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How to make an awesome audition recording
It’s getting close to the end of the year, which means it’s time for… Audition recordings! Whether you’re auditioning for university, orchestras, or other opportunities, you want to create a polished and professional product to stand out from the crowd. Here’s some advice to help you make an awesome audition recording: Plan way in advance. The number one mistake I see students making is waiting until the last minute. I get second-hand anxiety when I know people record the week before a deadline (I’ve even had students tell me after the fact that they recorded hours before the deadline!). As soon as you find out the details and deadline, start…
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How to make your clarinet articulation lighter
In my opinion, one of the most difficult clarinet techniques to do with polish and pizzazz (and eventually speed) is articulation. Once you’ve gotten the hang of the basics (click here for my complete guide to clarinet articulation), a common complaint I hear is that the articulation is too heavy. Playing with heavy articulation presents a few problems: It lessens the musical effect of playing well in all styles of music (such as lyrical and expressive works). It seriously limits your maximum articulation speed. If you’ve already read my articulation troubleshooting guide and think your articulation is still too heavy, here are a few common causes and solutions: You aren’t…
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Musical Phrenology and the Case of the Missing Composers’ Skulls
Classical music lovers celebrate the life and legacy of titans such as Mozart, Bach, Brahms, Mahler, and many others by listening to and performing their music. We study their lives and musical legacies to try and learn more about their ideas and inspirations. Some people take other routes. Throughout history, people have tried to study the human body to learn more about how it works. As you might imagine, the bodies of famous people were considered highly valuable in hopes of learning more about their intellect. Which is what led to the theft and displacement of several skulls of classical musicians. Phrenology is the pseudoscience of studying human skulls in…
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13 Italian Music Vocabulary Words Perfect for Halloween
Whether you’re composing or just want to learn some new words to add to your music lexicon, here are a few Italian words which are perfect for Halloween (all taken from the music dictionary pictured above): con abbandono – with reckless abandon; highly emotional (no, it doesn’t mean abandoned, as in a haunted house) adiratamente – angrily amarissimo/angoscioso – with anguish bizarramente – in a bizarre manner con disperazione – with despair doloroso – with great pain gemendo – groaning morendo – dying away singhiozzando – sobbing sordamente – using a veiled or muffled sound sospirando – sighing; sobbing tumultuoso – in an agitated manner; tumultuous vacillante – wavering or…
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Secret Societies in Clarinet History
In addition to the abundance of clarinet history’s unsolved mysteries, there is also evidence of secret societies in clarinet history. Most notably is Austrian clarinetist Anton Stadler (1752-1812), who is well-known as “Mozart’s clarinetist.” Mozart and Stadler became good friends and were both fellow Freemasons during the latter half of the 18th century. There are many rumors, mysteries, and even conspiracy theories surrounding Freemasons, but at its core, Freemasons were (and continue to be) a fraternal organization with the goals of enlightenment for its members. “Big deal, Mozart and Stadler hung out together in a fraternal group,” you might be thinking. You’re not wrong, but there are some interesting things…
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How this famous composer of clarinet music inspired the Phantom of the Opera
Did you know that one of clarinet history’s most celebrated composers might be responsible for partially inspiring Gaston Leroux’s novel The Phantom of the Opera? A bit of background: Even if you haven’t read the book, you’re probably familiar with the story of The Phantom of the Opera. A quick primer for anyone who’s unfamiliar: a mysterious phantom named Erik lives under the Paris Opera house, the Palais Garnier, in a subterranean lake. He falls in love with soprano Christine, much to the displeasure of her friend Raoul. As in most operas, drama, destruction, and diabolical plans ensue. Gaston Leroux was partially inspired by the rumors and unusual occurrences that…
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Fun Encore Pieces for Clarinet
The clarinet is #blessed with a large and varied repertoire of works, from solo pieces to chamber ensemble. There are several more “serious” works (looking at you Brahms) that are great for recitals, but it’s also nice to balance these with shorter and more lighthearted pieces to use as an encore. Here are a few fun encore pieces for clarinet: Guisganderie by Faustin Jeanjean Czardas by Vittorio Monti Flight of the Bumblebee by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Clarinet on the Town by Ralph Herman Clarinet Candy by Leroy Anderson Carnival of Venice by Alamiro Giampieri Immer Kleiner by Adolf Schreiner Viktor’s Tale by John Williams Étude Caprice by Moritz Moszkowski Il Convegno…
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10 Ways to Create More Musical Phrases
There comes a moment in every musician’s practice routine when they stare at a piece of music and think… “I have no idea how I want to play this!” Practicing the nuts and bolts of a piece (technique, rhythm, instrumental fundamentals) is relatively straightforward (most of the time, anyways), but musical interpretation opens up an entirely new realm of possibility. Phrasing choices and musical interpretation of a piece will depend greatly on the genre, style, era, and a multitude of other factors. Here are a few suggestions to help you experiment and create a more compelling phrase: Identify the phrases. It’s hard to build a better phrase if you don’t…
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Protected: Travel Log 2 – Shearing Sheep in Sjeyndir
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Beginning Clarinet Milestones Checklist
Whether you’re just starting out on your clarinet journey or are teaching someone who is, there are many milestones you will encounter during the first year of playing! Although the clarinet is quite a popular instrument, there certainly are quite a few fundamentals, pieces of equipment, and countless other details to consider! This is why I created this checklist – to help both beginning clarinetists and their teachers stay organized and make sure you’re not missing any important musical milestones. Note: I have organized each category in a progressive sequence, but you should customize your learning/teaching strategy for each student to ensure they have optimal progress. (Want a downloadable version…