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Clarinet Music by Women Composers
Over the years, I’ve written several articles about women clarinetists and women composers who wrote for the clarinet. (Articles linked below) In the world of classical music, the contributions of women composers have historically been overlooked. For the past few years, I’ve compiled a list of works for clarinet written by women, and I’m excited to finally share this list…
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The Beginner’s Complete Guide to the Clarinet
Congratulations for beginning your clarinet journey! ♫ The clarinet is by far the best instrument out there (or at least it is according to me and this small corner of the internet), and I have several resources to help you get started. I’ve written several articles which will help guide you along as you navigate the process of learning clarinet,…
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Quick Fix Friday: “Trendy” Practicing
Happy Friday! (and an extra happy Friday to everyone who is off for holidays the rest of the year!) Today’s Quick Fix is something that will help you maximize your practice routine and improve efficiency. I’ve noticed a lot of students have developed the habit of spending an inordinate amount of time “correcting” what I call one-off mistakes. These can…
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9 Mistakes Many Beginning Clarinetists Make
Learning the clarinet certainly takes a lot of trial and error (and many squeaks along the way!). Even though it can be challenging, it is musically rewarding across all styles and genres. If you are learning clarinet, be sure you’re not making any of these 9 mistakes common among beginning clarinetists: I hope these tips help you along your clarinet…
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The Curious Clarinets of Benjamin Franklin
By now, you should know that there are several unsolved mysteries of clarinet history. One that has particularly intrigued me is a musical glitch in the matrix, involving none other than Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was an American multi-hyphenate – he was a diplomat, writer, scientist, and more. (He also had some witty quotes and one-liners!) Franklin wrote his…
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Musicians perish after performing this famous symphony
Trigger warning: death and suicide It’s October, which means it’s time for us to dive in to another story about the bizarre side of classical music. Today, I want to talk about a famous symphony (coincidentally written by one of my favorite composers), in which musicians die shortly after its performance. The symphony? Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 in b minor,…
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The Mystery of Benny Goodman’s Missing Clarinet
Clarinetists and non-clarinetists alike are undoubtedly familiar with the name and fame of Benny Goodman (1909-1986). As the “King of Swing,” he was known for hits such as “Sing, Sing, Sing,” and his musical influence was an inspiration for future generations of musicians. We all know I love a good clarinet mystery, so I was intrigued when I came across…
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Quick Fix Friday: Increase your air as you ascend
Happy Friday! This week’s quick fix is an easy way to improve your sound, especially as you ascend to new clarinet heights! The quick fix? Increase your air as you ascend! It’s always important to play while using enough air (both quantity and air speed). It’s even more important as we get higher on the clarinet. This goes back to…
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Practice Hack to Build Better Transitions
Most musicians know that it’s not about how long you practice, but how well you practice. (quality over quantity!) Most musicians also know that it’s important to break pieces down into smaller section to gradually loop together. However, something I’m not sure most musicians know (or actively incorporate into their practice sessions) is effectively looping sections together. Enter one of…
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ChatGPT roasts popular clarinet repertoire
If you’ve been on Instagram at all this week, you might have seen a new trend emerging, where users ask ChatGPT to roast their feed. The results have been pretty funny, so I decided to take it a step further and ask ChatGPT to roast popular pieces of clarinet repertoire. (Obligatory note to say that I love all of these…
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The Complete Guide to Clarinet Barrels
For such a small instrument, the clarinet certainly has quite the number of equipment and accessories! After you’ve sorted out your instrument, mouthpiece, reeds, ligature, and more, it’s probably time to evaluate your clarinet barrel. (Look at the further reading section at the end of this article for in-depth articles on these pieces of clarinet equipment.) Here’s everything you need…
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Quick Fix Friday: Keep your chin up!
Happy Friday! This week’s quick tip works both literally and metaphorically. The quick fix? Keep your chin up! A common issue I see among clarinet players is playing with a lowered chin. This compresses the air way, making it more difficult to use or air effectively. The bottom of the chin should remain parallel to the ground. To ensure you…