In the basement studio of his unassuming Calgary home, local musician Sean Perrin begins work on the next episode of his podcast, Clarineat.
As the punny title may suggest, the podcast is centered around the clarinet, a woodwind instrument that has been a fixture of orchestral ensembles for centuries. Perrin has been playing the clarinet since his junior high days at MidSun School. He unexpectedly took a liking to it, after initially choosing the instrument only because his best friend had also decided to take it up.
As a podcast fan, Perrin searched high and low for one about the instrument he loved. Not finding any, he decided to invoke the expression ‘see a need, fill a need.’ In creating Clarineat, Perrin took inspiration from such podcasts as Waking Up with Sam Harris and the “obscure” Grammar Girl podcast.
Sean Perrin, freelance musician and music teacher sits down with Mount Royal Journalism student to shine a spotlight on his international recognized podcast Clarineat. Produced by Noel Harper.
Clarineat was built from the ground up, as Perrin began interviewing prominent local, national and international members of the classical music community. Not long after, other clarinet players and fans stumbled upon Perrin’s podcast, realizing that, at last, someone was catering to their interests.
Perrin aims to discuss all aspects of the life of a clarinet player to share on Clarineat, including topics such as the latest innovations for the instrument, protection against hearing damage and the possibilities of a career in music.
In addition, Perrin has talked to some of the world’s most popular clarinetists, including Martin Fröst, the conductor of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, and Michael Lowenstern, a famed session bass clarinetist based in Brooklyn.
Today, the website Clarineat.com, which features the podcast, has also become its own brand. It features an online store that sells all things clarinet: sheet music, accessories, and even a unique line of apparel themed around the podcast, with a bevy of pop culture references.
A T-shirt sold by Clarineat.com, the website for Perrin’s Clarinet-themed podcast, which parodies the Coca-Cola logo. Photo courtesy of Clarineat.com.
The website proclaims Clarineat as “the world’s most popular clarinet podcast,” noting that it has been listened to in 90 countries and downloaded over 125,000 times. ARTax Music, a musical presentation company based in the Netherlands, named Clarineat one of the top-10 classical music podcasts on its blog in 2017.
In addition to producing Clarineat, Perrin performs as a freelance musician and has subbed and recorded with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. He is a faculty instructor at the Mount Royal University Conservatory, and works remotely as an online sales coordinator for the Burnaby-based Backun Musical Services. He has also since began a second podcast, OK Podcast, about the band Radiohead.
Listen to the newest episode of the Clarineat podcast here.
With appearances by Malcolm Lim, Meg Wilcox, and the COMM 3727 class of Mount Royal University.
Editors note: In a previous version of this article, Perrin was said to be a regular member of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.
Editor: Tatianna Ducklow | tducklow@cjournal.ca