Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday dear ... clarinet!
Happy Birthday to you.

That's right, folks. This year my clarinet celebrates a signficant birthday ... her 50th! I had no idea how old my clarinet was until today, when I went to this site. Amazingly enough, all I had to do was select "Buffet Crampon" and "clarinet" and type in the serial number ... and voilá! The computer informed me that my clarinet was born in 1954.

Which makes my clarinet half a century old. 21 years older than I am.

In honor of her 50th birthday, my clarinet is retiring. Last time we visited her doctor (an expert in clarinet care and repair), he informed us that she was in desperate need of an overhaul ... however, he also recommended against such an overhaul, because it would be an expensive "band-aid" which would not lead to long-term improvement in her condition. The best solution for her health concerns? Early retirement. My clarinet has lived a long and happy life and has made much music with a wide variety of friends and acquaintances. Together we have decided that it is time for her to enjoy some well-earned time off. I am therefore looking into purchasing her successor. My clarinet assures me that she is completely OK with this.

In her retirement, my clarinet plans to stick around home and take it easy. She is especially interested in spending more time with her housemates the guitar and the recorder. Someday, she hopes to vacation in Ohio, where she will enjoy a reunion with her dear friend the Green Piano.