Ian McEdwards, fourth-year Clarinet Performance major and Ohio Federation of Music Clubs Agnes Fowler Collegiate Scholar, is a dedicated proponent for new music on campus. His clarinet performance and recent compositional work explore multiphonics and other advanced extended techniques. He is currently preparing the piece “Peacock Tales” by Anders Hilborg for the 2024–25 Senior Concerto Competition.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What drew you to clarinet and to music in the first place, and what was the beginning of your musical journey?
I always tell people, “Squidward was my first inspiration,” and it’s kind of true. I watched a lot of SpongeBob SquarePants when I was a kid, and I was a lot more competitive when I was a kid. I knew I could be better than Squidward. So that was initially why I was so drawn to the clarinet. It’s also true that after a year, I was fed up with all the squeaking. I almost quit, but my mom encouraged me to keep going until the year was over and the rest is history. I stopped squeaking and started to hear the rich warm sound of the clarinet.
The more I played, the more I fell in love with how the clarinet feels. I’ve tried flute. It’s not the same. You can feel it vibrating inside of you. Nobody really talks about it, but you can feel it deep in your body. That’s kind of what kept me going.
What inspired you to start composing?
It was for a Winter Term project. It was around the time that I really realized that I’m passionate about contemporary music in general. I would just fool around all the time, improvising, and I felt the need to document ideas and sounds that I was coming up with on clarinet.
I composed a little bit when I was like 12. I wrote a piece for my mom for Mother’s Day, but that was not good. A lot of what I’m happy with is just for the clarinet, but I’m always curious to try new things. Last spring, I wrote a piece for string quartet and clarinet which is definitely a work in progress. Since that string quartet, I’ve written a duet for flute and clarinet that hasn’t been performed yet — it might be soon — but that’s pretty much it. Never anything without clarinet though. I don’t think that’ll change.
What are major sources of inspiration for you musically or otherwise?
I’ve talked about my mom a lot, but definitely my mom in all areas of my life — but to be completely honest, maybe not musically. She was a professional bassoonist, but apart from encouraging me to finish the year, she’s never tried to get into that world too much, which I think is a very good thing. I think that’s why I love it so much now.
I think musically, Martin Frost. He’s my favorite clarinetist, and he’s just incredible. Every clarinetist is in love with him. He’s been one of my biggest inspirations for probably the better half of a decade now.
And my private teachers have been my biggest motivators throughout my life, especially my first teacher, Tasha Warren. I was with her for five or six years, and she’s kind of like my second mother.
What are you preparing for this year’s Senior Concerto Competition?
It’s a piece called “Peacock Tales” by Anders Hilborg. The piece was dedicated to Martin Frost, who I mentioned earlier, and it was commissioned by the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra after he won the Geneva International Music Competition. It’s just a crazy, crazy piece. There’s some theatrics and miming and dancing and a mask. And it’s really hard. I’ve been focusing on the music, so I’ve only learned the minimal choreography — just what’s written in the score — but Martin Frost does a lot more than what’s written.
How long have you been interested in theatrics in music performance?
Starting this year, I’ve been interested in adding more to my performances than music. I’ve only done very little so far. I had a caterpillar hood for my recital last year when I was supposed to be Absalom from Alice in Wonderland.
In terms of trying to incorporate other art into my music, I have an idea for my senior recital. I would like to work with a visual artist if I could meet one and write a piece together, so it’s a multidisciplinary performance.
During your time at Oberlin, what projects are you proudest of?
My sophomore recital that I gave in March 2023 — it feels way longer ago than that. I feel like that’s my greatest performance, and the program means the most to me. That was the first time I performed one of my own pieces on a recital. I joke that I’ve gotten worse since then because I’m still really proud of those recordings. Most of my life has been music — I’ve done four recitals now — but I think that recital stands out.
I was also proud of my freshman recital which I did with my best friend from high school, Najee Greenlee. I’ve been trying to collaborate a lot more with people.
Do you have any particular goals for your final year at Oberlin and beyond?
It’s kind of an abstract goal that I’ve conceived this past summer — trying to give more time for myself. I guess balance is a general way to put that. I’ve worked myself to burnout over and over again. I want to get better about balance and understanding who I am. I think that’s what we’re all trying to do.
I guess a more explicit goal I’m trying for is Ensemble Connect, which is a three-year chamber fellowship with Carnegie Hall, and you perform a bunch, so if I don’t have to go to grad school, that’d be nice.
