Josh Johnson Archives | Bret Pimentel, woodwinds

Favorite blog posts, February 2016

July 20, 2022March 1, 2016 by Bret Pimentel

Some woodwind blog posts I liked in February:

Bassoonist Barry Stees shares an interesting idea about reed autopsies, plus a method for practicing the Rite of Spring solo.
Oboist Patty Mitchell has some advice for students who think they have unfixable technique problems.
Rachel Taylor Geier has some suggestions if you need more flute etudes to work on.
Saxophonist Andy Austin discusses the role of passion in pursuing a musical career.
Specific instrument brand/model recommendations should always be taken with a grain of salt, but woodwind doubler Josh Johnson discusses the importance of backup instruments, plus some of the issues involved with choosing instruments for situations where crack-proofness is important.
Clarinetist Meri Dolevski-Lewis shares a process for developing sight-transposition skills [update: link dead].
Flutist Jennifer Cluff offers some ideas on increasing success on the problematic high B.
Jolene Harju plays the flute with her feet. (Okay, it’s really a post about having “a grounded, rooted connection between the feet and the floor.”)
Gaenor Burchett-Vass discovers some favorite treasures of the English horn repertoire [update: link dead].
Clarinetist Sandy Herrera seeks a new balance between a musical career and family life after having a baby. (Congratulations, Sandy!)

Favorite blog posts, August 2015

January 1, 2018August 31, 2015 by Bret Pimentel

Clarinetist Michael Dean examines some resources available for better-informed preparation of the Cyrille Rose “40” and “32” études.
David Erato compiles some piccolo tips by some top working flutists and doublers (and also me).
Saxophonist David Freeman shares some settings for the kinds of electronic filter sounds used by Michael Brecker and Jeff Coffin.
Josh Johnson shares in exhaustive detail the flutes he tried out at the NFA conference. For gear junkies only.
Heather Roche demonstrates some extended techniques specific to the “paperclip”-style contrabass clarinet.
Saxophonist Bill Plake discusses some benefits of practicing with a drone.
The unnamed mom at How About Oboe? gets her 10-year-old oboist to practice difficult things for just two minutes at a time.
Cate Hummel brings things back to Earth about the flute and the so-called lip “teardrop.” (I also hinted at that topic in a recent post.)

Favorite blog posts, August 2014

January 1, 2018August 31, 2014 by Bret Pimentel

From the woodwind blogs in August:

Reports on the International Clarinet Society’s 2014 “ClarinetFest” (held in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA) by Josh Johnson and, of course, on the ClarinetFest blog. (My own brief general report is here, plus a report on my own presentation on woodwind doubling.)
Reports on the International Double Reed Society conferences (New York City) by Jennet Ingle, Patty Mitchell, and Robin Tropper (parts one and two).
A sort-of-report (sort-of-advertisement) on the National Flute Association conference on the Powell Flutes blog.
“TFox” examines the issue of ivory bassoon bell rings.
Oboist Jennet Ingle comments on the maturity that comes with experience. In, I think, a sort of related vein, she also discusses perfectionism and “mistakes.”
Clarinetist Heather Roche gives some tips on double tonguing.
Saxophonist Jeff Cunningham suggests some guidelines for determining the right reed strength for you. His site is geared toward less-experienced players, but in my opinion a number of “advanced” players could use a refresher on this.
Saxophonist Sam Sadigursky explains an approach to help with mastering scales.
Adam Berkowitz shares and comments on a very cool video of some bleeding-edge electronic bass clarinet playing and technology (most of the playing is by Matthias Müller).
Saxophonist Jody Espina shares his “squeak-be-gone” exercise.
Saxophonist Bill Plake compares routine and process in practicing.

Favorite blog posts, January 2014

July 21, 2022February 1, 2014 by Bret Pimentel

Here’s what’s worth reading from the woodwind blogs in January:

Woodwind doubler Steve Moffett suggests taking a break now and then.
Oboist Patty Mitchell reminds us that playing with a pianist means needing to know your own part and his or hers.
Helen Bledsoe weighs in on the debate about how register changes are made on the flute. I don’t entirely agree with her, but she makes some interesting points, as do the flutists in the videos she shares. (For more on this, see my previous post and accompanying PDF cataloging some of the, er, hot air surrounding this topic.)
Clarinetist Adam Berkowitz takes practicing to the next level.
Bassoonist Christin Schillinger shares some ideas about ongoing development as a musician, plus some metronome games.
Woodwind doubler Josh Johnson does a review of the Ridenour Lyrique bass clarinet. I’m sharing this one because I think it’s a well-written and thoughtful review, and because I think high-quality instruments made from alternative materials are a welcome next wave in woodwind manufacture. As a side note, I recently purchased one of these basses for my university clarinet studio and have spent some time playing it, and my experience with the instrument basically matches Josh’s.
Oboist Cooper Wright seeks to raise standards in his teaching studio.
Woodwind doubler Michael Grant concludes(?) a 12-part marathon of long posts describing his experience playing in the pit orchestra for a local musical theater production [update: link dead].

Just when I think I’ve got every single woodwind-related blog in my feed reader, I stumble onto a dozen more. If you’re writing good stuff and think you might have escaped my notice, let me know!