- Check out posts by a small army of bloggers documenting ClarinetFest® 2017.
- David Wells is working on collecting the Paris Conservatoire bassoon contest pieces.
- Woodwind doubler Ed Joffe encourages continuing your musical studies beyond school
- Saxophonist Roxy Coss discusses women as an under-represented group in jazz music.
- David Mankin shares a fascinating story about oboists Robert Bloom and Engelbert Brenner in a remarkable recording session.
- Clarinetist Jeremy Wohletz explains the importance of aural training.
- Saxophonist Sam Newsome identifies some issues that lead to rhythm problems (particularly in improvised music).
- Flutist Tammy Evans Yonce explains how she approaches a new repertoire piece.
- Saxophonist Ben Britton catalogs some methods of dealing with sticky G-sharp keys.
- Eryn Oft outlines the history of Heckel bassoons.
- Nicole Riner offers suggestions on making first contact with a potential college flute teacher. (Applicable to other instruments, too.)
- Jenny Maclay dives deep on clarinet resonance fingerings.
Eryn Oft
Favorite blog posts, October 2016
- Rachel Taylor Geier offers a “practice blueprint” for the Poulenc flute sonata. I also liked her post on playing second flute (applicable to players of other instruments, too).
- Meri Dolevski-Lewis makes a case for not hiring woodwind doublers for performing or teaching gigs [update: link dead].
- Flutist Deanna Mathews Kilbourne discusses what an electronic tuner (or tuner app) is and isn’t good for.
- Saxophonist Ben Britton explains his theory about ligature position.
- Chris Hankin lists and comments on classical-period flute concerti by composers who aren’t Mozart.
- Clarinetist Jenny Maclay shares warm-up routines in small, medium, and large sizes.
- Cate Hummel offers suggestions on teaching the flute’s third octave.
- “Quinn the Eskimo”(?) expounds the history of the Mazzeo-system clarinet, with references.
- Eryn Oft discusses bassoons in the less-than-$5000 category. (Fair warning: she appears to have some kind of financial arrangement with one of the makers in question.)
- Bassoonist and historical-woodwinds player Theresa Koenig shares her experience with practicing and Alexander Technique.
- Saxophonist Bill Plake recommends practicing with vision.