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Musical Inspiration from Leonard Bernstein
This blog post originally appeared as a digital clarinet studio lecture for the Iowa State University clarinetists. For this week’s studio class, I would like to share one of my greatest musical inspirations with you all. Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) was a true Renaissance man – conductor, composer, pedagogue, author, and cultural icon. He made classical music accessible to the general public and used it to promote peace and break down barriers around the world. Here are a few of my favorite videos of him discussing teaching, classical music, and many other subjects which are still relevant today. Teachers & Teaching Young People’s Concerts – What Does Music Mean (Part 1…
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Virtual clarinet scavenger hunt
This blog post originally appeared as a digital clarinet studio lecture for the Iowa State University clarinetists. Now that you’ve explored some diverse repertoire in our last virtual scavenger hunt, it’s time for another challenge. We’re going to broaden our focus to help you discover many things this week in the wonderful, wide world of clarinet. I would like for you to browse the internet to find the following people, places, and things (all new-to-you): clarinetist historical clarinetist chamber ensemble with clarinet clarinet brand and/or model reed brand and/or cut terrible stock photo of a clarinetist clarinet website, blog, forum, or newsletter book about the clarinet clarinet method, étude, scale,…
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Practicing Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
By now, you’ve undoubtedly learned that there’s no substitute for consistent and focused practice. But what if no matter how much you’re practicing, the results never seem to last? Here are some common practicing pitfalls and why these might be sabotaging your practicing efforts: Not using a metronome. For the love of Mozart (feel free to insert your favorite composer here), use a metronome! If you’re not using a metronome, you have no barometer to measure your progress. Using a metronome will vastly improve your rhythmic accuracy and help you keep track of your improvement over time. Playing things too fast too soon. Technique is built slowly and steadily (emphasis…
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How to Maintain Your Practice Schedule During the Holidays
There’s no doubt about it, December is a hectic time of year. Combine the holidays with the general end of year craziness, and it can wreak havoc on your practice schedule. This is especially dangerous for musicians, as many college and festival auditions are at the beginning of the year. While it might feel nice now to take some time off, you probably wouldn’t feel so great as your auditions approach. Here are a few ways you can maintain an effective practice schedule during the end of year crunch time: Practice first thing in the morning. For me, there is nothing worse than the nagging feeling of having to practice…
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An End of Term Note of Encouragement for Musicians
Whether you are currently a music student, teacher, freelancer, or any other type of musician, you are probably feeling the stress as another year comes to a close. Compounding that anxiety is the realization that we are about to enter another decade! I’m here to reassure you that you are so close to finishing this hurdle in your musical journey. I know that many of you reading this right now are probably burnt out and feeling uninspired. There never seem to be enough hours in the day to finish what you have to do, let alone what you want to do. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by everything, and you…
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How to Play Well When You’re Feeling Under the Weather
It’s that time of year again – and I’m not talking about the holiday cheer! Stress is high, immune systems are weak, and many of us are battling the unfortunate realities of cold and flu season. Unfortunately, the music doesn’t always stop when we’re feeling under the weather. As we all know, the show must go on, even if you’re not feeling 100%. If you are sick but have to perform, I’ve created a few tips to help you get through your performance. These are intended for performing – not practicing – while you’re sick. If at all possible, you should take a few days off practicing to fully recover.…
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How to Spend the 24 Hours Before Your Next Audition
The 24 hours before an audition or a performance are a unique kind of hell for musicians. Do you cram in some final practice? Do you sleep late and stay away from your instrument? There’s no single formula for everyone, but here’s the advice I use before any important performance or audition: Avoid social media. To get in a good mental place, I avoid using social media for at least a day before my performance. I believe that you have to be a little selfish before auditions, and that includes not wasting any mental or emotional energy on social media. Pamper yourself. Self-care plays a huge role in my pre-audition…
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A Musician’s Guide to Fighting Imposter Syndrome
Have you ever had a nagging feeling that despite all your years of hard work, dedication, and accolades, you still aren’t good enough to be a “real” musician? Maybe you won an audition, got a teaching position, or some other awesome post (congratulations!) but feel like your colleagues might think you don’t deserve to be there. Perhaps you chalk up your success to mere luck or factors beyond your control. That, my friend, is called the imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome can happen to anyone, but musicians seem especially prone to this phenomenon. Perhaps it’s all those years of ingrained sky-high expectations and fierce competition for opportunities. Whatever the reason, this…
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How to Focus on Your Own Musical Progress and Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
One of my favorite aspects of being a musician is all the wonderful friendships that have developed throughout my musical journey. I’m so #blessed to have met and performed with people from around the globe, and it’s so awe-inspiring to think that music is what brought us all together. Thanks to the powers of social media, it’s easy to stay in touch with my music friends. The downside of this is that it can be all too easy to get caught up in comparing your musical progress with the progress of your friends. Musicians embark on a multitude of different paths, and there is no universal journey – so why…
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Why You Should Create Practice Rituals to Boost Motivation & Productivity
Musicians sign a lifetime contract to commit to practicing consistently. Oftentimes, the hardest part is simply opening the case and committing to practicing – which is why you should embrace the power of rituals to increase motivation. Although you might not be able to practice at the same time or in the same place every day, you can build tiny rituals that signal to your brain it’s time to switch to practice mode. Scientific studies have proven that rituals can provide us with a sense of control and can even improve confidence – both of which are beneficial for a productive practice session. Here are a few suggestions to build…