Clarinet Spring Cleaning: 25 Things to Organize and Declutter

Happy spring!

Is it just me, or does anyone else feel the urge to declutter your entire life as the weather starts to warm?

If you’ve been reading my articles for some time, it should come as no surprise that I’m a neat freak and love to organize and declutter. I’ve just spent the past month doing this for all of my clarinet and music items (physical and digital), and I feel so much lighter!

Here are 25 areas to help you embrace the new season as a newly organized musician:

Clarinet case. Take everything out of your clarinet case. Vacuum all the dust and debris, then pare down what’s essential for your day-to-day schedule.
Reed case. Go through all of your current reeds to see if they all deserve a slot in your reed case. Toss any that are chipped, moldy, or difficult to play.
Mouthpiece cleaning. Replace your mouthpiece patch (if you use one) and carefully wash your mouthpiece. I use a cotton swab and gentle soap to remove build-up.
Swab. New season, new swab! Can you even remember the last time you washed or replaced your swab?
Music stand. File any music that you no longer need. A tidy music stand leads to a more productive practice session!
Practice space. Tidy the area in which you practice. For a new look, switch up your decor with new photos, postcards, or artwork for some inspiration.
Instruments. If you have any clarinets or other instruments that you no longer use, consider donating to a program that could use these instruments.
Clarinet repair. If it’s been a while since your clarinet has been looked at by a qualified clarinet tech, schedule an appointment to make sure it’s in tip-top condition.
Accessories. Go through your mouthpieces, ligatures, barrels, and other clarinet accessories. Place all like items together for better organization.
Cork grease. Cork grease can get greasy (big surprise), so make sure yours are in a container where they won’t spill or get on other items.
Sheet music collection. Create a filing or organization system that works with your library, whether it’s physical or digital. I suggest creating a spreadsheet of everything in your collection so you can easily browse your collection.
Concert black clothes. Keep your favorite concert black outfits, but donate any that don’t fit or you haven’t worn in the last year.
Concert programs. There’s no need to keep dozens of copies of every program (saying this as a reminder for myself!), so pare down your program collection to just a few per concert.
Business cards. If you have an assortment of other people’s business cards, only keep what you’ll need. Better yet, digitize the information and recycle all the cards.
CDs/records/albums. Even though these devices may be archaic, go through your collection to donate what doesn’t spark joy.
Handouts, articles, info. Recycle what you don’t need and file or digitize the rest.
Inbox. Delete, unsubscribe, and tame your inbox so you can more easily see emails for new gigs!
Website. Give your website a spring refresh. Update news and other pages.
Social media profiles. If you have a professional profile, review and make sure everything is up-to-date.
Biography. Read your bio to make sure all information is up-to-date and accurate.
CV. Review your CV to edit, streamline, and update. (It’s always better to have your CV ready before you need it instead of scrambling at the last minute!)
Headshots. If you’re in need of updated headshots, now is a good time to get these scheduled.
Digital files. This can be audio files, scans of music, or other files you use for your musical life.
Practice journal. If you keep a practice journal, revisit your system to make sure it’s still useful for your practice.
Backpack. Now that everything else is organized, go through your backpack, case cover, satchel, or other bag to streamline.

Pro tip: If you find it difficult to get rid of anything, see if you have a student or colleague who might be able to use the item. I find it much easier to give to people I know instead of an anonymous charity shop. It always brings me joy to know that items from my clarinet collection are being used and enjoyed!