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Bret Pimentel, woodwinds
Bret Pimentel, woodwinds
  • Education

    Seven habits of highly effective music students

    ByBret Pimentel October 19, 2010January 2, 2018
    Photo, greek0529

    Here are seven habits (apologies to Stephen Covey) I’ve observed so far in my most effective university music students—those that are making consistent improvement, performing successfully, and progressing toward graduation and career.

    1. Hit the practice rooms early. My best students don’t wait until the final hours of the day to get their practicing done. Practicing earlier on establishes in the student’s mind (and mine) that practicing is a priority. It also makes practice sessions more focused and less fatigue-prone, and encourages healthier sleep habits. (I do usually have the university’s music building to myself when I get to the office to practice at 7:00 am, but most weekdays a few student go-getters are warming up in the practice rooms by 8.)
    2. Use a pencil. A lot. I know it’s going to be a successful lesson when a student opens their etude book or repertoire piece and it’s covered with pencil marks. It shows me that students are getting to know their music in a meaningful, in-depth way, and that they are thinking through technical and interpretive issues. The students who keep their sheet music in perfect mint condition? Not so much. Read More “Seven habits of highly effective music students”
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  • Musicianship

    This week in airline travel with musical instruments

    ByBret Pimentel October 13, 2010January 3, 2018
    Photo, caruba

    A couple of blog posts related to airline travel with musical instruments have caught my eye so far this week:

    Saxophonist Greg Vail had a bad experience checking his horn. Yes, he did check it—sent it to be stowed in the airplane’s cargo hold rather than carrying it on himself. But it wasn’t the baggage handlers who caused a problem. It was security inspectors who opened the strong custom flight case, damaged the key clamps, broke some reeds, and couldn’t get everything packed up properly again.

    I know I need to carry this case because they have done this before, but the real question is why?? I feel like these goofballs would riffle thru my medicine cabinet given the chance just because they are noisy and idiots, but I digress.

    Read More “This week in airline travel with musical instruments”

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  • Woodwind playing and pedagogy

    Quick tutorial: Telemann Canonic Sonata on EWI, à la Jeff Kashiwa

    ByBret Pimentel October 7, 2010February 8, 2021

    I recently posted a video of Jeff Kashiwa demonstrating the Akai EWI4000s wind controller. As part of his demonstration, he plays a movement from one of the Telemann Canonic Sonatas (well, sort of an arrangement of one).

    The Canonic Sonatas are duo sonatas, with both musicians playing from the same part. (You can download free sheet music of the Canonic Sonatas from the IMSLP.) The first player begins, and the second player echoes, one measure behind. If you have ever sung “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” as a round, then you already understand how this works.

    Jeff Kashiwa plays the Allegro movement from the first Canonic Sonata all by himself, playing the first part on the EWI and using a delay effect to create the second (echo) part.  Here’s the video again—it should start playing about a minute and a half in, and the Telemann goes until about 2:40.

    After the 2:40 mark, Mr. Kashiwa uses more sophisticated looping techniques, using some kind of external device. But you can perform the Telemann duet without any extra hardware, using only the EWI4000s’s onboard synthesizer. Read More “Quick tutorial: Telemann Canonic Sonata on EWI, à la Jeff Kashiwa”

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  • Announcements and news

    Farewell: Buddy Collette

    ByBret Pimentel September 22, 2010January 3, 2018

    Notable woodwind doubler Buddy Collette, known for his skill and artistry as a jazz saxophonist, flutist, clarinetist, and composer, passed away on Sunday. Check out the Los Angeles obituary, or, even better, enjoy his flute and tenor:

    Tip of the hat to Eric at jazz-sax.com for bringing this sad news to my attention.

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  • Web reviews

    YouTubeage: Cool EWI videos

    ByBret Pimentel September 20, 2010February 8, 2021

    Some of my favorite EWI videos. Enjoy!

    Jeff Kashiwa explains and demonstrates the Akai EWI4000s to an appreciative audience. A little loopstation fun, with some Telemann and then a smooth-jazz tune.

    EWI specialist Bernie Kenerson does cool stuff with an EWI hooked up to a vocoder. Read More “YouTubeage: Cool EWI videos”

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  • Woodwind playing and pedagogy

    Joe the Musician: the first rule of woodwind doubling

    ByBret Pimentel September 13, 2010January 3, 2018

    I’m not much of a tweeter (though you can follow my automatically-generated tweets about new blog posts). But I liked this one today from Joseph “Joe the Musician” Tomasso:

    Follow Joseph’s tweets here, or check out his website.

