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FAQ: Playing clarinet in the Arctic
I spent three months this year playing clarinet in the Arctic, and I’m here to answer some of the most common questions I received during and after these residencies! In case you missed it, here is a detailed account of my Mission: Evolution project, as well as behind-the-scenes details from my residencies. Leave a comment with any questions you have – maybe there will be a part 2! What were you doing in the Arctic? I was selected to complete artist residencies in Ilulissat, Greenland and Longyearbyen, Svalbard, some of the northernmost towns on Earth. I was in the Arctic from March-May 2025 completing my projects. Why did you choose…
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Extreme clarinet playing in the Arctic
I spent three months this year performing clarinet in the Arctic. “How is your clarinet ok?!” “My clarinet cracked just looking at this post!” “How is the tuning?” These are some of the messages that flooded my inbox these last few months during my artist residencies in northern Greenland and Svalbard, where I played my Henri Selmer Paris Privilège Evolution system clarinet outside in subzero temperatures. My clarinet and I braved kayaking amongst the icebergs, walking on glaciers, climbing mountains, and even spelunking and performing in an ice cave – and it didn’t crack (the keys didn’t even bind)! The question I got asked most?Why would you do this? Backstory Over…
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New composition: Qivittoq for solo clarinet
I am honored to have spent one month in Ilulissat, Greenland as an artist-in-residence with Arctic Culture Lab during March/April 2025. Ilulissat and the icefjord were beautiful beyond belief, and the photos and videos I took don’t do it justice! As part of my project researching Greenlandic music culture and history, I composed a piece for solo clarinet inspired by a Greenlandic tale. Today, I’m very excited to introduce the work I composed during this residency – Qivittoq for solo clarinet. (I’ll share more of my musical and cultural research in a future blog post.) Greenland has many stories, myths, and legends, but as a lifelong horror fan, I was…
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Around the World in Eighty Pieces – #5 Liechtenstein
Welcome to my new series, Around the World in Eighty Pieces! I’m excited to combine my love of travelling and clarinet repertoire by sharing a clarinet composition I “discovered” in each country. This series is not meant to be a comprehensive overview of the clarinet music from each country; rather, this is an appetizer to ignite your curiosity to learn more about the music, repertoire, and clarinet cultures of each place. I love learning about other clarinet music from around the world, so please contact me or leave a comment with other pieces you would like to share. Liechtenstein is a micronation in Europe with a population of close to forty thousand (and about…
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Around the World in Eighty Pieces – #4 Estonia
Welcome to my new series, Around the World in Eighty Pieces! I’m excited to combine my love of travelling and clarinet repertoire by sharing a clarinet composition I “discovered” in each country. This series is not meant to be a comprehensive overview of the clarinet music from each country; rather, this is an appetizer to ignite your curiosity to learn more about the music, repertoire, and clarinet cultures of each place. I love learning about other clarinet music from around the world, so please contact me or leave a comment with other pieces you would like to share. A common question I get asked is what my favorite country is. It’s hard to…
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Around the World in Eighty Pieces – #3 Faroe Islands
Welcome to my new series, Around the World in Eighty Pieces! I’m excited to combine my love of travelling and clarinet repertoire by sharing a clarinet composition I “discovered” in each country. This series is not meant to be a comprehensive overview of the clarinet music from each country; rather, this is an appetizer to ignite your curiosity to learn more about the music, repertoire, and clarinet cultures of each place. I love learning about other clarinet music from around the world, so please contact me or leave a comment with other pieces you would like to share. Background If we’ve ever spoken IRL, you know that it’s only a matter of time…
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Around the World in Eighty Pieces – #2 Denmark
Welcome to my new series, Around the World in Eighty Pieces! I’m excited to combine my love of travelling and clarinet repertoire by sharing a clarinet composition I “discovered” in each country. This series is not meant to be a comprehensive overview of the clarinet music from each country; rather, this is an appetizer to ignite your curiosity to learn more about the music, repertoire, and clarinet cultures of each place. I love learning about other clarinet music from around the world, so please contact me or leave a comment with other pieces you would like to share. I first travelled to Denmark for a few days before my residency in the Faroe…
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Around the World in Eighty Pieces – #1 New Zealand
Welcome to the first post in my new series, Around the World in Eighty Pieces! I’m excited to combine my love of travelling and clarinet repertoire by sharing a piece I “discovered” in each country. This series is not meant to be a comprehensive overview of the clarinet music from each country; rather, this is an appetizer to ignite your curiosity to learn more about the music, repertoire, and clarinet cultures of each place. I love learning about other clarinet music from around the world, so please contact me or leave a comment with other pieces you would like to share. First up, New Zealand! Last month was my first…