Jessica Dunnavant Archives | Bret Pimentel, woodwinds

Heather Roche shares a list of easy/reliable clarinet multiphonics. Useful information here for composers and performers.
Eric Schultz examines the history of multiple tonguing on single reed instruments.
Jenny Maclay explores clarinet orchestral excerpts. (Also consider enlisting for the October Uhl Boot Camp.)
Flutist Kelly Wilson explains the anatomy and function of the arms.
Jennet Ingle discusses producing a resonant sound on the oboe.
Oboist Nuria Cabezas demonstrates some stretches for musicians.
Flutist Jessica Dunnavant deals with performance nerves.
Ariel Detwiler shares thoughts on fitting into a band or orchestra bassoon section.
Patty Mitchell spends some time away from her oboe.
Hannah Haefele offers some suggestions for warming up on the flute on a tight schedule.

Favorite blog posts, February 2018

July 19, 2022February 28, 2018 by Bret Pimentel

Flutist Nicole Riner assigns her students repertoire that reinforces skill development (a re-“print” from the 2012 A Flutist’s Handbook: Pedagogy Anthology Vol. 2).
Oboist Stephen Caplan reconsiders concentration in performance.
Bassoonist Barry Stees shares a simple but revealing way to test reeds.
Flutist Jessica Dunnavant discusses her complicated relationship with university teaching.
David Pierce considers a pedagogical order for the Vivaldi bassoon concertos (a re-“print” from a 1987 article in the Journal of the International Double Reed Society) [update: link dead].
Oboist Jennet Ingle figures out how to give a good tuning A every time.
Saxophonist Helen Kahlke avoids germs on the gig.

Favorite blog posts, February 2014

July 21, 2022March 1, 2014 by Bret Pimentel

Here are some of my picks for some excellent woodwind-related blog posts from last month.

Bass clarinetist Michael Lowenstern gives excellent advice on some topics (such as “biting”) that I think are not often taught well.
Mark Catoe gives a workshop on teaching beginning clarinetists to cross the break. (Those are some mighty handsome fingering diagrams.)
Chris Dunning takes us on a historical video tour of the saxophone in jazz [update: link dead].
Clarinetist Adam Berkowitz manages the logistical details of a performance. Also: two habits worth having.
Jennet Ingle bemoans the oboe’s caprices. “It’s not that playing the oboe is physically more difficult than any other instrument, it’s that the oboe doesn’t want you to get it.”
Bassoonist Betsy Sturdevant chases the elusive high F.
Oboist Patty Mitchell explains what it means to “know” a piece of music.
Trent Jacobs gives a primer on amplifiers for woodwind players interested in going electric.
Over at Music Collective, flutist Jessica Dunnavant discovers life beyond the university-teaching-job search.
Timothy Owen offers some observations and advice on playing multiple sizes of saxophone.
Clarinetist Heather Roche gives composers some insights on glissandi and air sounds, with extensive audio clips.
Vanessa Breault Mulvey of the “Flying Flutistas” avoids “muscling up” on the flute. Also on the trapeze. Really [update: link dead].
Cooper Wright gives his oboe a good cleaning.
Woodwind player Ted Nash tells the story of how he nearly got adopted by Quincy Jones. “Part II to follow,” he promises.
Meri Dolevski-Lewis gives some good common-sense tips to those working with a pianist for the first time.

Enjoy!