Favorite blog posts, September 2021
- The Flute Examiner (Kelly Wilson): A New Practice Strategy to Try
- Jennet Ingle | Oboist: Glorified Long Tones
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Favorite blog posts, December 2015
I am pleased once again to share some excellent woodwind-related blog posts from the past month, and especially to point you toward some bloggers appearing here for the first time. Enjoy!
- Jenny Maclay’s 12 Days of Clarinet Christmas is a nice (non-denominational) list of potential practice material.
- Betsy Sturdevant shares some ideas on practicing double-tonguing on the bassoon, particularly as applied to Beethoven 4.
- David Pope shares some realities of being a university saxophone professor.
- Saxophonist Donna Schwartz explains her process for learning a large number of tunes in a short time for a rock gig.
- Saxophone technician Matt Stohrer is doing incredibly valuable work with his “Open Source Saxophone Project.”
- Bassoonist Christina Feigel explains the concept of “tilt” in musical performance, and gives some ideas for overcoming it. (Also, congratulations to Christina on completing her DMA degree!)
- Flutist Rachel Taylor Geier wrote a couple of excellent posts, about 3rd-octave “trick” (overtone) fingerings, and about tendinitis. (Be sure to consult a medical professional for any concerns about injuries.)
- Mostly-flutist Hannah Haefele explains why she is dropping a secondary instrument to focus on the flute.
- Eric from Midwest Musical Imports demonstrates oboe crack repair in a brief interesting video.
- Bassoonist Jessi Vandagriff gives advice on business practices for private teachers.
Favorite blog posts, October 2023
Just one post to share this month:
- Nadina Mackie (bassoon): PLAYING BY HEART – memorizing bassoon concerti
Favorite blog posts, May 2016
- Saxophonist Michael Shults advocates a thoughtful approach to musical versatility (doubling, playing jazz and classical music, etc.).
- Wistam Boustany discusses power vs. economy in flute playing.
- Oboist Jennet Ingle compares methods of ensuring playable performance reeds.
- Saxophonist Sven Seebeck suggests tips for trying out mouthpieces.
- Rachel Taylor Geier explains the flute’s C-sharp trill key.
Favorite blog posts, September 2014
- Flutist Katherine Emeneth gives some advice to students preparing to rehearse with a collaborative pianist.
- Saxophone maker Steve Goodson discusses some of the developments related to his saxophones over two decades. Whether or not you have interest in Goodson’s instruments particularly, it’s an interesting look at saxophone manufacture and innovation. Long read.
- Bassoonist Christin Schillinger shares some insights on practicing and time management.
- On Powell’s Teach Flute blog, Morgann Davis discusses some pros and cons of the split-E mechanism.
- Bassoonist Betsy Sturdevant muses on playing in spaces with varying acoustical properties.
- Timothy Owen lists the three things you need to know to play the saxophone.
- Bassoonist Trent Jacobs explains some useful electronic effects for amplified bassoon playing.
- Clarinet Cache catalogs some useful online bass clarinet resources.
- Bassoonist Kristopher King recommends keeping an audition journal. (Warning: site has auto-playing music.)
Favorite blog posts, August 2021
- EG-REEDS (Éric González, oboe): The importance of previous postural and respiratory work at the beginning of the study of woodwind instruments.
- Rachel Taylor Geier (flute): The Myth of the Magic Formula
- Bill Plake Music (saxophone): For This “Career Ending Condition”, There Is Hope
- The Flute Examiner (Kelly Wilson): Do You See What I See?
- Jenny Maclay (clarinet): 10 Ways to Create More Musical Phrases
Favorite blog posts, December 2013
Here are the woodwind-related blog posts that made my “nice” list for December. (One from late November seems to have slipped in here, too.)
- On his new blog, Timothy Owen explains how he tunes his saxophone like an M-16 assault rifle.
- Bassoonist Betsy Sturdevant (of the Columbus Symphony) reveals her basic reedmaking method.
- Cooper Wright doesn’t just play the oboe, he plays the concert hall.
- Theresa Koenig domesticates a wild recorder.
- David Freeman experiences a gig frustration common to woodwind doublers.
- Jennet Ingle plays the oboe while sick, and learns some things about her playing.
- Trent Jacobs shares a good contrabassoon fingering chart.
- Saxophonist Bill Plake discusses advanced metronome usage.
- Steve Moffett uses a vibrato exercise to develop his flute tone.
- Jeff Cunningham has a literary adventure in the saxophone’s upper register.
- Matt London asks some important questions about the “classical” tenor saxophone.
- Bassoonist Christin Schillinger clears up some misconceptions about practicing.
Enjoy!