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2018 Jenny Clarinet Boot Camp
The 2018 Jenny Clarinet Boot Camp is a downloadable practice plan and guide created to improve clarinet fundamentals. Each month contains a different method book or solo work, which I have organized into daily assignments. Each day features specific exercises to be incorporated into your practice routine. Make 2018 the year of building technique and improving fundamentals! Here is the schedule: January – Vade-Mecum de Clarinettiste February – Klosé Scales and Exercises March – Rose 32 Etudes April – Kell 17 Staccato Studies May – Kroepsch 416 Progressive Daily Studies, Vols. 1 & 2 June – Mozart Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K. 622 July – Stiévenard Practical Study of the Scales August…
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♪ 12 Days of Scalemas ♪
‘Tis the season – for scales! The concept is simple: much like the annoyingly catchy holiday song, you’ll be given a new item (in this case, scale) each day. By the end of the 12 days, you’ll have the gift of scale mastery (which, in my humble opinion, is much better than swans a-swimming and maids a-milking). Choose your difficulty level – beginner, intermediate, or advanced – and a start date. Commit to learning, relearning, or practicing the assigned scales each day, and you’ll emerge a more technically proficient musician by the end of the holiday season! 12 Days of Scalemas – Beginner 12 Days of Scalemas – Intermediate 12…
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Ways To Learn A New Piece (Without Actually Practicing)
Don’t get me wrong – there is no substitute for focused and efficient hard work in the practice room. When you perform, you are relying on the countless hours of diligent practice and preparation to execute that tricky technical passage or awkward meter. That being said, a comprehensive understanding of any piece must also include familiarity with the historical, cultural, and musical implications of the piece. The well-rounded musician must prepare both inside and outside the practice room. Here are the non-practice steps I take when learning new repertoire: Listening Listen to recordings. Listen to several different recordings by different artists. It sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised by how many…
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The Final Resting Places of Famous Clarinetists
Happy Friday the 13th! To get into the Halloween spirit, I’ve been visiting cemeteries and researching the gravesites of famous clarinetists. This morbid fascination has led me to visit many of these graves during my travels. Visiting these musicians’ graves allows me to pay my respects to the people who have influenced so much of the clarinet’s history. History books only tell us so much, and it’s an amazing experience to visit the final resting places of people who had previously existed only on paper or in music. Here are some of the cemeteries in which famous clarinetists are buried. This will be an ongoing project which I will update…
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13 Recordings Every Clarinetist Should Hear
There are thousands of amazing recordings by talented clarinetists from around the world, and I’ve chosen some of my favorites for the following list. I’ve chosen these recordings based on their historical significance and prominence among the clarinet community. This list just contains classical recordings, and I know that there are countless jazz recordings just waiting to get their own list. My list includes only solo and chamber music repertoire, so stay tuned for more lists with orchestral repertoire. By no means is this list meant to be comprehensive, and I would enjoy hearing about which pieces you would put on your own list. So, without further ado, here are…
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Baermann Boot Camp
I love practicing scales, but I have a confession… I’ve never made it through the entire Baermann scale book (Division 3, Op. 63). I’ll pick bits and pieces to practice occasionally, but I have never developed a regimen to complete the entire book in a structured routine. Don’t get me wrong: I practice scales every day, but I like variety. I’ll use the Baermann for a few days, then switch to Klosé or Stievenard, then practice without any book at all. I like to keep things interesting. I’ve used many scale books throughout the years, but my favorite will always be the Baermann. Which is why I decided to create the…
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100 Life Lessons I Learned From Music
In honor of my 100th blog post, I thought it would be nice to share with you 100 life lessons that I have learned from music. My decision to begin playing the clarinet at age 10 was innocuous enough – band sounded much more fun than gym, and most of my friends were joining band. I had no idea that music would become my chosen profession. Music has taken me around the world, and along the way, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to meet new people and experience other cultures. My clarinet has allowed me to live in Paris – the city of my dreams – for the past two…
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50 More Pieces Every Clarinetist Should Know
In creating my 50 Pieces Every Clarinetist Should Know, I had the tough task of cultivating a list of just 50 landmark works for clarinet. I had to leave many worthy and deserving pieces off the list, which is why I decided to create a Part 2 with 50 more pieces every clarinetist should know. Clarinetists are lucky to have a repertoire so diverse, and it is impossible to list every milestone work for the instrument. Here are my suggestions of important clarinet pieces, which I have chosen based upon their historical significance and prominence. By no means is this list intended to be comprehensive or universal, so as always,…
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50 Pieces Every Clarinetist Should Know
One of the best parts about playing the clarinet is the wonderful repertoire written for the instrument. From classical to jazz (and every genre in between), there will never be a shortage of great clarinet music. The plethora of clarinet repertoire can be overwhelming, so I’ve compiled a list of 50 pieces that every serious clarinetist should know. Hopefully, you will have the opportunity to perform many of these pieces during your clarinet careers. In the meantime, it’s important to recognize these pieces and to know about their history and significance within the clarinet repertoire. Most of these scores can be accessed via the IMSLP (International Music Score Library Project)…
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The Clarinet Compositions of Armando Ghidoni
Over the past two years, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to get to know Armando Ghidoni and his music. Ghidoni is vivacious and exudes a genuine joie de vivre, and his music perfectly captures his warm personality – I hear Ghidoni’s laughter and cheer in every single note. I am honored to have written my thesis on the music of such a talented composer and amazing new friend. If you’ve never listened to Armando Ghidoni,’s music before, I strongly suggest you check it out (I’ve included links below)! Ghidoni was born in Italy and later moved to Paris, where he still resides today. He’s written clarinet music for all ability…
