- International Clarinet Association: Clarinet Music by Black Composers
- The Flute Examiner (Kelly Wilson): Performance Space
- Jade Bultitude (flute): 6 ways to stop you having a bad tone day!
Jazz education and the “ya gotta listen” cop-out
It’s an article of faith among jazz musicians and educators that listening to jazz is crucial to learning to play jazz. This seems obviously true to me about jazz and about any style of music. (Doubtless one of the reasons the jazz-initiated like to bang this drum, so to speak, is because most of Western … Read more
Jazz and classical musicians’ concerns about jazz playing
Recently I asked some questions on social media related to (self-identified) non-jazz musicians playing on jazz or jazz-adjacent gigs. This kind of thing might happen, for example, at a symphony pops concert, or a big band gig in a smaller market. A number of concerns were raised about this, but two stood out. Self-described non-jazz … Read more
Music guilt
In my professional capacity as a musician and music educator, I frequently have to lay down the law with my students or with myself about not practicing enough. The sense that I’m never quite good enough, and that it’s my own fault for not working harder, is a real professional hazard. But when I meet … Read more
Favorite blog posts, December 2021
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, December 2021 edition.
A woodwind player’s introduction to: pennywhistles
The pennywhistle (or “tinwhistle” or “Irish” whistle) is common in Irish traditional music, and has found a home in some other styles such as southern African kwela music. They appear famously in movie soundtracks such as the Lord of the Rings movies and Titanic. Here are some important things to know: There are high-quality pennywhistles … Read more
Pitfalls of giving musical instruments as gifts
Giving someone a musical instrument as a surprise is a generous and thoughtful idea. But getting it right can be tricky. Here are some things to consider: For serious musicians, like a student studying with a private teacher, a college music major, or someone who does any kind of (semi-)professional playing, an instrument is a … Read more
Favorite blog posts, November 2021
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, October 2021 edition.
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