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Who was Franz Schoepp and how did he influence Benny Goodman’s clarinet playing?

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Benny Goodman in a tuxedo with bow tie and boutonniere, smiling and holding a clarinet, circa 1945. — Benny Goodman Jazz clarinetist Benny Goodman, c. 1945.

Franz Schoepp was a classical music instructor who provided Benny Goodman with two years of formal training during his early years in Chicago.1

Schoepp’s influence was instrumental in shaping Goodman’s technical foundation; through these studies, Goodman acquired the disciplined work habits and the purity of tone that enabled him to perform with great skill in both classical and jazz contexts. This rigorous classical training contributed to the virtuosity that later helped define his career as the "King of Swing."12