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Clarinet Equipment Advice for Marching Band
Another school year is just around the corner, which can only mean one thing… Marching band! Whether this is your first time in marching band or you’re a seasoned marching band pro, here is my clarinet equipment advice for anyone in marching band (or band directors working with marching bands): Good luck, and I hope you have a great marching season!
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FAQ: Playing clarinet in the Arctic
I spent three months this year playing clarinet in the Arctic, and I’m here to answer some of the most common questions I received during and after these residencies! In case you missed it, here is a detailed account of my Mission: Evolution project, as well as behind-the-scenes details from my residencies. Leave a comment with any questions you have – maybe there will be a part 2! What were you doing in the Arctic? I was selected to complete artist residencies in Ilulissat, Greenland and Longyearbyen, Svalbard, some of the northernmost towns on Earth. I was in the Arctic from March-May 2025 completing my projects. Why did you choose…
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Extreme clarinet playing in the Arctic
I spent three months this year performing clarinet in the Arctic. “How is your clarinet ok?!” “My clarinet cracked just looking at this post!” “How is the tuning?” These are some of the messages that flooded my inbox these last few months during my artist residencies in northern Greenland and Svalbard, where I played my Henri Selmer Paris Privilège Evolution system clarinet outside in subzero temperatures. My clarinet and I braved kayaking amongst the icebergs, walking on glaciers, climbing mountains, and even spelunking and performing in an ice cave – and it didn’t crack (the keys didn’t even bind)! The question I got asked most?Why would you do this? Backstory Over…
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Is your clarinet thumb rest in the optimal position?
If you are experiencing discomfort or pain in your hands or wrists while playing clarinet, your thumb rest might not be in the optimal position! Even though the clarinet is not very heavy (about 1.5-2 pounds, or about 680-900 grams), it all starts to add up after you multiply the hours, days, weeks, months, and years spent holding and playing it. This is why it’s so important to develop and utilize proper posture and ergonomics, including customizing equipment to make playing easier and more comfortable for you. (Before we dive in, I want to remind you that I’m a classically trained clarinetist – not a doctor. Please consult a trusted…
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Historical Clarinetist Superlatives: Most Likely To…
Congratulations to all the graduating clarinetists this school year! My North American readers are probably familiar with school superlatives, so In honor of graduation, I thought it would be fun to nominate historical clarinetists for school superlatives (my North American readers will probably be familiar with these!) Most likely to succeed Caroline Schleicher-Krähmer, the first woman clarinet soloist in history. Her illustrious career is all the more remarkable given the societal barriers she surely had to overcome. Most team spirit Richard Mühlfeld. If he could inspire Brahms to come out of compositional retirement and create some of the clarinet’s greatest works, then I’m sure he was an incredible source of…
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My clarinet won’t come apart! What should I do?
Chances are, if you’re reading this you’re in a bit of a dilemma – your clarinet is stuck together and won’t come apart! This is actually more common than you think, and here’s what you should do: Now that you’ve gotten your clarinet apart, here are some tips to help prevent this from happening again:
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New composition: Qivittoq for solo clarinet
I am honored to have spent one month in Ilulissat, Greenland as an artist-in-residence with Arctic Culture Lab during March/April 2025. Ilulissat and the icefjord were beautiful beyond belief, and the photos and videos I took don’t do it justice! As part of my project researching Greenlandic music culture and history, I composed a piece for solo clarinet inspired by a Greenlandic tale. Today, I’m very excited to introduce the work I composed during this residency – Qivittoq for solo clarinet. (I’ll share more of my musical and cultural research in a future blog post.) Greenland has many stories, myths, and legends, but as a lifelong horror fan, I was…
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Clarinet embouchure: How much mouthpiece should you take in?
Believe it or not, how much mouthpiece you take in when playing clarinet can make a big difference in your sound! Whether you’re new to the clarinet or have been playing for years, it’s never a bad idea to examine (or re-examine) your embouchure to make sure you’re producing a top-quality sound. One aspect of this is how much of the mouthpiece is in your mouth when this plays. Why does this matter? If you take in less mouthpiece, this only allows a small portion of the reed to vibrate. This means your sound will most likely be thin and brittle. Conversely, if you take in too much mouthpiece, the…
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2025 March Madness – Clarinet Sonatas
Who will be crowned the ultimate clarinet sonata? Let’s find out in the Jenny Clarinet March Madness Sonatas tournament! Back by popular demand, this clarinet-specific March Madness-style tournament was created as a fun and interactive way to discover new clarinet sonatas and revisit timeless favorites. Here’s how it works: I’ve modeled this March Madness bracket after the famous American basketball tournament brackets (for all you sports fans). I selected 32 clarinet sonatas, including both standards and lesser-known favorites of mine. Using an online randomizer, these 32 sonatas were listed in a random order to create the “matches” for the first round lineup. Each day in March, I will post a…
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What do the Weber concerti and Brahms sonatas have in common?
There’s an interesting connection between Carl Maria von Weber’s two clarinet concerti and Brahms two clarinet sonatas. Any guesses what it is? Notice any similarities? They share the same key signatures! So, is this pure coincidence, or was this intentional on Brahms’ part? Weber composed his two clarinet concerti in 1811 for the German clarinetist Heinrich Baermann. Eighty years later in March 1891, Brahms heard German clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld perform Weber’s Concerto No. 1 in f minor with the Meiningen Court Orchestra. Brahms was captivated by Mühlfeld’s playing and subsequently wrote a clarinet trio, quintet, and the two aforementioned sonatas for Mühlfeld. In addition to sharing the same key signatures…