The story of Ralph McLane is unique in the history of the "famous" clarinetists. More than any other, if we follow McLanes career we can see an artist who was in a constant state of development. From the very first accounts and recordings he seems to have always had a unique and beautiful sound. David Weber said that he so passionately focused on his sound that he would make mistakes. This is apparent in some of the early radio broadcasts from the early 1930's.  Born in 1908, McLane grew up in the outskirts of Boston, Massachusetts. In those days there were no training orchestras so one had to learn in whatever way one could. When he was 22, at the beginning of the Great Depression, McLane had his education "on the job", and not always with good results. When you listen to early McLane you can hear a beautiful sound but a rough musicality. As the years go by he begins to develop a strong sense of feeling. His passion for sound became a passion for music and this growth can be especially heard from 1943 when he captured the principal position in Philadelphia and came under the influence of great principal oboist Marcel Tabuteau.  As Philadelphia English Hornist,John Minsker would say, "everybody learned from Tabuteau".

Click the link below to read McLane's article on double-lip embouchure.