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New Years Resolutions Every Musician Should Make
It’s that time of year again, when we swear off carbs, late-night Netflix binges, and vow to spend every spare moment at the gym. There’s something magical about a new year and a fresh start, and even if you don’t make resolutions, it’s a great opportunity for you to assess what went well the past year and how you can improve the next. Below are my suggestions for resolutions I believe every musician should make, along with a few tips I’ve learned from making (and breaking) these. Update your press kit. Check your resume, CV, biography, discography, and all other publicity materials for mistakes and add new accomplishments. This is also a great…
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‘Twas the Night Before the Concert
‘Twas the Night Before the Concert ‘Twas the night before the concert, when all through the hall not a note was sounded, not even a trumpet call. The reeds were tucked into their case, the best one first in hopes that the best would not become worst. The musicians were tossing all night in their beds, nightmares of squeaks and wrong notes danced in their heads. And Director in his tux, and I in my tails, had just scrambled our brains after squeaks and wails. When out in the greenroom there came such a noise I sprang from my chair trying to keep my poise. Across the stage I ran…
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Holiday Themed Warm-up Routine for All Ages
It’s that time of year again – when the fireplace crackles as you sip your skinny peppermint mocha under a fleece blanket and watch It’s a Wonderful Life for the umpteenth time. The air is filled with magic (unless you’re a bah humbug) and a slight chill to the air. For musicians, why not add some holiday cheer to your practice routine? These exercises are great for younger students (or children at heart) to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year. “Joy to the World” scales – Has you ever noticed that “Joy to the World” is just a descending major scale? To get a proper warm-up, play this…
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Holiday Gift Ideas for the Musician in Your Life
Depending on how you look at it, musicians can be really easy to shop for (cash is king) or really difficult (a 1982 unopened box of reeds from Mount Everest – just kidding). Whether you’re a non-musician who doesn’t know the difference between a violin and a viola or someone who can wax poetic on the legacy of lesser-known composers, this list is for you. Here are my suggestions for gift ideas for the musician in your life: Christmas tree ornament of their instrument. Classic, but cute. Business cards. If you know the design the musician wants, you can make and order them online with services like Vistaprint. If you’re…
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Quick Fix Friday: Use A Dictionary
You’re working on a new piece of music. Life is good. You know all the right notes. Rhythms? Piece of cake! Accidentals? Got it covered! But what about those extra-musical words? It’s easy to tell yourself you’ll look those up…tomorrow. You’re doing yourself a huge musical disservice by ignoring the text. After all, there’s quite a difference between dolce and con fuoco! Quick fix? Buy and use a musical dictionary. Use your smartphone (which is turned off or in another room, right???). You can even take the lazy way out and use the camera function of the Google translate app to save your precious fingers from typing these unfamiliar words. It…
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12 Days of Clarinet Christmas
Spread the joy of proper fundamentals, great warm-up routines, and good musicianship among clarinetists! Whether you are shopping for a special clarinetist in your life or getting a head-start on your own musical New Year’s resolutions, this list will keep you practicing for many hours into the holiday season and beyond. I hope this list spreads holiday cheer and inspires clarinetists of all ages to enjoy their practicing and music making. Enjoy the 12 Days of Clarinet Christmas! 12 Scale Studies Carl Baermann Complete Method for the Clarinet, Op. 63 (3rd Division) Pares Daily Exercises and Scales for Clarinet Emile Stiévenard Practical Study of the Scales B. Albert 24 Varied…
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What to Pack for Your Audition
Congratulations! You’ve passed the recording round for a competition, made it past a preliminary round, got accepted to an honor band (or All State Band), got your audition time for your college audition, or sent in your application for the latest orchestra audition. You know the obvious next steps – and if you don’t, take a look at my audition checklist. As you pack and prepare for your audition, carefully read any correspondence for any specific instructions or directions. Whether you are competing in a solo, orchestral, chamber, or any other kind of competition, don’t forget to bring these items with you: A bottle of water – The last thing…
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The Prepared Musician’s Guide to Planning for Auditions
Every musician’s favorite time of year is quickly approaching…audition season! Whether you’re preparing for college auditions, conservatory auditions, All State auditions, summer festivals, solo competitions, or some other kind of audition, it can be hard to plan the logistics of getting to and from each place (let alone play well at each audition!) That’s where I can help. You see, I have a little problem – I am an obsessive list maker. Not always a bad thing, but it can easily get out of hand. I use the following list for every audition I take to make sure that I don’t forget anything in the pre-audition preparation frenzy. For each…
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A Very Clarinet Thanksgiving
Today is the day we should all take a moment to reflect on the things that make us grateful. After careful consideration, here are a few things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving: That Nielsen only wrote one clarinet concerto That the Mendelssohn “Scherzo” is only 92 (…or sometimes 88…) I’m not playing Daphnis & Chloe anytime soon I don’t play contrabass clarinet Or alto clarinet I don’t have to read alto clef (save that nonsense for the violas and bassoons!) I don’t have to worry about double reeds Or make my own reeds, for that matter I don’t have to memorize music (poor pianists!) Clarinets are not as heavy…
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Quick Fix Friday: Be Happy
We’ve all been there. A frustrating practice session where nothing seems to go right. Not wanting to even think about your instrument after a long day. Feeling doubt and wondering why you even bother anymore. Losing an audition. And a million other reasons being a musician ain’t for the weak. So why do it? Hopefully, you still enjoy playing your instrument. It can be so easy to get caught up in the details, competition, and drudgery that being a musician entails. Take a few moments each day to remind yourself what you love about your instrument. Or maybe you don’t love it anymore – life is too short to pursue…