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9 Questions to ask yourself for more effective practicing
Have you ever had one of those days in the practice room that feels like whatever you do, nothing seems to help you improve? If so, you might be asking yourself the wrong questions (or using ineffective internal talk). One of my biggest goals as a teacher is to help teach my students how to practice effectively. After all, I…
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Searching for universal clarinet truths
Since I’ve committed to writing and publishing a daily blog this month, I thought this would also be a nice opportunity to explore some different topics and formats than I’ve done in the past. Instead of a pedagogical post, I thought I’d get a bit philosophical today. A few months ago, I was giving a lecture on musicpreneurship in Manitoba,…
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How and why musicians should leave their comfort zones
Musicians’ lives are built around repetition. Repetition of scales, passages, auditions, performances, and years of constant hard work and dedication to their craft. It’s understandable that musicians can become comfortable and complacent after a while. However, it is important for musicians to regularly explore beyond the boundaries of their comfort zones so they can continue growing as people and as…
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The Importance of Musical Prompts
One of the challenges in performance or audition situations is transitioning smoothly from one piece to another. It can be difficult to instantly switch from one style or musical character to another, so how you can practice these changes before you perform? By using musical prompts. If you’ve ever given a presentation, you’ve probably used cue cards. Instead of printing…
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Introducing the Jenny Clarinet Academy!
I’m beyond excited to announce the launch of the Jenny Clarinet Academy, a comprehensive online clarinet curriculum created to help improve your knowledge of the clarinet and its performance fundamentals, history, pedagogy, repertoire, and a variety of other subjects. I’ve been working on this project for quite some time, and I’m happy to finally share it with the world. I’m offering…
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Clarinet World Records
Music is a competitive field, especially if you’re trying to set or break a world record! Here are a few clarinet world records (official and unofficial): Guinness World Record for longest career as a clarinetist. Stanley Drucker received this award for performing with the New York Philharmonic for 62 years! Guinness World Record for largest clarinet ensemble. The largest clarinet…
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Quick Fix Friday: Play scales musically
It’s been a while since I’ve written a Quick Fix Friday! Here’s a quick fix to start your weekend on the right note: Do you practice your scales (or other technical exercises) with the same musical intention as you do when you’re working on études or repertoire? Chances are, probably not. Scales are music too, but a large number of…
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Unsolved mysteries of clarinet history
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, it should come as no surprise to learn that I love clarinet history. I love learning about the people, places, and things that make the clarinet so great, and I especially enjoy learning about some of the more unusual bits of clarinet history. Although we certainly know quite a bit about…
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How dumplings inspired this composer to write a famous clarinet work
I have to be quite honest…I never would have imagined that dumplings played an important (albeit odd) role in clarinet history. Here’s the story, according to Carl Baermann’s 1882 Erinnerungen eines alten Musikanten (Memories of an Old Musician): In addition to being prominent clarinet virtuosi, German clarinet Heinrich Baermann (for whom Weber wrote his clarinet concerti) and his son Carl…
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How to stay cool in the practice room this summer
If you’re living in the northern hemisphere, you might be experiencing a heat wave at the moment. These languid days of summer make finding the motivation to practice extra difficult, so I’m here to help you stay cool in the practice room! Practicing any instrument requires lots of physical and mental energy. Especially for wind players, practicing is very much…