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Clarinet is an incredible instrument. It's a great, expressive instrument.

The clarinet has always been my baby. I just didn't know that for a while.

Clarinet is often associated with certain genres, like swing or folk music. I combine the old and new, using the clarinet as an expressive tool and not in one genre. I'm just happy that people are drawn to what I do.

I look at my clarinet sometimes and I think, I wonder what's going to come out of there tonight? You never know.

I wanted to play saxophone, but all I could get were a few squeaks.

The oboe is the most maddening thing of all time. I'm struggling to play something that my oboe teacher was doing when she was much younger than I am.

When I got into high school, clarinet was not really in fashion. Everybody had electric bands.

The clarinet chose me more than I chose the clarinet.

I started on the clarinet. I was going to a music school - my mother took me - and the guy said, 'What do you want to play?' I said the drums, and my mother said, 'No, you don't. You don't want to play the drums.' So I said, 'Maybe the trumpet would be cool.' And my mother said, 'I don't think so.' And then the clarinet was handed to me.

I've played the clarinet since I was a kid. I love to sing, but I'm not much of a singer. Let's say that when it comes to vocalizing, I have the soul of Billy Bigelow but the voice of Jigger Cragan.