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A Clarinetist’s Guide to Paris
When most people think of Paris, images of the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, and other famous monuments come to mind. These are all must-sees for any tourist, but I’ve collected a few places clarinetists shouldn’t miss. So, if you’re a clarinetist and planning on visiting Paris in the future, here are my recommendations of places to see and things to do: Instrument Manufacturers, Repairs & Accessories Vandoren Paris: Not only is 56 Rue Lepic the culmination of 110 years of quality clarinet and saxophone accessories, but Vandoren’s Paris headquarters houses an impressive collection of clarinet sheet music, recordings, and books. You can also try any piece of Vandoren equipment in one…
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7 Deadly Clarinet Sins
Gluttony: Thou shalt not partake in too much of one composer, instead exploring the vast landscape which clarinet repertoire has to offer. Pride: If thou believes that he or she is without fault, let them be reminded of the Nielsen, Francaix, Tomasi, and Corigliano concerti. Let them also be reminded that even the greatest clarinetist can be humbled by a bad reed. Pride (and a bad reed) goeth before a fall. Greed: Thou shalt not hoard and covet thy equipment and accessories. Only purchase what is necessary and refrain from debates on online clarinet forums. Lust: Thou shalt not lust after the success, equipment, career, or performances of another clarinetist.…
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Spring Cleaning: Clarinet Edition
It’s that time of year again, when you trade in your peppermint mochas for iced coffee, bid adieu to your winter jacket, shamelessly post pictures of blooming flowers on social media…..and reluctantly realize you should really start your spring cleaning. If the idea of spring cleaning is foreign to you, I’m here to help. I’m a lifelong professional neat-freak and organizer. I don’t let seasons dictate my cleaning habits, although there’s something satisfying about marking the end of winter with a clean space. I am a firm believer in the power of an organized room. If you are surrounded by visual clutter, it is transferred into mental clutter (aka stress!). If…
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13 Things That Annoy Every Clarinetist
Playing the clarinet is usually pretty awesome. We can play any genre of music – classical, jazz, Klezmer, pop. We blend well with most instruments. Heck, even Mozart loved us (his favorite instrument was the basset clarinet!). Clarinetists are known for being down-to-earth, but there are some things that will always irritate us: 1. When your ligature slides while changing clarinets 2. Getting spit in your keys 3. Warped reeds 4. Having to play a school-owned auxiliary instrument, which are usually plastic and in serious need of repair 5. Having to transpose C clarinet parts 6. When composers give you zero time to switch clarinets…. 7. ….Or zero time to turn…
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10 Mildly Irritating Moments in Clarinet Repertoire
You know those times when you’re playing through your clarinet music (the classics, if you will) and it’s all smooth sailing? You’re getting all the accidentals, tricky rhythms, and life is good…until you reach one of these infamously annoying sections. Nothing impossible, but gosh darn it, why did the composer have to do that? Kudos to you if you can name each piece! What other mildly irritating moments in clarinet repertoire can you think of?
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12 Days of Clarinet Christmas
Spread the joy of proper fundamentals, great warm-up routines, and good musicianship among clarinetists! Whether you are shopping for a special clarinetist in your life or getting a head-start on your own musical New Year’s resolutions, this list will keep you practicing for many hours into the holiday season and beyond. I hope this list spreads holiday cheer and inspires clarinetists of all ages to enjoy their practicing and music making. Enjoy the 12 Days of Clarinet Christmas! 12 Scale Studies Carl Baermann Complete Method for the Clarinet, Op. 63 (3rd Division) Pares Daily Exercises and Scales for Clarinet Emile Stiévenard Practical Study of the Scales B. Albert 24 Varied…
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A Very Clarinet Thanksgiving
Today is the day we should all take a moment to reflect on the things that make us grateful. After careful consideration, here are a few things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving: That Nielsen only wrote one clarinet concerto That the Mendelssohn “Scherzo” is only 92 (…or sometimes 88…) I’m not playing Daphnis & Chloe anytime soon I don’t play contrabass clarinet Or alto clarinet I don’t have to read alto clef (save that nonsense for the violas and bassoons!) I don’t have to worry about double reeds Or make my own reeds, for that matter I don’t have to memorize music (poor pianists!) Clarinets are not as heavy…
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Quick Fix Friday: Right Pinky
Hello, and happy Friday the 13th! Today’s quick fix will help polish your technique and make technical passages so much easier, all in one fell swoop. The secret? When possible, use your right pinky to play low E, F, F#/Gb, and G#/Ab or middle B, C, C#/Db, and D#/Eb (aka the “pinky notes”). If you’re coming from or going to another pinky note, this won’t work (Clarinet Commandment: Thou shalt never slide from one pinky note to another). But take a look at the final line of Cavallini’s “Adagio and Tarantella”: It is much easier to play B with your right pinky than your left (or with both pinkies). Keep…
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Ways to Upcycle Your Plastic Reed Cases
If you’re a single reed player (here’s looking at you clarinets and saxophones), you’ve probably hoarded enough plastic reed cases to build a small house for your cat. These plastic sleeves are useful in safely delivering reeds straight from the factory to your awaiting mouthpieces, but after you move the reeds from their sleeves to your reed cases (or other preferred method of storage), what can you do with the plastic sleeves? What’s the difference between recycling and upcycling? Basically, recycling is when an object changes forms. For example, a recycled Coke can might become a bicycle or parts for an airplane. This is a great website on recycling and discovering…
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10 Nightmares That Will Terrify Every Clarinetist
In honor of Halloween, here is a devilishly spooky list of things which will cause clarinetists around the world to seek cover under the nearest blanket and scream in terror. Read at your own risk, and don’t say I didn’t warn you! Playing the “Scherzo” from Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream…at 100 Being asked to solo the Mozart Concerto…and only having your Bb clarinet Perfecting an orchestral excerpt…before realizing it was written for C clarinet Reading the required audition excerpts list…and seeing the name Ginastera Dropping your mouthpiece…your original 1960s Kaspar Having to perform Peter and the Wolf…transposed half a step higher Being asked to solo with an orchestra…playing the Corigliano Concerto…tomorrow Realizing…