Sam Shilling embraces the term "amateur," even though he knows others look down on anyone labeled with that title.

"No one wants to be called 'amateur,' " the amateur clarinetist said. "Most of us are amateurs."

Shilling, 71, of Mercer, defines the word as meaning a hobby, something someone does but does not make a living at. It's the level of ability separating the beginner from the professional.

That doesn't mean an amateur pursuit is just a whim, a waste of time or something that the hobbyist is not good at.

With his training manual, "The Amateur Clarinetist/The New Avocation," Shilling is hoping to persuade people who played the instrument in high school or college and gave it up to blow off the dust and work on their embouchure.

When adults do that, they tend to get out the sheet music from tunes they played when they stopped playing. Shilling said this is the wrong tack to take.

"You know what adults are playing? Fifth- and sixth-grade music."

The book is written for players of the e-flat clarinet, one of the most popular models and the kind most usually played in bands.

The manual touches on classical music, band tunes and some Shilling originals to help amateurs brush up on their skills and upgrade them.

The manual covers technical aspects of playing, such as self-evaluation to detect weak points and playing a piece at a number of different tempos, to more cerebral concerns, including maintaining motivation, communicating through music and playing from the heart.

Shilling's goal with the book is that readers will become confident enough to play in small ensembles and community bands.

"I try to show adult clarinetists how to make money playing the clarinet," he said.

The Kittanning native picked up the clarinet at age 10 and has been collecting clarinet music since eighth grade. He has played in 45 bands since age 18, including the Greenville Symphony Orchestra and the Carl Marks Concert Band.

He led the former Mercer Band and co-founded the Mercer Community Band, which celebrated its 25th anniversary over the summer.

He also leads A Clarinet Trio, which plays classical, patriotic and spiritual music and standards.

Shilling, author of "Mercer Community Bands, 1897-1993," taught the instrument for 46 years, but has pursued his own training throughout the years.

In the book, he thanks the six teachers he worked with over the years.

"Everyone's helped me so much to play clarinet," he said, adding that he hopes the book returns the favor.

Jeannette C. Schmidt thinks so. She's the retired Butler band director and daughter of Shilling's first teacher, James V. Colanna.

"My father would have been so proud to know that you have taken the time to put together such an informative textbook on clarinet playing," she said in a letter.

Joseph G. Pellegrini, music director at Austintown, Ohio, schools and director of the Youngstown Area Community Concert Band, and Mary Ellen Ulmer, president of the Pennsylvania Federation of Music Clubs, praised Shilling's emphasis on playing in tune.

"At many concerts, the caliber of performance is lessened by the lack of uniform tuning," Ms. Ulmer wrote.

Pellegrini called the book "intellectual and practical."

The $35 book is available from Shilling at (724) 662-3696, or at Shaker Tree Studio, Hermitage.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Joe Pinchot at jpinchot@sharonherald.com