-
Introducing the Jenny Clarinet Academy!
I’m beyond excited to announce the launch of the Jenny Clarinet Academy, a comprehensive online clarinet curriculum created to help improve your knowledge of the clarinet and its performance fundamentals, history, pedagogy, repertoire, and a variety of other subjects. I’ve been working on this project for quite some time, and I’m happy to finally share it with the world. I’m offering four courses this semester, and I will be adding more courses in future sessions. As the move towards online learning continues, I hope these courses will provide a great opportunity for clarinetists to improve and expand their knowledge of the instrument. Here are the four courses I’m offering this semester.…
-
Clarinet World Records
Music is a competitive field, especially if you’re trying to set or break a world record! Here are a few clarinet world records (official and unofficial): Guinness World Record for longest career as a clarinetist. Stanley Drucker received this award for performing with the New York Philharmonic for 62 years! Guinness World Record for largest clarinet ensemble. The largest clarinet ensemble took place on July 26, 2019 when 367 clarinetists performed at the International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest in Knoxville, Tennessee. Largest carrot clarinet ensemble. On April 10, 2016, an ensemble comprised of 275 carrot clarinets played at the Nederlands Klarinet Festival in Amsterdam. You can watch Linsey Pollak’s video of…
-
Quick Fix Friday: Play scales musically
It’s been a while since I’ve written a Quick Fix Friday! Here’s a quick fix to start your weekend on the right note: Do you practice your scales (or other technical exercises) with the same musical intention as you do when you’re working on études or repertoire? Chances are, probably not. Scales are music too, but a large number of musicians focus just on the technical aspects, ignoring phrasing, tension, and overall musicality or expression. The quick fix? Add some musicality to your scales the next time you practice. Incorporate dynamics, rubato, pacing, and anything else to make your scales more interesting to play and to practice. Not only will…
-
Unsolved mysteries of clarinet history
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, it should come as no surprise to learn that I love clarinet history. I love learning about the people, places, and things that make the clarinet so great, and I especially enjoy learning about some of the more unusual bits of clarinet history. Although we certainly know quite a bit about the clarinet, there are several unresolved mysteries of clarinet history! Here are just a few: What other unsolved mysteries of clarinet history do you know?
-
How dumplings inspired this composer to write a famous clarinet work
I have to be quite honest…I never would have imagined that dumplings played an important (albeit odd) role in clarinet history. Here’s the story, according to Carl Baermann’s 1882 Erinnerungen eines alten Musikanten (Memories of an Old Musician): In addition to being prominent clarinet virtuosi, German clarinet Heinrich Baermann (for whom Weber wrote his clarinet concerti) and his son Carl Baermann were also apparently skilled in the kitchen. Specifically, they were known for making delicious dumplings and strudel. Heinrich and Carl were also good friends with Felix Mendelssohn, and the three met up in Berlin on December 30, 1832 when the Baermanns were in town for some performances. As it…
-
How to stay cool in the practice room this summer
If you’re living in the northern hemisphere, you might be experiencing a heat wave at the moment. These languid days of summer make finding the motivation to practice extra difficult, so I’m here to help you stay cool in the practice room! Practicing any instrument requires lots of physical and mental energy. Especially for wind players, practicing is very much a cardio activity, so it’s important to make sure you’re beating the heat to operate at your best in the practice room. As the temperature climbs higher and higher, here are some ways you can stay cool in the practice room: Practice early. If your family and neighbors don’t mind,…
-
10 mistakes you might be making in the practice room
Which do you want first, the good news or the bad news? The bad news is that even if you’ve mustered up the motivation to practice, you might still be losing out on those practice session gains if you’re not practicing effectively. The good news is that I’m here today to share 10 of the most common mistakes I’ve seen musicians make in the practice room which can hinder their progress. Quality of practice is always more important than quantity, so here are 10 suggestions to improve your practice room progress: Turn off your phone or set it to do not disturb mode. Let’s be honest here – how many…
-
How often should you clean or replace your clarinet swab?
If I ask you a question, do you promise you’ll give an honest answer? When was the last time you cleaned or replaced your clarinet swab? If you’re like many clarinetists (especially younger students who are learning the ins and outs of the instrument), chances are it’s been a while. Before I share my advice, I would like to offer a huge disclaimer that I am a classically trained clarinetist – not a medical or scientific professional. If you have specific questions about germs and the clarinet, especially concerning the clarinet during the current pandemic, you should look for scientific, peer-reviewed studies for this information. Back to cleaning your swab.…
-
How to use the Pomodoro Technique in the Practice Room
If you’ve never heard of the Pomodoro Technique, it’s a time management skill used by people around the world. This technique utilizes specifically timed intervals (traditionally 25 minutes) called pomodoros, which is the Italian word for tomato. Why tomato? This is the design of the kitchen timer Pomodoro Technique creator Francesco Cirillo used while in university. During each pomodoro, you focus your attention to work on one task. Once the time is up, you move on to another task. After completing a few pomodoros, you are allowed to take a break. There are many more specific rules which you can discover on the official Pomodoro Technique website. The reason that…
-
Should you take a practice break?
Do you remember a couple of years ago when the “Should you be practicing right now?” infographic was everywhere online and on the walls of music teachers? It was a lighthearted and humorous way to encourage musicians to practice more, but there can be a negative side to this mentality. Throughout their musical careers, musicians are primed to work diligently and consistently over the course of many years. Eventually, this can take a huge toll on their physical and mental health. I believe that a well-rounded musician leads a fulfilling life both inside and outside the practice room. Their experiences outside the practice room only enhance their work in the…