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What To Do When You Have A Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Practice Session
True story: When I was 10, I was reduced to tears during a practice session spent trying to master “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” I am an impatient person and get easily frustrated when things don’t come quickly to me, so I had a complete meltdown when I couldn’t play this song immediately. I’m happy to share that I can now play a mean “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, but this practice meltdown still sticks out clearly in my head. We’ve all been there before. No matter how many times you repeat that one passage, no matter how many different ways you try to phrase that one section, or no…
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Worst Page Turns in Clarinet Music
Raise your hand if you have ever been personally victimized by terrible page turns. Me too. Here’s my (ever-growing) list of page turns so poorly planned they are known to cause heart palpitations among clarinetists worldwide: Grand duo Concertant by Carl Maria von Weber, 3rd movement (TBH I’m equally interested in seeing how performers execute the final page turn as I am at hearing their interpretation of the piece) Time Pieces by Robert Muczynski, 4th movement (Fun fact: 99% of technical errors in this movement are caused by looming page-turning anxiety) Concerto for Clarinet by Henri Tomasi, 3rd movement (*inserts G.P. as I fumble to turn the page*) Premiere Rhapsodie by Claude…
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Applying and Auditioning for Music Degrees – Timeline and Checklist
Applying to university or conservatory music programs is stressful and overwhelming, whether you’re in high school and applying to schools for the first time, or you’re a college senior and planning on auditioning for graduate schools in music. I’ve gone through the process of applying and auditioning for music programs myself, and I’ve also helped many of my students do the same, which is why I’ve created this timeline and checklist. There are hundreds of checklists and timelines for non-music students, but these don’t include the auditions and other components which are unique to prospective music students. My checklist and timeline centers around junior and senior year (of high school or undergraduate degrees),…
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The 5 Senses: Paris Edition
Even though I’ve lived in Paris for over a year, my schedule is so busy that sometimes I forget that I’m in Paris (which is easy to do when most of your time is spent in a practice room). In an effort to be more aware of my surroundings, I’ve collected some of my favorite Paris sensations: Sights: the sparkling Eiffel Tower at night; the font of the metro signs throughout the city; the rolling hills of Montmartre; the view of Paris from the Sacre Coeur or the gazebo at the top of Parc des Buttes-Chaumont; the pastel houses on Rue Cremieux Smells: freshly baked baguettes and other delicious treats…
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12 Days of Clarinet Christmas, Part II
Back by popular demand – the 12 Days of Clarinet Christmas, repertoire edition! My original 12 Days of Clarinet Christmas (which you can read here) is a countdown of scale, etude, and other exercises to improve clarinet fundamentals. This second installment is a collection of (mostly) standard repertoire for clarinet. This is by no means a comprehensive list, and I hope my suggestions give you ideas for what pieces to play next. Whether you’re looking for new pieces to perform in 2017 or searching for music to add to your bucket list, I hope these ideas inspire you and help you to share the greatest gift of all – music! 12 Orchestral excerpts Beethoven – Symphony…
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The Clarinet Curse: Composers Who Died After Writing for the Clarinet
Updated September 7, 2021 If you’re thinking about composing a piece for clarinet, you might want to consider choosing another instrument. Here are some famous composers whose final pieces or last substantial works were written for clarinet. Don’t say I didn’t warn you… Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Perhaps the most famous piece in our repertoire, Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K. 622 was written in October 1791. Mozart died two months later. Carl Nielsen – Nielsen wanted to compose a concerto for every wind instrument, so he started with flute then created his devilishly difficult clarinet concerto in 1928…and that was as far as he got before his death in…
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Quick Fix Friday: Give Good Cues
You practice your part diligently. You study the score and mark in all the other instrumental cues. You listen to several recordings. Yet your chamber music still feels…off. Simple fix? Maintain good eye contact and give good cues. This is an often-overlooked aspect of performing with other musicians. Many musicians are so used to performing under conductors that they are unfamiliar or uncomfortable leading others in smaller conductor-less ensembles. Accompanists and chamber musicians are not mind-readers (although wouldn’t that be amazing if they were?), so it is important to let others know your musical intentions. Practice giving good cues and nonverbal gestures to let your fellow musicians know where you want…
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48 Hours in Amsterdam
Ever since I moved to Paris, I’ve developed a severe case of wanderlust. The geographical proximity to so many amazing places combined with insanely cheap budget airlines have turned me into a travel addict, and I’m always thinking of the next place to visit. It’s common for me to peruse Google Flights (or SNCF Voyages if I’m looking into travel within France) while I have my morning coffee, and my friends here are used to my random outbursts (“I can fly to Stockholm for €45!) I went to Amsterdam for the first time last week, where I spent a jam-packed 48 hours exploring this beautiful city. Since my trip was so short, I made…
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All About the A-Flat Clarinet
Most clarinetists are familiar with the core members of the clarinet family, from the unwieldy contrabass clarinet to the tiny E-flat clarinet, but there is one “black sheep” of the clarinet family – the A-flat clarinet. If you think the E-flat is small and shrill, you’re in for a rude awakening when you hear the A-flat clarinet. Not only have I have performed and recorded on the A-flat clarinet with a clarinet choir, but I have lived to tell the tale! Many people share my fascination and curiosity of this unusual instrument, so I’d like to share some information and my personal experience with this beast. Let’s start with the…
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My Current Warm Up Routine
One of the most often-asked questions for musicians is “How do you warm up?” (followed closely by “What’s your setup?” – but that’s an article for another day). A lot of people have recently been asking about my warm up, so I thought I’d share my current routine. I think warmups and breakfast have a lot in common. The old adage of the most important meal of the day rings true for warmups, which I consider the most important part of your practice routine. Also, there are varying degrees of warmups, from short and efficient (the breakfast equivalent of grabbing a granola bar as you run out the door), average…