Favorite blog posts, October 2019

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

Woodwind doubling and clarinet problems

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Here are a few of the common problems woodwind doublers have with the clarinet: Flabby/saggy/tubby/airy tone and flat pitch. This is a dead giveaway for a self-“taught” clarinet doubler. The clarinet’s voicing is quite high, higher than any of the other woodwinds, and beginning clarinetists sometimes struggle for years to make that proper voicing a … Read more

Which multiple woodwinds degree programs should I apply to?

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“Which multiple woodwinds degree programs should I apply to?” I get this question a lot, since I write about multiple woodwind degree programs here on the blog, have a couple of those degrees myself, and maintain a list of such programs. (The list is meant to be comprehensive but probably isn’t. If you know of … Read more

Getting the most out of practicing your scales

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When you practice scales (or arpeggios or, really, any other technical material) it’s not really about the scales. Nobody wants to buy tickets to hear you play scales. Scale and technical practice develop the fundamental technique you need for doing more interesting things. You don’t learn multiplication tables or French verb conjugations so you can … Read more

Favorite blog posts, September 2019

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Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, September 2019 edition.

Review: D’Addario Evolution clarinet mouthpieces

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D’Addario was kind enough to send me a couple of their new(ish) Reserve Evolution clarinet mouthpieces to try out. The Evolution currently comes in a single opening/facing, but the two Evolution mouthpieces I received are different in appearance: one is the standard black, and the other is what’s called “marble” on D’Addario’s website, or “sandstone … Read more

Calculating gig fees

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It took a while in my freelancing career to get a handle on how to respond when people ask what I charge for my services as a performer. I live in a remote, rural area (where my university day job is located) and there isn’t a musicians’ union presence, so I’m on my own in … Read more

Recital videos, August 2019

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Here are videos from my recent faculty recital at Delta State University. I performed the Saint-Saëns oboe, bassoon, and clarinet sonatas, plus the flute Romance and “The Swan” from The Carnival of the Animals as a baritone saxophone transcription. “The Swan” is originally for cello, so I assumed it might work well as a baritone … Read more

Favorite blog posts, August 2019

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Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, August 2019 edition.

Focus on fundamentals, not localized fixes

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As I’ve discussed here previously, when trying to solve woodwind-playing problems there’s a useful distinction between problem-specific solutions and simply shoring up fundamental technique. Here are some examples of problem-specific solutions: Second-octave G-sharp tends to crack on saxophone, especially tenor? When you get to that note, blow warmer air (in other words, use a lower … Read more