Favorite blog posts, August 2021

by

See the woodwind blogs I’m following, and suggest others!

How to behave at your first classical music concert, and why it’s so weird

by
woman playing violin in front of people

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

Becoming a professional musician

by
person holding white paper

Sometimes when my students get paying engagements for the first time, I joke with them that they are now “professional” musicians. That’s true in a sense, but I think there’s more that goes into being a true professional. If you are a college student aspiring to be a professional musician, here are some things you … Read more

Preparing for a fatiguing performance

by
alone bed bedroom blur

If you are practicing and concerned about fatigue during an upcoming performance, here are some (woodwind-centric) things to consider. Embouchure. The embouchure is a frequent site for fatigue, but it shouldn’t be. Embouchure pain or tiredness in a conventional performance situation is usually a sign of incorrect tone production technique. (Not a matter of needing … Read more

Favorite blog posts, July 2021

by

Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, July 2021 edition.

Voicing for multiphonics

by

One of my favorite tips for producing woodwind multiphonics comes from J. Michael Leonard’s Extended Technique for the Saxophone. (Mine is an older edition, I think.) The book’s section on multiphonics gives two pages of instruction and and a one-page fingering chart with diagrams like this: The “aha” moment I got from this was the … Read more

When there’s no place to breathe

by

When you’re working on a new piece and there’s no place to breathe: Re-examine. Are you sure there’s no place? Tonal wind-instrument music usually has phrases. To find them might take some careful analysis, or maybe listening to a recording to check out someone else’s solutions. Once you know where the phrases end, you may … Read more

Favorite blog posts, June 2021

by

Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, June 2021 edition.

Woodwind Doubler Census 2021 results, part 5 (final): self-identification

by

Thanks to all who participated in my 2021 woodwind doubling survey, and to those who helped spread the word. I’ve released the results in installments, so be sure to check out the rest. I got 284 responses, an improvement over 2011’s 187. The numbers for each of these questions don’t necessarily add up to exactly … Read more

Woodwind Doubler Census 2021 results, part 4: gigs

by

Thanks to all who participated in my 2021 woodwind doubling survey, and to those who helped spread the word. I’m releasing the results in installments, so be sure to use my social media links, RSS feeds, etc. to keep up. I got 284 responses, an improvement over 2011’s 187. The numbers for each of these … Read more