Carl L. Todd collection on A.H. Benade and the NX Clarinet
Collection
0386-SCPA
Arthur H. Benade (1925-1987) was a professor of physics at Case Western Reserve University. Because of his skill as a woodwind player, he was able to translate his research on acoustics into practical changes to woodwind instruments. This collection relates to his studies on the mechanics and physics of the clarinet. Initially, those studies resulted in small changes to the Boehm System of clarinet design. Eventually, he developed the NX System Clarinet, which elaborates and refines the standard Boehm design. The Carl L. Todd collection on A.H. Benade and the NX Clarinet covers the period from 1968 to 1996. The collection consists of professional papers including published and unpublished writings, correspondence, and clarinet research related to Benade's work as the designer of the NX System Clarinet.
Materials from this collection must be used in the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library's Irving and Margery Morgan Lowens Special Collections Room. Some materials in this collection are restricted due to the presence of personally identifiable information. Please get in touch to make an appointment to view the collection in person or to ask us questions about the collection. Tel: 301.314.7614, Email: scpa@umd.edu
0.25 Linear Feet
The Carl L. Todd collection on A.H. Benade and the NX Clarinet covers the period from 1968 to 1996. The collection consists of professional papers including published and unpublished writings, correspondence, and clarinet research related to Benade's work as the designer of the NX System Clarinet.
Arthur H. Benade (1925-1987) was the son of missionaries and grew up in Lahore, India (now Pakistan). As a teenager, he learned how to play the flute and the piccolo; almost immediately he began applying lessons in acoustics from his physicist father to his musical practice. That early experimentation led to a lifetime of study in acoustics. In 1952, he joined the faculty of what was then the Case Institute of Technology, which later became Case Western Reserve University. While there, he established a research program which changed the understanding the properties of wind instruments. He also wrote Fundamentals of Musical Acoustics, which became a standard text on the topic. The Acoustical Society of America awarded him its Silver Medal in 1984 and, posthumously, its Gold Medal in 1988.
Gift of Carl L. Todd, November 2013
Part of the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library