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Clarinet Holidays We Should Start Celebrating
Every day is a holiday when you play clarinet, but here are a few more clarinet-themed holidays we should start celebrating: International Clarinet Day – August 13 (Johann Denner’s birthday) Mozart Clarinet Concerto Day – June 22 (6/22 = K. 622) Brahms Clarinet Sonatas Day – January 20 (1/20 = Op. 120) Midsummer Night’s Dream Day – June 24 (Midsummer in many countries) International Day of Baermann – October 24 (I even wrote about why we should celebrate Baermann’s birthday!) Squidward Day – May 1 (the debut date of Spongebob Squarepants, featuring one of our favourite clarinetists – Squidward Tentacles!) What other clarinet holidays do you think we should we…
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7 Ways to Continue Improving Musically During Summer Vacation
Hurrah! You’re nearly done with another year of school, and the freedom of summer is so tantalizingly close! Summer vacation is a time for rest, relaxation, and recharging – but not relearning everything you worked so hard to achieve during the school year! The freedom summer presents is a double-edged sword – it’s great for impromptu decisions, but the lack of a structured schedule can derail event the most valiant motivational efforts. Here are a few ways you can keep your chops up (in proper band director lexicon) and stay musically motivated during the summer: Practice. Sounds obvious, but I’m always surprised to hear how many students want to improve…
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2019 March Madness Orchestral Excerpts Tournament
Let’s face it – orchestral excerpts are a necessary part of our clarinet existence. Whether you love them or hate them, they’re required of most serious clarinetists. They teach us valuable fundamentals, ensemble playing skills, and loads of patience throughout the years. Which is why I’ve created the 2019 Jenny Clarinet March Madness – Orchestral Excerpts tournament! This is a combination March Madness bracket (for all you sports fans) and orchestral excerpts boot camp. I’ve created a bracket with 32 standard orchestral excerpts for clarinet, and this bracket will serve as the boot camp and practice guideline for excerpts in March. Here’s how it works: I used a random online…
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2019 Horoscopes for Musicians
Happy New Year! Find your zodiac sign below to see what musical adventures 2019 has in store for you! (Disclaimer: These horoscopes were created to be humorous, encouraging, but not to be taken too seriously. After all, my background is in clarinet – not astrology.) Capricorn (December 22-January 19) – After overcoming recent obstacles, you’re ready to try new things. Start learning some new repertoire or branch out into different styles! Career: Make sure you have an updated CV to avoid any last-minute scrambling during application season. Aquarius (January 20-February 18) – This is your year for networking! Don’t be afraid to reach out to friends and colleagues to make…
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9 New Year’s Resolution Ideas for Musicians
Happy New Year! As each year comes to a close, millions of people vow to enter the following year a better person. Here are some ideas for musicians to make 2019 your best year yet: Create a practice routine that sticks. If you struggle with practicing consistently, dedicate the new year to finding a practice plan which is efficient and enjoyable. Do you function best early in the morning, late at night, or sometime in between? Do you like to break your practicing into smaller time chunks or do one larger session? Figure out what works best for you so you can practice more consistently in 2019. Here’s my guide…
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2019 Jenny Clarinet French Boot Camp
Are you looking to add a little je ne sais quoi to your practice routine? Maybe you want to practice à la française? Or maybe you just want to learn the Francaix Concerto or the Debussy Première rhapsodie, but don’t know where to begin? Say no more! I’ve created the 2019 Jenny Clarinet French Boot Camp, a 12-month practice plan centered around learning standard French repertoire and etudes! Each month contains a different method book or solo work, which I have organized into daily assignments. (Here is a sample boot camp.) Each month includes instructions and advice for each book or piece. If you follow my boot camp, you’ll complete one book,…
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Halloween Costume Ideas for Clarinetists
Updated September 7, 2021 Why not celebrate Halloween like the clari-nerd you are? Here are some delightfully dorky costume ideas for my fellow Halloween-loving clarinetists: A clarinet. Obvious, yet effective. Box of reeds. Grab some cardboard and recreate your favorite reed boxes! A reed. Bonus points for chipping/warping/mold/other personal touches. Edward Reedhands. Channel your inner Johnny Depp, but with reeds instead of knives. Jack the (Reed) Ripper. Serial killer + copiously placed reeds to confuse all your non-musician friends. Benny Goodman. Slicked back hair, glasses, suit and tie, and some swing solos are all you need. Mozart Concerto (or your other favorite piece of music). Feel free to use speakers to…
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Chilling Clarinet Solos to Get in the Halloween Spirit
Updated October 3, 2021 As clarinetists, we are lucky to have a veritable treasure trove of repertoire at our disposal. Throughout the years, I’ve curated quite the music library, including all the standard repertoire and some quirky gems I’ve found along the way. I’m sure I’m not the only clarinetist who has purchased incidental music by title alone, and I’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to share some of my favorites with you. I love planning and performing themed recitals, and I’d like to share some Halloween repertoire inspiration with you. Even though I haven’t performed all of these pieces, I’ve read through them and chosen them based on…
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Clarinet Crafts: How to Make a Reed Graveyard
As clarinetists, we spend a lot of our time with reeds. Buying reeds, testing reeds, adjusting reeds, rotating reeds, chipping reeds, warping reeds, crying over reeds…it only seems fitting that we give our reeds the proper burial that they so deserve. I got the inspiration for this idea from my student Julia, who created a reed graveyard for her dearly departed reeds several years ago. If you’re looking to honor the life and legacy of your favorite reeds, here’s how you can make your very own reed graveyard. What you’ll need: Shallow box, box lid, or other container (I used a baking tray) Styrofoam, sand, rocks or other surface to…
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The Bizarre Deaths of Historical Clarinetists
(updated October 2022) You probably know by now that October is my favourite month. I love feeling the brisk chill in the air, indulging in sugary seasonal coffee drinks, and enjoying the magnificent foliage around me. But what I love most about October is Halloween – the scary stories, horror movies, and everything macabre. I have quite the lineup of all things spooky and clarinet-related, so gather ’round the virtual campfire as we celebrate Halloween, Jenny Clarinet style! Prepare to be spooked by the peculiar demises of these historical clarinetists: Harmonides (c. 4th century BC) – During the time of Alexander the Great, Harmonides was an aulos student of Timotheus. (It…