Favorite blog posts, November 2015

Lots of interesting woodwind blog posts this month. Here are some favorites:

 

Interview: Sarah Cosano, woodwind player and more

Sarah Cosano is a busy working woodwind player (among other things). I initially reached out to Sarah about doing an interview because I was interested in her experiences with playing on cruise ships, but it turns out her musical experiences are quite varied. In 2000, Sarah was an MTNA National Competition winner, a featured performer on the … Read more

Selecting alternate fingerings

When several fingerings are available for a note, how do you choose the “right” one for a situation? Here are some criteria you might use in that decision.

Confidence and air

When I ask my students 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.

Favorite blog posts, October 2015

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

But I can do it in the practice room

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

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

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

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

Woodwind dynamics and the embouchure

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.