- Jenny Maclay gets a little judgy (not really) about deadly clarinet sins.
- Flutist Meerenai Shim explains the “tongue ram” extended technique.
- Clarinetist Denise Gainey shares somes memories of Kalman Opperman.
- Jessica Valiente shares a chapter from her dissertation on charanga flute music.
- Oboist Jennet Ingle submits her report from the International Double Reed Society conference. (Stay tuned for my own report.)
Month: June 2016
Tonguing and language sounds
Be wary of pedagogical approaches to woodwind articulation that depend on analogies to speech sounds. The most common, at least in the English-speaking world, is the idea that tonguing is like saying “too” or “doo.” And certainly there are significant mechanical similarities, especially with “too.” “Doo” doesn’t work as well because it is a voiced consonant, … Read more
Woodwind instrument “care kits” are bad news
Congratulations on your new student-level flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, or saxophone! Your music store’s friendly sales associate is probably insisting that you purchase a “care kit” as well. I recommend that you do not buy it, because it is, at best, a waste of your money, and, at worst, a hazard to the instrument’s wellbeing.
Stuff bad music teachers say
Have the courage, conscience, and dedication to pursue deeper, broader, and more accurate knowledge of the concepts you are teaching.