Description
Herbert Lincoln Clarke was among the foremost cornet soloists and brass pedagogues of the latter 19th and early to mid-20th centuries and was, as well, a noted band conductor. Born in Massachusetts in 1867, Clarke began his musical life as a violinist under the tutelage of his father. He learned to play the cornet in his early teens and therein found his destiny. He was soloist with numerous bands, but most notably with the famous bands of Patrick Gilmore and John Philip Sousa. Clarke spent the last twenty years of his career as conductor of the Long Beach Municipal Band, one of the premier bands of that time period. His students include the noted trumpet players and teachers Ernest Williams and Claude Gordon who themselves produced subsequent influential brass pedagogy materials.
The Technical Studies for Cornet (first published in 1912 and presented here as Technical Studies for Euphonium (Trombone) and Tuba) are but one of several pedagogical resources assembled by Mr. Clarke. His elementary studies and characteristic studies are fine works, however, the technical studies are probably among the most widely used etudes of all time in brass pedagogy, perhaps second only to the method of the famous Jean Baptiste Arban.
For more information about Herbert L. Clarke, his life, performances, and pedagogy, visit the following website:
http://www.library.uiuc.edu/sousa
We also recommend a comprehensive doctoral dissertation on Clarke’s life written by Dr. James Madeja, titled “The Life and Work of Herbert L. Clarke.” Consult your local librarian for information on obtaining this important research work.
