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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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Graduation Gift Ideas for the Clarinetist in Your Life
Congratulations! A special clarinetist in your life is graduating high school, college, or beyond, and you would like to celebrate all their accomplishments and hard work! Here are some graduation presents any clarinetist would be happy to receive: Clarinet care package. Get creative and put together a care package. You can include anything you think they’ll like, such as a cute practice journal, comfy practice socks, travel toothbrush (oral hygiene is important for clarinetists!), lip balm, small toiletry/makeup bag to corral accessories, water bottle, and whatever else you find. A quality music stand. Confession time: I used a portable metal music stand for way too long, and one of the…
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How to Overcome FOMO for Musicians
With the pervasiveness of social media, FOMO (or fear of missing out) is becoming a more common issue. Whether you’re seeing evidence of your friend’s trip to Bali or lusting over somebody’s new designer purchase, it’s easy to feel like the world is passing you by. FOMO is an ugly combination of jealousy, insecurity, and ennui with your own life in comparison to others. Everybody has experienced FOMO at some point during their lives, but it’s especially prevalent among the hyper-competitive world of music. Job scarcity, cut-throat auditions, and a plethora of other factors can make FOMO feel more personal to musicians. When you see your friends and colleagues traveling…
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The Complete Guide to Buying Your First A Clarinet
There comes a time in every serious clarinetist’s life when transposing (or playing Mozart on B-flat) just doesn’t cut it anymore – you need to buy a A clarinet. Here’s everything you need to know before you make your purchase: What’s the difference between the A and B-flat clarinet? Historically, clarinets have been created in every key signature except F# and C#. In the olden days, primitive key work prevented any single clarinet from easily accessing every key signature, so performing a piece in D major required use of a D clarinet. Over time as clarinet manufacturers improved the clarinet, the need for a clarinet army diminished. However, certain…
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Band Roadblocks: Reasons Why You’re Not Improving As Much As You Would Like
I’ll be the first to admit that I can be a bit…impatient. Maybe it’s my sense of millennial instant gratification, or maybe it’s just pent up creative energy – whatever the case, it can be frustrating in music. Improving your musical abilities takes time and effort, and it can be exasperating to feel like you’re putting in more than you’re getting out. This is especially true in band programs, where you’re side-by-side with musicians of all levels and it’s easy to compare yourself to others. Here are a few roadblocks which could be preventing you from reaching your potential: You don’t practice enough. Just like you have homework in math…
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The Clarinetist’s Guide to Braces
Braces can do wonders to help create the perfect smile, but let’s face it – they’re a real pain in the…mouth. The majority of people will have braces at some point in their life. A common age to get braces is during the preteen or early teen years, which is coincidentally around the time many clarinetists begin their musical journey! Fear not – braces don’t have to put an end to your clarinet career! Here’s everything you need to know about playing the clarinet with braces, whether you’ve already played for a while or are planning to start after you get braces. Can you play clarinet with braces? Yes, although…
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Alabama All State Audition Boot Camp for Clarinetists
Happy November! The air’s getting colder as marching band comes to a close for another season, which can only mean one thing… All State auditions are just around the corner! That’s right, it’s time to dust off those scales and polish those etudes, because auditions will be here before you know it! Lucky for you, I’ve created a free 8-week boot camp for clarinetists of all ages to prepare for their All State audition, whether it’s your first time or you have a few auditions under your belt. I’m a veteran of the Alabama All State Band system, having made 1st chair in the Red Band multiple times, and I…
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So You Want to Play an Auxiliary Clarinet?
One of the great things about the clarinet is that it has quite the extended family. From the mighty contra-bass clarinet to the wailing E-flat clarinet, there is a veritable orchestra of clarinets at our disposal. Although each clarinet uses basically the same fingerings and similar fundamentals, each auxiliary clarinet presents its own unique challenges. Here’s everything you need to known about playing an auxiliary clarinet: Why should you play an auxiliary clarinet? To become more marketable. More clarinets = more gigs. Your band director or ensemble conductor asked you to double or switch. Most importantly: because clarinets are cool and you want to learn an auxiliary clarinet! Which auxiliary…
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The Clarinetist’s College Packing List
It’s that time of year again – school bells are ringing, stores are advertising discounted school supplies, and college-bound musicians are preparing for their impending move. I’m preparing for my own upcoming move to Montreal, so I thought it would be nice to share my packing list for all my fellow clarinetists (because we all know that I have a slight obsession with making lists). Keep in mind that this list is just music-related products and is not comprehensive, so don’t forget to pack the essentials (you know, like clothes and stuff). clarinets – Bb, A, Eb, bass, plastic clarinet for marching band, or any other clarinets you may need…
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Quick Fix Friday: Breathe Like Kirby
I love video games, especially when I can combine them with clarinet pedagogy. This week’s Quick Fix Friday is an analogy to help younger students (especially gamers) visualize proper breathing. I’ve taught dozens of beginner clarinetists over the years, and one of the most important fundamentals they must learn is air and breath support. Many younger students aren’t using enough air, and I can only say “More air!” so many times before we both get frustrated. Enter Kirby. He (or she??) is cute, cotton-candy pink…and a breathing machine! Anyone that’s ever underestimated Kirby in SSB (that’s Super Smash Bros., for any of my non-gamer readers) knows that his gale-force wind…
