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Why You Should Treat Long Tones Like Musical Meditation
Over the past year, I’ve started exploring musical mindfulness and intentionality. I’ve been practicing yoga and meditation and noticing the parallels they share with music, and these have greatly benefited me as a musician. Meditation and mindfulness can mean different things to different people. For me, they are a chance to focus on the present moment without worrying about the past or future. They are also a chance to focus on breathing and connecting with your body. During this journey, I came across this profound realization: Long tones are meditation in a musical form. I am a firm believer in the power of long tones, but too often they are…
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How and Why You Should Do an Annual Clarinet Checkup
Life is busy. I get it. One day you start playing clarinet, and before you know it, ten, twenty, thirty, plus years have passed. Once you find your groove, it’s easy to coast along on autopilot without always making conscious decisions (or efforts) like you used to. It’s important to take some time every year to stop, re-evaluate, and make sure that you and your clarinet are both performing at optimal levels. I like to call this a clarinet checkup. Here’s a checklist so you can schedule your own clarinet checkup: Is all my equipment still performing at the highest level? I’m not a big gear-head or equipment junkie –…
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100 Famous Female Clarinetists Throughout History
Any time is a great time to celebrate all the amazing women in the music industry. However, it seems extra appropriate to acknowledge some of them during the year of the woman, commemorating 100 years of women’s voting rights in the United States. As always, this list is not intended to be comprehensive. I’m always interested in hearing your suggestions for those you’d add to your own list, so please leave comments below with your ideas! If you’re interested, I also wrote a more detailed description of some famous female clarinetists throughout history. Mariam Adam Michelle Anderson Laura Ardan Lori Ardovino Diane Barger Ivy Benson Jessica Bessac Deborah Bish Romy…
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How to create a great recital program (and how it’s similar to planning a dinner party)
Potentially unpopular opinion: I love creating recital programs. I have lists with ideas for future recital themes and programs, and it continues to grow with each new piece I discover. There is an art to choosing a great recital program – it should be well-balanced but also interesting for both audience and performer. Once you choose the program, you have to decide on a guest list of friends, family, and colleagues to invite. Then choose the date, find a venue, plan your outfit, etc, etc. If you think about it, planning a recital is oddly similar to hosting a dinner party. Selecting repertoire for a program is a lot like…
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Sneaky Air Saboteurs
When something goes wrong, clarinetists have a lot we can point the finger at – reeds, mouthpieces, ligatures, slippery hands…the list is endless! But the majority of the time clarinetists encounter problems, it’s usually the same culprit – air! Air is the driving force behind everything we do, and there are many sneaky air saboteurs which can impede your progress. Here are a few to be aware of while you practice: Improper chin position. Your chin should be parallel to the floor when you play. If you dip your head too low or raise it too high, you are obstructing air flow. Taking teacup breaths. Imagine you’re at a fancy…
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Common Clarinet Emergencies and How to Fix Them
(Updated April 17, 2024) Picture this: you’re having a productive practice session. Things are going smoothly, you’re feeling great, you’re even having a good reed day, and then… Emergency strikes! Clarinet players are bound to cross certain inevitable problems. Don’t panic! Here are a few common clarinet emergencies and how you can fix them: My swab got stuck inside my clarinet! This is usually caused by the material wadding up inside the tube. Twist the pull several times to decrease the size of the material and carefully try to pull out. If it won’t budge, don’t go all Hulk on it – take it to a certified clarinet technician. Avoid…
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30 Famous French Clarinetists
Happy Bastille Day – vive la France! I will always consider France my adopted country, so to celebrate this French national holiday I’ve listed 30 famous French clarinetists. As always, this list is not intended to be comprehensive. I have tried to include notable clarinetists who spent their formative years in France, but many of these clarinetists later moved to perform in other countries. Michel Arrignon Nicholas Baldeyrou Frédéric Berr Philippe Berrod Daniel Bonade Jacques Jules Boufil Louis Cahuzac Lucien Cailliet Florent Charpentier Philippe Cuper Alain Damiens Guy Dangain Ulysse Delécluse Guy Deplus Pierre Gennison Georges Grisez Gaston Hamelin Florent Héau Paul Jeanjean Hyacinthe Klosé Jacques Lancelot Jean-Xavier Lefèvre Paul…
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50 Famous American Clarinetists
Happy Independence Day, America! To help celebrate and put you in a patriotic state of mind, here are 50 famous American clarinetists, listed alphabetically by last name. (Disclaimer: This list is not intended to be comprehensive – there are so many awesome American clarinetists past, present, and future! I tried to use clarinetists who were born in America, although there are countless talented players who moved here from other countries to perform. Make sure you share any American clarinetists you’d add to your own list in the comments!) Ben Armato Sidney Bechet Kalman Bloch Lawrie Bloom Clark Brody Carmine Campione Frank Cohen Jonathan Cohler Larry Combs Eddie Daniels Buddy DeFranco…
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Canadian Clarinet Compositions
Happy Canada Day! I’ve enjoyed my first year in this beautiful country as I complete my doctorate in Montreal. I’d like to celebrate this national holiday with a list of some works for clarinet by Canadian composers I’ve discovered during my time up north. By no means is this list comprehensive, so feel free to share your favorite Canadian clarinet compositions below! Violet Archer – Moods for clarinet and alto saxophone (Archer also wrote Soliloquies for B-flat and A clarinet, along with Crossroads for solo clarinet) John Beckwith – Fall Scene and Fair Dance for clarinet, violin, and strings Alan Belkin – Sonata No. 2 for clarinet and piano Stephen Chatman…
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Small Equipment Upgrades That Make a Huge Difference
One of the fun parts about being a musician is personalizing your setup to help maximize your potential. One of the not-so-fun parts about being a musician is having to pay for these upgrades. If a new clarinet, mouthpiece, or ligature isn’t in your immediate future, here are some smaller equipment upgrades you can make which will make a big difference: A new swab without exposed metal. Many clarinet swabs have a weighted metal pull so that the material doesn’t get stuck in the bore of your clarinet, but any exposed metal can scratch the interior of your clarinet. Find a weighted swab which is encased in fabric, rubber, or…
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