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Speaking the language of woodwinds
There are some terms I sometimes hear woodwind players use that make me think that they don’t know what they’re talking about. I could be wrong. But that’s the impression I get. I think as woodwind doublers, when talking to players of single instruments, we sometimes give the same impression that obnoxious foreign tourists give—that …
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Getting started with ethnic woodwinds: your holiday wish list
I’ve got ethnic woodwinds on the brain lately, and no end in sight since they are the topic of my doctoral dissertation research. If you haven’t added any ethnic instruments to your arsenal yet, here’s what I recommend for a relatively easy to play, low-maintenance, inexpensive, and versatile beginning to your collection.
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New sound clips
I’ve posted some new sound clips over on my audio page, to show off what I’ve been up to lately.
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Pedro Eustache: ethnic woodwinds
If you’re interested in ethnic woodwinds, you ought to check out virtuoso flutist Pedro Eustache. I like that on his website he refers to himself as a “multidirectional flute soloist.”
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Recommended: Jeanjean “Vade-Mecum” du Clarinettiste
Lately I’ve been doing some clarinet work out of the Jeanjean Vade-Mecum. The title page translates charmingly to: “Vade-Mecum” of the Clarinet-player 6 SPECIAL STUDIES to render the fingers and tongue rapidly supple But this is what really sold me: NOTICE The aim of these 6 standard-studies (combining the essential parts generally contained in several …
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Take your instruments apart
I highly recommend taking your instruments apart. Here’s why: There’s no better way to understand the workings of a mechanical device like a woodwind instrument than to take it apart and put it back together again. They’re your tools. You should understand how they work. Take ownership of your instrument’s maintenance. Discover problems that need …
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Fact and fiction in woodwind teaching
A former teacher, who, I hasten to point out, I respect and admire greatly, once asked me in a lesson to “spin the air.” I hadn’t the foggiest idea what he meant. I tried a few things that I thought maybe the teacher had in mind, but none of them was right. I asked for …
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My doubling bag
Today I found myself in the embarrassing situation of arriving at a rehearsal, contrabassoon in tow, without a single contrabassoon reed. Luckily the problem was easily solved—the reeds were literally just a few moments away, and I didn’t miss a note of rehearsal. The problem, of course, is that the contra is a university-owned instrument, …
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Recital 11/3/2008
I perform my final doctoral recital on Monday. It is my third recital on my “major” instruments (flute, oboe, and saxophone); I also performed one “minor” recital (clarinet and bassoon). The major/minor instruments are somewhat arbitrary, since I’m trying to play them all equally well.
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Woodwind doubling gigs: seven basic tips
Here are seven simple things you can do to make a woodwind doubling gig go more smoothly.