- Jennet Ingle | Oboist: Authenticity or Integrity
- Flute Journal (Aleisha Ward): Pioneers of Jazz Flute
- The Flute Examiner (Keith Hanlon): Pieces And Parts – A Piccolo COA
- The Flute Examiner (Jessica Dunnavant): Watch Your Speed!
- The Flute View (Betty Bang Mather): Qigong Standing Meditations for Healthy Flute Posture
Shaping a phrase
When a woodwind player plays a phrase like this: …it could have a variety of shapes, depending. But often a rising line gets a subtle crescendo, and a long note at the end gets a little decrescendo: To play create this shape, you blow air that makes the shape. You can imagine playing a single … Read more
A woodwind player’s introduction to: recorders
For a “modern” woodwind player, recorders might show up in “period” classical music performance or in commercial situations like musical theater or studio gigs. They might be used in commercial settings to evoke Renaissance or Baroque periods, to function generically as “world” or folk flutes with robust chromatic capabilities, or (maybe due to their association … Read more
What is my old instrument worth?
If you have an old musical instrument and are wondering about its value, here are a few things to keep in mind: Prepare yourself for the very strong possibility that it has little or no monetary value. The vast majority of musical instruments don’t increase in value over time. For most instruments there’s not a … Read more
Favorite blog posts, October 2021
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, October 2021 edition.
Preparing a focused mind
I find that in performance my mind isn’t always focused on what I would like. I’m easily distracted by conditions in the performance space, audience reactions, or, especially, the ways that my playing isn’t everything I would like it to be. When I get distracted, and especially when it turns into negative self-talk, it’s easy … Read more
How to have a good lesson
I’ve taught lots of woodwind lessons, from beginner to college level. Here are some things that I look for in a good, successful lesson: Has the student made progress since the previous lesson? If things sound the same as last time, that’s not a good sign. I can tell when students are focusing their practice … Read more
How to convince me not to play your newly-composed piece
My inbox runneth over with invitations to buy and perform composers’ new pieces. I’d like to play new works, but some composers make it harder for me to accept their invitations. Here’s how: Failure of fit. If I’m clearly just on your email-blast list of 3,000 clarinetists, there’s a fair chance your new piece doesn’t … Read more
Favorite blog posts, September 2021
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, September 2021 edition.
Recital videos, August 2021
I’m pleased to share videos from my recent Delta State University faculty recital. I performed for a reduced in-person audience due to COVID-19 precautions. All the repertoire involves electronics of some kind: prerecorded tracks, a looper, an actual electronic instrument (the Akai EWI), and/or live signal processing. This was my first time doing something so electronics-intensive, and … Read more