He Studied With the Greatest Classical Clarinet Teachers and Played Jazz With the Best | Dr. Ron Odrich Ep. 1

In this episode of the Clarinet Ninja Podcast, host Jay Hasler sits down with Dr. Ron Odrich for the first of a four-part conversation that every clarinet player needs to hear. Dr. Odrich is one of the most uniquely positioned clarinetists alive today. He is a world-renowned periodontist, a former member of the legendary Airmen of Note, a close friend and student of Buddy DeFranco, and a man who studied directly with both Robert Marcellus and Daniel Bonade. This is not secondhand information. This is living history. In Episode 1, Ron walks us through his musical journey from his first teacher Sal Amato, a virtuosic doubler whose clarinet tone Ron still considers the most beautiful he has ever heard, to Jimmy Abato, to three transformative years studying under Bob Marcellus in Washington D.C. while serving in the Air Force. He also shares how a chance meeting with Buddy DeFranco at his father's home set the direction of his entire musical life. Along the way, you will hear some remarkable stories, including the moment Bonade picked up Ron's clarinet and played a Rose etude so beautifully that Ron could not believe it, and a phone call Bonade received from Benny Goodman right in the middle of a lesson. Ron also draws on his expertise as a periodontist to explain something very few teachers have ever discussed openly: how the structure of your mouth, your palate, your teeth, and even the vowel sounds of your native language shape the sound you produce on the clarinet. His explanation of how Marcellus's dentures contributed to that famous large resonant tone is alone worth the entire episode. Whether you are a student, a professional, or simply someone who loves the clarinet, this conversation will change the way you think about tone production forever.