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What Every Parent Should Know about Private Music Lessons for their Child
As we enter the new school year, many students are entering school band or joining community music programs. Several students will begin private music lessons for the first time, and others will resume where they left off before the holidays. Here is some advice and helpful hints for any parent of a student enrolled in private lessons: “Interview” potential teachers. Finding a good teacher/student match is crucial. Take an introductory lesson with any candidates and sit in during your child’s lesson. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Finding the right teacher for your child can make all the difference. Private lessons are not a quick fix. Do not enroll…
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Clarinet Choir, Versailles, Giverny, Père Lachaise, and Paris Philharmonie
Paris really is a great place for musicians. There is always a concert or recital happening if you know where to look. I recently attended a performance by the Nonette de Clarinettes Denner, performed at the Eglise Saint Pierre in the 19th (right by the Parc Buttes-Chaumont – a great place to have a picnic on these almost-autumn days). The concert was on a Sunday. To me, Sundays are synonymous with concerts in Paris. I’ve been to a concert each Sunday since my arrival. In previous blog posts, I’ve discussed the organ auditions/recitals at St. Eustache (there is no experience like hearing Bach is such a large cathedral!), but the…
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Why You Should Fight for Music
If you’re a classical musician, I’m sure you’re well aware of the dismal funding for music programs in America. If you’re not a musician, maybe you’ve heard of budget cuts in local school systems and later realized the marching band that used to play at halftime shows was no longer doing so. Music is easily overshadowed by STEM programs (science, technology, engineering, and math) in America, with the flawed logic that other disciplines are not as useful or beneficial to the American economy and productivity. Musicians have argued this point relentlessly to save public music programs and fight bankruptcy for orchestras (Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Minnesota Orchestras have all faced financial…
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Ways to “Practice” Without Opening the Case
Hopefully you’re not judging me based on these last two posts. “10 Ways to Become a Better Clarinetist in Under 10 Seconds” and now “Ways to Practice Without Opening the Case” makes it sound like I never practice (not true) or that I’m looking for the lazy way out (I think we’re all guilty of this sometimes). Hear me out – there is much more to practicing than the act of physically playing your instrument. Truthfully, it can be beneficial to take a break from practicing periodically to refresh your mind and body. And let’s be real – there are some days that practicing is just NOT going to happen,…
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10 Ways to Become a Better Clarinetist In Under 10 Seconds
We’ve all seen them – the magazines at checkout counters promising wildly unrealistic results for weight loss (lose twenty pounds in one week!), finances (become a millionaire by next year!), or life in general (be the most popular person in any room!). These are certainly enticing but are based on skewed results, making their promises nearly impossible to reproduce. And for the most part, mastering an instrument is no exception. It is the accumulation of years of dedicated practice, critique, performances, and hard work. There is no substitute for this (and if you find one, please let me know!), but enough tiny changes can add up to make a big…
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Montmartre and Museums
This week has been an absolute blur of sightseeing and practicing! I’ve established my routine (at least until classes start) of practicing as soon as I wake up so I can spend the day wandering and sightseeing guilt-free. I don’t know about anyone else, but it stresses me out to have practice lingering at the back of my mind all day, and it’s SO easy to come up with excuses later in the day – I need to make dinner, I’m right here at the Eiffel Tower (or insert other inconvenient location to access clarinet), I would love to take a nap, I’m tired, etc etc. It’s also great to…
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Sunday in Paris
Ah, Sundays in Paris – there’s nothing like them (all two that I’ve experienced). Today was no exception, with a walk down Canal St. Martin and a stroll through Parc des Buttes Chaumont. Word of advice: hope you’re using a Stairmaster regularly, because it is a STEEP hill walking up through the Belleville street/neighborhood, and it gets steeper in the park! I copied the locals and sat on the grass while enjoying the talented accordion player nearby. Paris is full of “free concerts” if you just stop and listen. Speaking of concerts, I attended my first one tonight at Eglise St. Eustache, where they were having organ auditions via live…
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Croissants and Culture
So far, this week has been an incredible blur of Parisian beauty and sightseeing. I’m enjoying my schedule of sleeping in, practicing new music, and wandering around the city. Everything feels more leisurely in Paris, and the days seem much longer without a strict schedule to follow (which will change when I start at the Versailles Conservatoire in a few weeks!). I spend my mornings practicing pieces for upcoming projects and collaborations (more info coming soon!), then I choose an arrondissement at random to explore. Highlights from this week include: Les Halles Forum, Eglise Saint-Eustache, Pantheon, Palais Garnier, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Palais of Justice, Jardin des Plantes, Arenes des…
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First Week in Paris
I’ve been MIA the past week – my apologies! My itinerary over here was hectic (Atlanta-Toronto-Reykjavik-Paris), but I enjoyed having a layover in Iceland, a country I never would have had a chance to visit otherwise. I enjoyed listening to music by Icelandic artists on the plane, along with learning facts about Iceland (apparently the majority of the population believes in elves!). My brother has always wanted to visit Iceland, so I made sure to take lots of pictures to send to him. The worst part of such a long travel day is that I have trouble sleeping on planes, so I am still getting over the jet lag a…
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Bon Voyage!
Hello Paris, here I come! I’m writing this during my 7.5 hour layover in Canada (ughhh). After this, Iceland, then finally Paris! I’m so excited and thankful for this opportunity, and I still can’t believe this is really happening! It’s amazing watching hundreds of people from around the world in this giant airport! Hopefully I will be writing on this blog more regularly once I get settled in to my new Parisian digs, so be on the lookout! You can also find near-daily snippets of my life on Instagram @clarinetistinparis au revoir!