This week’s Quick Fix Friday is a public service announcement reminding you to swab your instrument regularly! I’m sure that by now, many of you have seen the report circulating on social media of the man who died from “bagpipe lung.” If you haven’t, you can read the story here. Basically, doctors were unable to determine why an otherwise healthy man was plagued by breathing and lung problems. After his death, they discovered that the bagpipe he played as a hobby contained fungus and bacteria. This isn’t an isolated case – another man with “saxophone lung” didn’t clean his clarinet for over 30 years. Luckily, doctors were able to isolate…

One of my favorite masterclass moments was when an audience member asked the pedagogue, “What about reeds?” To which he responded, “Yes, reeds are a good idea.” Reeds are either the best part of our day or the bane of our existence. So many factors affecting reeds are out of our control – humidity, temperature, altitude, full moons, what color socks you wear (just kidding on the last two, but doesn’t it feel that way sometimes?). There is one thing within your control which can make a huge difference in how well your reeds responds, and that is the reed placement on the mouthpiece.  This is highly individual, but a…

Remember when you were first learning to play the clarinet? Chances are, your first note was open G, bottom line E, or low C. Things were great (minus the inevitable squeaks) and all was smooth sailing until you reached middle B. I remember my middle school band director telling me that middle B was the hardest note to learn on the clarinet. At the time, I laughed inwardly as I breezed through the chalumeau register…..and then came to an abrupt halt as I approached the clarion register. From a young age, I learned never to doubt your band director. Why is middle B so difficult for beginners to play at…