Confidence and air

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Working with some woodwind students recently on their upcoming performances, I have been asking them to play with more confidence. Often they have practiced well enough, but play timidly in lessons or rehearsals, and I worry that the same will happen on stage.

When I ask them to play more confidently, they don’t always seem ready to rise to the challenge. But I’ve worked out a useful equation that helps them get on the right track:

confidence = air

Confidence can seem difficult to muster, but air is free. When I point out the equivalence and ask them to just play with more air, they play better and discover the confidence they need.

When you are playing and feel your confidence start to waver, don’t worry—you have a whole room full of confidence ready for you to breathe it in.

Favorite blog posts, October 2015

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Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, October 2015 edition.

But I can do it in the practice room

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Every week I hear students play badly, then tell me, “but I can do it in the practice room…” Here are some reasons things might go more poorly in a lesson than in a practice session, and some strategies for dealing with those problems.

The double reeds and “uneven” embouchures

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Well-formed oboe and bassoon embouchures require attention to angle and overbite (respectively) to produce the best sounds with the least effort.

Dissertation on Divertissement for multiple woodwinds

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A few years back I commissioned a piece, Divertissement by Sy Brandon for multiple woodwinds soloist with piano, with the help of a Co-op Press Commission Assistance Grant. Brian Levels, who was until recently a doctoral student at the University of North Texas, has written a dissertation on the piece, which is now available through … Read more

Favorite blog posts, September 2015

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Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, September 2015 edition.

Woodwind dynamics and the embouchure

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There’s a lot of confusion about how different dynamic levels are produced on woodwind instruments. How do you think it’s done? If you said something like “blow harder or softer,” you are asking for trouble.

FAQ: Practicing schedule

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Some of the questions I am asked most frequently about woodwind doubling are about how I practice. Specifically, how often do I get to each instrument, and how do I divide up my time? The truth is that there isn’t an ideal solution, and maybe not even a good one. There are only so many … Read more

Recital videos, August 2015

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I put on a faculty recital in August with a colleague. Here is the program and some videos: Program

Favorite blog posts, August 2015

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Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, August 2015 edition.