I had the most heart-warming experience over the last few months. A friend of a friend contacted me regarding some used instruments….I had played at her wedding a few years ago. Her Dad took up the clarinet in retirement, and had passed away a few years ago. The clarinets were quite old and had not been played in quite a few years, and she didn’t know what to do with them. I had a look at them, and they were a matched orchestral set of A & Bb Buffet clarinets from the 70’s (same vintage as my first professional instrument.) They needed a complete overhaul, but the wood looked good to me…so we started the “Lattey Clarinet Project.” Sandro Massullo quoted us $2400 for the overhaul work including a new double case and Christine Lattey agreed that she would give them to a deserving young player for the cost of the overhaul…a really good deal. A few months later and they were ready for trial. The instruments turned out great and Danny Lee, the principal clarinetist of the Surrey Youth Orchestra was the lucky young clarinetist! Christine and her sister were there with me when Danny tried them out. He loved them…and his mom, little sister, the Lattey sisters and I were all darn near in tears of joy. We will be going to Danny’s concert with the orchestra in May to hear them in performance for the very first time in over a decade!