Clarinettist Douglas Mitchell was a member of the RPO’s Community and Education programme from its first day. At the beginning of this chapter, in which he talks to Peter Wiegold, he takes us into another recognisable music community, that of the classical instrumental teacher and her students. The teacher not only passes on instrumental technique, and the survival strategies for a tough professional future, but inducts his students into a very refined lineage of style and manner and, in this case, reveals to them a particular way of understanding the value of listening and support.

In a year ‘off’ between school and college I had lessons with the clarinettist Joe Pacewicz from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. I’d go to his house late on a Saturday morning and we’d do some playing; then his wife would cook a nice lunch, perhaps we’d listen to some CDs, then there was a bit more playing and talking. After that, he would have a shower, get ready and drive us into town, where he’d sneak me into the RSNO concert; afterwards, we’d go to a pub. I think all of that would cost me ten pounds – it’s only later you realise that this is someone who has given you his whole day, before he has to perform in a potentially difficult concert.

I was thinking of going to university, but on one of those Saturdays there was a long conversation with Joe, in which he asked me what I was going to do with my clarinet playing. ‘You may get a broad academic palette, but afterwards? You won’t get into the profession the way you are playing now.’ He said, ‘Let’s put in a lot of hours this year, and get more experience of playing all kinds of music’ – and that was the turning point in my life. The sessions were geared towards college, but there were also insights into orchestral playing, especially into style – why a short note in a Mozart symphony is different from a short note in a Stravinsky ballet. Joe stressed over and over that this was not just about sounding brilliant at solo clarinet; it was about sounding good with other people. And that is what motivated me, and still motivates me, much more than standing out in front.