The third clarinet and the space between notes

I keep circling back to the same thought about the third clarinet seat — the one who mainly plays syncopated fills and rests that feel like throwaways. It’s not a lesser role; it’s the one who teaches you that music breathes in the gaps. Every time I try to pin this down in words, it slips away, so I just keep repeating it, hoping the rehearsal whispers will understand.