- Saxophonist Kristen McKeon auspiciously launches her blog with a post on mindfulness in rehearsal [update: link dead].
- Flutist Jolene Harju uses a custom warmup sheet.
- Gentry Ragsdale-Szeto shares her journey as a woodwind doubler.
- Matt Stohrer offers some tips on navigating the modern saxophone market.
- Flutist Cynthia Ellis has an epiphany about the much-fretted-over “teardrop” lip.
- Jeff Cunningham gives advice to beginners about the “spitty” saxophone sound.
- Flutist Deanna Mathews Kilbourne suggests what to practice first.
- Joan Marti-Frasquier shares a quarter-tone fingering chart for baritone saxophone.
Month: March 2017
Priorities and patience
Student: I really just want to improve my sound.
Beautiful tone is a nice goal, but it’s subjective, and it’s inextricable from less-sexy pursuits like consistent tone, solid intonation, and reliable response. Let’s expand your focus to your overall tone production and make sure you do lots of listening to the great players. Then you’ll be equipped to play beautiful ideas, not just beautiful notes.
Advice on graduate performance study and university teaching careers
My university students are mostly undergraduate music education majors, but many at some point inquire about graduate school, including a performance degree path and eventual university teaching. Here are some things you should know about graduate performance studies if you’re an undergraduate music major.
Review: D’Addario Select Jazz tenor saxophone mouthpieces
I’ve already done thorough reviews of the D’Addario clarinet mouthpieces (twice) and alto saxophone jazz mouthpieces, both of which immediately replaced the competing Vandoren products I was previously using. So, naturally I’ve been very anxious for the release of the hard rubber tenor saxophone jazz mouthpiece, and I got my hands on some samples earlier … Read more