Ron Odrich (Part 4): He Was Leonard Bernstein's Dentist and Played Jazz With Buddy DeFranco
The Clarinet Ninja Podcast: Clarinet Lessons & Practice TipsShow Notes
Dr. Ron Odrich studied clarinet with Daniel Bonade and Robert Marcellus, played jazz alongside Buddy DeFranco, Eddie Daniels, and Clark Terry, and spent decades as an elite periodontist, including serving as Leonard Bernstein's dentist. In this fourth and final conversation, we set the clarinet talk aside and get into the real subject: how he's managed to pursue music, dentistry, painting, and writing all at once, for an entire life, without burning out.
Ron talks about chasing joy instead of discipline, why creative work is what actually recharges you, and how the family that raised him shaped his relationship with drive and passion. If you've ever felt exhausted just trying to get good at one thing, or wondered how to find your own passion, this one will stick with you.
This is the fourth episode in a series with Ron. Catch up on the first three wherever you're listening. Study clarinet with Jay: clarinetninja.com/dojo-landing
Join the Clarinet Ninja community (Facebook): facebook.com/groups/6777812678921667
Talk to Jay one on one, free: calendly.com/theclarinetninja/30min Enjoying the show?
A rating and review help more clarinetists find it.
More from The Clarinet Ninja Podcast: Clarinet Lessons & Practice Tips
Gary Foster played on more than 500 film soundtracks and was one of the finest jazz alto players in Los Angeles.
Ron Odrich didn't start the clarinet the way most people do. As a kid, he snuck the clarinet off the stand in his father's house (his dad was a professional doubler), soaked the reed, and taught himself the opening glissando from Rhapsody in Blue entirely by ear. No teacher. No sheet music. No idea what the notes were called.
On February 2, 2026, Ken Peplowski played his last notes aboard The Jazz Cruise in the Gulf of Mexico. He was 66 years old, he was in the middle of a comeback, and by all accounts he sounded extraordinary.
What does it take to build a career on an instrument that modern jazz largely left behind?
What is ClarinetFest, and is it actually worth going to? In this episode, Jay sits down with ICA President Cathy Wood, ICA Executive Director Jessica Harrie, and Enthusiast Committee co-chair Josh Goo to answer exactly that.