- Heather Roche shares a list of easy/reliable clarinet multiphonics. Useful information here for composers and performers.
- Eric Schultz examines the history of multiple tonguing on single reed instruments.
- Jenny Maclay explores clarinet orchestral excerpts. (Also consider enlisting for the October Uhl Boot Camp.)
- Flutist Kelly Wilson explains the anatomy and function of the arms.
- Jennet Ingle discusses producing a resonant sound on the oboe.
- Oboist Nuria Cabezas demonstrates some stretches for musicians.
- Flutist Jessica Dunnavant deals with performance nerves.
- Ariel Detwiler shares thoughts on fitting into a band or orchestra bassoon section.
- Patty Mitchell spends some time away from her oboe.
- Hannah Haefele offers some suggestions for warming up on the flute on a tight schedule.
Recital videos, August 2018
Here are some videos from my recent Delta State University faculty recital. I enjoyed tackling Brett Wery’s challenging Sonata for multiple woodwinds (flute, clarinet, alto saxophone) and piano, plus some little oboe pieces and the André Previn bassoon sonata. As always, the goal was to challenge myself, so, as always, the performance had some hiccups. But … Read more
Recording: Claude T. Smith Suite with Delta State Wind Ensemble
A few months ago I got to perform Claude T. Smith’s Suite for Solo Flute, Clarinet, and Alto Saxophone with the Delta State University Wind Ensemble, conducted by Dr. Erik Richards. It’s a fun showpiece for a woodwind doubler with band, which I’ve had a few opportunities to perform over the last 10 years. The … Read more
Music practice and technical debt
In a perfect world I would always tackle an issue head-on. In reality sometimes a looming performance means plastering over the problem and promising myself I’ll fix it later, at a greater price.
Favorite blog posts, August 2018
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, August 2018 edition.
The bassoon’s special(?) staccato
I have a vague memory from childhood, well before my bassoon-playing days, of learning that the bassoon had some special quality to its staccato notes. (From an educational tv show? a children’s book on musical instruments? I can’t recall.) My impression was that this sound was different in some way than staccato produced on other … Read more
Frequently-asked questions about woodwind doubling, and their unpopular answers
Q. Should I be a woodwind doubler? A. In most cases, no. If you already feel driven to do it, and have the time and resources to devote to it, then maybe. Q. What’s the trick to getting in enough practice time on all these instruments? A. Figure out what to de-prioritize in your life … Read more
Buying more instruments, or making do with what you have
I get asked every so often whether it’s a good idea for a woodwind doubler to try to have a fairly “complete” set of instruments, or whether it’s better to make do with a few and make substitutions as needed. For example, do you need a B-flat clarinet and an A clarinet, or can you just transpose? … Read more
Favorite blog posts, July 2018
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, July 2018 edition.
How to write boring program notes
Things to include in your program notes for maximum boredom: More than a sentence (two, tops) of general biography on the composer. Unremarkable facts about the piece’s structure (sonata form! key of F!). A blow-by-blow description (first there is a kind of sad theme! it starts out low and soft but then it gets higher … Read more