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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 –…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Musical Phrenology and the Case of the Missing Composers’ Skulls
Classical music lovers celebrate the life and legacy of titans such as Mozart, Bach, Brahms, Mahler, and many others by listening to and performing their music. We study their lives and musical legacies to try and learn more about their ideas and inspirations. Some people take other routes. Throughout history, people have tried to study the human body to learn more about how it works. As you might imagine, the bodies of famous people were considered highly valuable in hopes of learning more about their intellect. Which is what led to the theft and displacement of several skulls of classical musicians. Phrenology is the pseudoscience of studying human skulls in…
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13 Italian Music Vocabulary Words Perfect for Halloween
Whether you’re composing or just want to learn some new words to add to your music lexicon, here are a few Italian words which are perfect for Halloween (all taken from the music dictionary pictured above): con abbandono – with reckless abandon; highly emotional (no, it doesn’t mean abandoned, as in a haunted house) adiratamente – angrily amarissimo/angoscioso – with anguish bizarramente – in a bizarre manner con disperazione – with despair doloroso – with great pain gemendo – groaning morendo – dying away singhiozzando – sobbing sordamente – using a veiled or muffled sound sospirando – sighing; sobbing tumultuoso – in an agitated manner; tumultuous vacillante – wavering or…
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Secret Societies in Clarinet History
In addition to the abundance of clarinet history’s unsolved mysteries, there is also evidence of secret societies in clarinet history. Most notably is Austrian clarinetist Anton Stadler (1752-1812), who is well-known as “Mozart’s clarinetist.” Mozart and Stadler became good friends and were both fellow Freemasons during the latter half of the 18th century. There are many rumors, mysteries, and even conspiracy theories surrounding Freemasons, but at its core, Freemasons were (and continue to be) a fraternal organization with the goals of enlightenment for its members. “Big deal, Mozart and Stadler hung out together in a fraternal group,” you might be thinking. You’re not wrong, but there are some interesting things…
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How this famous composer of clarinet music inspired the Phantom of the Opera
Did you know that one of clarinet history’s most celebrated composers might be responsible for partially inspiring Gaston Leroux’s novel The Phantom of the Opera? A bit of background: Even if you haven’t read the book, you’re probably familiar with the story of The Phantom of the Opera. A quick primer for anyone who’s unfamiliar: a mysterious phantom named Erik lives under the Paris Opera house, the Palais Garnier, in a subterranean lake. He falls in love with soprano Christine, much to the displeasure of her friend Raoul. As in most operas, drama, destruction, and diabolical plans ensue. Gaston Leroux was partially inspired by the rumors and unusual occurrences that…
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Fun Encore Pieces for Clarinet
The clarinet is #blessed with a large and varied repertoire of works, from solo pieces to chamber ensemble. There are several more “serious” works (looking at you Brahms) that are great for recitals, but it’s also nice to balance these with shorter and more lighthearted pieces to use as an encore. Here are a few fun encore pieces for clarinet: Guisganderie by Faustin Jeanjean Czardas by Vittorio Monti Flight of the Bumblebee by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Clarinet on the Town by Ralph Herman Clarinet Candy by Leroy Anderson Carnival of Venice by Alamiro Giampieri Immer Kleiner by Adolf Schreiner Viktor’s Tale by John Williams Étude Caprice by Moritz Moszkowski Il Convegno…
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The Complete Guide to Clarinet Pinky Fingerings
When you first picked up a clarinet, you probably noticed that it has quite a lot of keys (especially if we compare it to a trumpet or trombone)! Even though there are a lot of keys on the clarinet, each finger has its designated place, and the mechanics of the clarinet are relatively straightforward until you get to the pinky keys (we’ll save the side and throat tone keys for another day). The pinky keys (as many clarinetists call them) are controlled by the pinky finger on the left and right hand. It’s ironic that our weakest finger is in charge of controlling four keys on each pinky! (Note: This…