetists should be a part of a community such as the ICA because it is important not just to be involved and a part of a group, but for learning and growing as a musician.
What was your favorite part of ClarinetFest 2019? My favorite part of the Clarinet festival was listening to, meeting, and learning from other clarinetists.
What does being the record-breaker mean to you? Being the record breaker was an awesome highlight to my week to be involved for the first time with record breaking.
What other clarinet-related world records do you hope to break (individually or collectively)? I would like to produce something for the clarinet on the diversity scale similar to Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen and blow everyone’s mind.
Favorite clarinet music/piece(s)? My favorite clarinet piece would either be Solo de concours by Rabaud, Klezmer Dances by Göran Frost, or Shalom Aleichem, Rov Feidman by Bela Kovacs.
Why do you love the clarinet? I love the clarinet because in my opinion it has one of the most beautiful sounds, and the emotion you can create using the clarinet amazes me.
Thanks to Jana and all of the other 366 clarinetists who participated in this historical event!
