- Jennifer Cluff (flute): Top Ten Secrets of Great Flute Playing pdf
- Aaron Lakota (oboe): Reed Knife Sharpening, A Guide For Reed Makers
- The Flute Examiner (Jessica Dunnavant): Lights, Camera, Flute, Action!
- Everything Saxophone (Ben Britton): Learning Altissimo: From Low B♭ to Over Four Octaves Up
- Northwoods Oboe: Avoid My Reedmaking Mistakes: Not Adjusting With the Seasons
- The Flute View (Alan Medak): The ABCs of Music Stand Lighting
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
Some woodwind problems with competition repertoire rules
Here are some repertoire-related problems I’ve encountered trying to get my woodwind students signed up for competitions. These range from significant national/international competitions down to small competitions within my own university music department. Some are competitions designed by woodwind-savvy folks and some aren’t. I mention these problems here in the hope that it will be … Read more
Review: Multiple-woodwinds works by Darren Lord
I heard recently from Paul Saunders, whose compositions and publications for multiple woodwinds I have previously reviewed. He called my attention to an astonishing number of recent multiple-woodwinds compositions by Darren Lord, a musical director, keyboardist, and more who has worked on London’s West End theater scene. At the time of this writing, Lord’s music … Read more
Favorite blog posts, August 2021
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, August 2021 edition.
How to behave at your first classical music concert, and why it’s so weird
I hope you enjoy your first classical music performance! Sometimes the etiquette can seem a little foreign. I’ll try to help you understand what to do, and why classical music fans do things that way. The most important thing is not to distract the audience and the performers. Some common concert etiquette “rules” include: Be … Read more