A famous big-shot clarinet professor told me once that I would never really be a clarinetist.
He was quite possibly correct.
But for now I’m still at it.
Favorite blog posts, March 2021
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, March 2021 edition.
Note Image Generator, version 0.2
I’m pleased to announce a new release of the Note Image Generator, my web app for quickly creating images of notes on staves (such as you might use for fingering charts, note identification flash cards, etc.).
Fox bassoon crutch modification
I use an inexpensive Fox plastic crutch on my bassoon. The shaft has always been a little too short for my preference, and I wasn’t interested in paying for a custom-made one, so I decided to attempt removing and replacing the shaft. I’m sharing this information here in case anyone else wants to do the … Read more
Big dynamics
If you’ve ever been to a theater production, and then gotten to meet any of the actors up close, you might have been shocked by their makeup. You don’t notice it much when they are on stage, but up close it can be pretty extreme. Stage actors need strange-looking makeup because they perform under bright … Read more
Favorite blog posts, February 2021
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, February 2021 edition.
Review: Characteristic Etudes for the Woodwind Doubler by Gene Kaplan
I’ve previously reviewed a couple of Gene Kaplan‘s publications, sets of duets for woodwind doublers. Recently Gene was kind enough to send me a copy of his latest, Characteristic Etudes for the Woodwind Doubler. Unlike his previous doubling-duet books, this is intended for a lone woodwind doubler to use in developing his or her doubling … Read more
Don’t work for exposure for brands, either
It’s a common rallying cry among freelance musicians that you shouldn’t play gigs that pay in “exposure.” Exposure doesn’t pay the bills, and playing for free devalues your skills and others’. But there are more ways that musicians become convinced to work for someone else’s bottom line and get nothing back but maybe a little … Read more
Favorite blog posts, January 2021
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, January 2021 edition.
Transcription: Stan Getz, tenor saxophone on Huey Lewis and the News “Small World (Part Two)”
Get the transcription (PDF) Huey Lewis tells the story in Kansas City Magazine (strong language edited): Well, my dad was a jazzer and Zoot Sims died. And when Zoot Sims died, they had a benefit in San Francisco at Kimball’s or somewhere. … So I take him and sit down … and then I get … Read more