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  • Announcements and news

    Update: Woodwind doubling in Broadway musicals

    ByBret Pimentel September 12, 2010January 2, 2018

    A few years back, I started compiling a little list of Broadway-style shows and their woodwind books—the printed parts the woodwind players use in the orchestra pits. It has since grown wildly out of control to over 900 shows and has firmly cemented itself as the most popular thing on this website. Many of my visitors—from top Broadway musicians to community theater weekend warriors—contribute to the list by sending in information from the trenches.

    Over the last few months, I’ve hosted two versions of the list, and solicited feedback about the newer version versus the classic edition. Thanks to all of you who took the time to test drive the new version and submit some comments.

    The feedback showed an overwhelming preference for the new version, which as of today is replacing the old one. It adds some extra functionality, most notably a search bar, and will also load faster for most users. It includes links to search for soundtrack albums for each show on iTunes and Amazon—I hope that this will be a convenience for some users and not an undue hassle to others; it provides a revenue stream which, while pitifully tiny, nevertheless helps to keep this website going.

    Thanks once more for your support of the Woodwind doubling in Broadway musicals list. I hope you will continue to make use of it and of other woodwind stuff here at bretpimentel.com.

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  • Announcements and news

    New sound clips: Faculty woodwinds recital, Aug. 31, 2010

    ByBret Pimentel September 10, 2010February 8, 2021
    Backstage with my instruments and a space heater. Only one of us enjoys the recital hall’s powerful air conditioning.

    I’m pleased to share some audio clips from my recent faculty recital at Delta State University.

    It was the first evening concert of the new semester, so a nice crowd of students came to start accumulating their recital attendance points, as well as colleagues, friends, and community members. No one seemed daunted by the prospect of a solid hour of Debussy.

    I enjoyed playing the flute Syrinx, clarinet Première Rapsodie, and saxophone Rapsodie, all of which I had studied in school but never performed publicly. The brief and charming clarinet Petite Pièce was new to me, and seemed to be a crowd favorite. I rounded out the recital with some of Debussy’s piano works, arranged for oboe and piano and for bassoon and piano. It works well for me to play all of the reed instruments on a recital, because that gives all my reed-playing students something to sink their teeth into, and the fabulous Dr. Shelley Collins was very gracious about me playing a flute piece on her turf. You can read my program notes here.

    Having learned a couple of things from the last recital, I warmed up a little more extensively this time, and also brought in a space heater to keep my instruments warm backstage in the icy air conditioning. Both of these things seemed to help make the evening go more smoothly. One new experiment for me was the use of a bassoon harness, so I played that instrument standing up for the first time in public.

    Here are the clips: Read More “New sound clips: Faculty woodwinds recital, Aug. 31, 2010”

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  • Announcements and news

    Faculty woodwinds recital, Aug. 31, 2010

    ByBret Pimentel August 24, 2010January 1, 2018

    Bret Pimentel, woodwinds
    Kumiko Shimizu, piano

    Faculty Recital
    Delta State University Department of Music
    Recital Hall, Bologna Performing Arts Center
    Tuesday, August 31, 2010
    7:30 PM

    Program

    Syrinx (La flûte de Pan)
    Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918)

    Rapsodie
    Claude Debussy
    ed. Rousseau

    Petite Pièce
    Claude Debussy

    Two pieces
    Claude Debussy
    arr. Jolles/Lucarelli

    1. Reverie
    2. Menuet (from Suite Bergamasque)

    from Children’s Corner
    Claude Debussy
    arr. Prorvich

    1. Jimbo’s Lullaby
    2. The Little Shepherd
    3. Golliwogg’s Cakewalk

    Première Rapsodie
    Claude Debussy Read More “Faculty woodwinds recital, Aug. 31, 2010”

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  • Web reviews

    A few woodwind blogs you should be reading

    ByBret Pimentel August 18, 2010July 24, 2022
    Photo, alcomm

    If you’re a woodwind player and avid blog reader, you’re likely already following some prominent and popular bloggers like oboist Patty Mitchell (oboeinsight), flutist Jennifer Cluff, and clarinetists David Thomas (The Buzzing Reed) and Marion Harrington.

    I read and enjoy all of these, but I would also like to suggest a few others that are particular favorites of mine. These are ones that I think have a somewhat smaller readership, although there’s not a good way to know that without asking nosy questions. So I could be wrong, but I’m guessing that some of these may be new to you. Check them out, and let us know in the comments what else you’re reading.

    Also, read to the bottom for a couple of tips on reading blogs like you know what you’re doing.

    In no particular order… Read More “A few woodwind blogs you should be reading”

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    • Woodwind Doubling in Musicals
    • Fingering Diagram Builder
    • Random Note Picker
    • Note Image Generator
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