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101 Clarinet Compositions Written by Women Composers
Happy Women’s History Month! To celebrate, here are 101 clarinet compositions written by female composers. I know there are many more wonderful works than the ones I’ve included here, so I am planning on making this a multi-part series. Leave a comment below with your favorite piece(s) for me to include on the next part! By the way, if you…
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Clarinet Articulation Troubleshooting Guide
Let’s talk about tonguing, shall we? For something so simple in theory, there are certainly quite a few variables which might impede your progress. Articulation on string instruments or the piano can clearly be seen, but it is much more difficult to identify potential articulation issues on wind instrument since we must rely only on what we hear. (Unless you…
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Metronome Mistakes You Might Be Making
Just like most people know they should be staying hydrated, sleeping more than 6 hours every night, and not subsisting on an abundance of caffeinated beverages, most musicians know that they should probably be using a metronome when they practice. My students already know that I’m a bit of a metronome fanatic. Not only does regular metronome use help you…
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The Evolution of the Clarinet Choir
The clarinet is #blessed to have so many members of its family, and amazing things happen when these instruments are combined together to create a clarinet choir. Despite the wide variety of clarinets in different keys throughout its history, the clarinet choir as we know it is a relatively new concept. Let’s start from the beginning. The clarinet was developed…
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Band directors: Should your clarinetists be double tonguing?
Throughout the years, I’ve taught quite a few sectionals and have worked with many school clarinet programs, and a common question band directors ask is if their clarinetists should be double tonguing. There are no definitive answers because it depends on the ability level and repertoire of your band program, but here are my thoughts: (Disclaimer: These are my opinions…
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How to rock your virtual audition
Another audition season is upon us, and this one will probably look a lot different than many of the previous auditions you’ve taken! Even if you know your way around Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, and the multitude of other essential platforms this past year, a virtual audition is a lot more pressure than your average class or meeting, which is why…
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How practicing is a lot like building a gingerbread house
If you’ve ever built and decorated a gingerbread house, you know that there’s a process to achieving a festive, Instagram-worthy result. When you’re building a gingerbread house, you can’t expect all the pieces to come together at once – you have to start with a solid foundation, measure and create patterns for the walls, make sure the icing is the…
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Online Gift Ideas for the Musicians in Your Life
The holiday season undoubtedly looks a lot different this year than most of us had planned. Even though many traditions and festivities have changed, that’s no excuse not to find the perfect gift for the musicians in your life! You can buy all items on this gift guide online, so you can stay socially distanced and musically connected with loved…
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What clarinet music should you practice next based on your birthday?
Are you looking for new musical inspiration? Perhaps you have the end-of-year blahs and just need some new repertoire suggestions? I’m here to help! Find your birthday below for a warm-up book and repertoire suggestion! Note: As much as I enjoy Kroepsch, Kell, Rose, Mozart, Brahms, Weber, and other clarinet classics, I tried to include a wide variety of pieces…
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Baermann Scale Showdown – A Competitive Way to Gamify Scales
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Carl Baermann’s iconic clarinet scale book. In 2017, I created the Baermann Boot Camp (revised in 2019), which served as the catalyst for dozens of my other Boot Camps and digital clarinet products. I created a semi-fictitious holiday to celebrate our buddy Carl’s birthday. Although not directly scale-related, I even shared…