Bret Pimentel, woodwinds

If you're considering a school where you might study with someone who isn't a performer on your double reed instrument, it would be worthwhile to find out their plan for teaching you reedmaking.

I hinted at this idea in my recent post about clarinet undertones: Many of the ideas shared by the distinguished authors seemed like just descriptions of good basic clarinet technique (“ensure correct, stable embouchure formation,” “establish breath support/air pressure before releasing tongue”). … If you can play with a beautiful, characteristic tone, mostly in tune, ...

Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, June 2018 edition.

A few months ago I shared a list of published opinions on how to avoid undertones on the clarinet. Many of the ideas shared by the distinguished authors seemed like just descriptions of good basic clarinet technique (“ensure correct, stable embouchure formation,” “establish breath support/air pressure before releasing tongue”). I agree that the most important ...

My students learn to follow a conductor in their large ensembles, and how to work with a pianist on their individual repertoire. (The latter is a situation in which—unfortunately—the piano part is sometimes treated as secondary to the “solo” part.) But in chamber ensembles they learn how to make music in a group of equals, ...

I was a very committed college music major. I had picked music as a career years earlier. Being a music student felt like a central aspect of who I was. While I did struggle at times, and had other (perhaps more widely marketable) skills I could have fallen back on, quitting the music-major track never ...

Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, May 2018 edition.

Today makes ten years since I started the blog. At the five-year mark I did a little retrospective, and I don’t think there’s much need to do it again. Basically the things I was excited about and proud of then are the things I’m excited about and proud of now. Other than publishing my book, ...

Answers to questions submitted for the blog's 10th anniversary.

Answers to questions submitted for the blog's 10th anniversary.