• Which historical clarinetist shares your astrological sign?

    Want to feel more connected to historical clarinetists? Look below and see which historical clarinetists share your astrological sign! Note: This is not a comprehensive list of historical clarinetists. We are #blessed to have so many incredible musicians throughout history, and this is just a small sample of historical clarinetists and their birthdays. Want to learn more about clarinet history? Check out my Clarinet History 101! Aquarius (January 21-February 18) Heinrich Baermann – February 14, 1784 Jack Brymer – January 27, 1915 (January 27 is also Mozart’s birthday!) Pisces (February 19-March 20) Jean-Xavier Lefèvre – March 6, 1763 Richard Mühlfeld – February 28, 1856 Aries (March 21-April 19) Frédéric Berr –…

  • How learning extended techniques can make you a better clarinetist

    Confession time! I used to have a complicated relationship with extended clarinet techniques. I used to think that double tonguing was just a technique so you didn’t have to work on polishing your single tonguing. I used to think that multiphonics were unnecessary. And circular breathing? It seemed too difficult to do well! But you know what? I was completely wrong! I’ll always enjoy listening to my beloved Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and other late-Romantic composers, but over the years I’ve developed quite an appreciation for contemporary music. And it wasn’t until I started playing contemporary music that I truly began to appreciate how much dimension extended techniques can add to music…

  • How to make an awesome audition recording

    It’s getting close to the end of the year, which means it’s time for… Audition recordings! Whether you’re auditioning for university, orchestras, or other opportunities, you want to create a polished and professional product to stand out from the crowd. Here’s some advice to help you make an awesome audition recording: Plan way in advance. The number one mistake I see students making is waiting until the last minute. I get second-hand anxiety when I know people record the week before a deadline (I’ve even had students tell me after the fact that they recorded hours before the deadline!). As soon as you find out the details and deadline, start…

  • How to make your clarinet articulation lighter

    In my opinion, one of the most difficult clarinet techniques to do with polish and pizzazz (and eventually speed) is articulation. Once you’ve gotten the hang of the basics (click here for my complete guide to clarinet articulation), a common complaint I hear is that the articulation is too heavy. Playing with heavy articulation presents a few problems: It lessens the musical effect of playing well in all styles of music (such as lyrical and expressive works). It seriously limits your maximum articulation speed. If you’ve already read my articulation troubleshooting guide and think your articulation is still too heavy, here are a few common causes and solutions: You aren’t…