- oboeinsight (Patty Mitchell): Acknowledge the Listeners!
- Sam Newsome’s Blogspot: Soprano Sax Talk: Teachers Versus Role Models, and The Note Onion Theory
- Jenny Maclay: Common Clarinet Emergencies and How to Fix Them, and Questions to Ask Yourself for a More Productive Practice Session
- Jennifer Stucki, oboist: How does the altitude affect your reeds?
- Recorder Jen (Jennifer Mackerras): How to take apart stuck plastic recorder joints
- Angela Lickiss-Aleo: IDRS Class on Contemporary Techniques
- eflatclarinetproject (Jennifer Fraley): Getting Back to Practicing
Fingering Diagram Builder, version 0.8
I’m pleased to announce a new release of the Fingering Diagram Builder. One thing I wanted to do in this release is give something back to the very generous and sexy people who have been kind enough to use the PayPal donation link to show their support over the years, so I’ve added some special … Read more
Where to buy your child’s new school band instrument
There are pros and cons to the places you might shop for a band instrument. Here’s what you need to know, bad news first: Big-box stores (Walmart, Costco, etc.): these may already be your favorite places for one-stop back-to-school shopping, but a musical instrument probably shouldn’t be on your list here. The “instruments” they sell … Read more
What if I don’t love to practice?
Musicians are supposed to wake up every day filled with a burning desire to practice for hours, right? If you don’t feel that way, you must not really have what it takes, right? And even if you don’t feel like practicing, you should be able to will yourself to do it anyway, right? It’s normal … Read more
Favorite blog posts, June 2019
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, June 2019 edition.
What are registers?
“Registers” are a tricky concept in woodwind playing. Here’s how they work. For simplicity’s sake, let’s say I am playing a flute with a C footjoint. If I finger a low C, that closes all the instrument’s toneholes and produces a C4: As I work my way up the chromatic scale, I gradually open more … Read more
So you want to hire a horn section
So, you want to hire a “horn” section for an upcoming gig or recording. Great! Horns can add a special touch to your rock, pop, blues, etc. performance. If you haven’t hired horns before, here are some things to keep in mind: A small thing: the word “horn” as it’s used in this kind of … Read more
Woodwind doubling and oboe problems
There’s an increasing expectation that woodwind doublers be competent and confident oboists. It can be a challenging double, but a worthwhile one. Many of my doubling gigs have come to me because of my ability and/or willingness to play the oboe. And even though it’s not my strongest instrument, there are considerable spans of my … Read more
Favorite blog posts, May 2019
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, May 2019 edition.
Time-crunch vs. long-term practicing
My approach to practicing has to adapt to deadlines. Sometimes the deadlines come up fast, and there isn’t time to make everything as perfect as I would like. Other times I have plenty of preparation time and want to make the best use of it. Suppose the music I’m working on has one or two … Read more