Favorite blog posts, March 2024
- The Babel Flute (Rachael Simon): Can I Fix My Own Flute?
- Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever. (Pernille Bévort): 4 Powerful Exercises for Saxophone Sound and Flexibility
- Kristopher King (bassoon): Shipping Contrabassoons
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Favorite blog posts, October 2020
- Kristopher King (bassoon): Drilling a Bocal
- Nicole Riner, Flutist: How to prep your flute + electronics piece (s)
- ProneOboe (Jennet Ingle): Don’t Wait For It
- Lisa’s Flute Studio Blog (Lisa Carlson): Consistency of Practice
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Favorite blog posts, January 2019
- Joffe Woodwinds: Practicing on the Gig
- JQ Flute: Rough times happening? Oh look, there you are making gold out of it. Here’s 3 heartfelt observations about your playing to get you through the storm
- Oboemotions: Promising Research
- Kristopher King (bassoon): Low A
- The Flute View: Creating and Refining Better Habits in Your Practice Room by Rena Urso
- Wayne Leechford: Auditioning for All-District
- Jenny Maclay (clarinet): My Winter Warm-Up Routine For Cold Days
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Favorite blog posts, August 2017
- Saxophonist Steve Neff explores the “holy grail” mindset with regard to mouthpieces.
- Flutist Nicole Riner offers tips on making a living as a freelancer.
- John Isley discusses finding a personal voice on wind controller.
- Oboist Jennet Ingle discusses integrity in musical interpretation. (Note: also some political content.) Jennet’s new video series on reedmaking is also worth checking out.
- Clarinetist Jenny Maclay shares a method for transitioning back into serious practicing after summer vacation.
- Kristopher King shares an interesting bassoon museum piece.
- Erin Nichols shows off acoustic paneling made especially for flute playing.
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Favorite blog posts, June 2015
Interesting things from the woodwind blogosphere in June:
- Saxophonist Sam Newsome discusses slow practice and using clarinet reeds on the soprano saxophone.
- Oboist Jennet Ingle shares some ideas about how mindset affects aspects of performance, specifically intonation and phrase shaping.
- Saxophonist Bob Reynolds gives advice on professionalism.
- Patty Mitchell examines the mythology of the oboe and college scholarships.
- Kristopher King looks at some members of the bassoon family and why you might want them in your arsenal.
All of my favorite blog authors from June are ones I’ve featured previously, some many times. That’s fine by me but I’m always anxious to check out ones I haven’t been reading already. If you think I might be overlooking some, please get in touch! I’m in the process of updating my blogroll, and happy to add new woodwind-related blogs.
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Favorite blog posts, September 2014
- Flutist Katherine Emeneth gives some advice to students preparing to rehearse with a collaborative pianist.
- Saxophone maker Steve Goodson discusses some of the developments related to his saxophones over two decades. Whether or not you have interest in Goodson’s instruments particularly, it’s an interesting look at saxophone manufacture and innovation. Long read.
- Bassoonist Christin Schillinger shares some insights on practicing and time management.
- On Powell’s Teach Flute blog, Morgann Davis discusses some pros and cons of the split-E mechanism.
- Bassoonist Betsy Sturdevant muses on playing in spaces with varying acoustical properties.
- Timothy Owen lists the three things you need to know to play the saxophone.
- Bassoonist Trent Jacobs explains some useful electronic effects for amplified bassoon playing.
- Clarinet Cache catalogs some useful online bass clarinet resources.
- Bassoonist Kristopher King recommends keeping an audition journal. (Warning: site has auto-playing music.)
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Favorite blog posts, June 2014
- David Wells has updated his excellent bassoon fingering charts.
- Oboist Cooper Wright discusses shaper tip widths.
- Clarinetist Victoria Soames Samek suggests there are better options than just circling problem notes in your sheet music.
- Bassoonist Kristopher King explains the usage of the little finger whisper key. (Warning: auto-plays music. If you have a website, don’t do that.)
- John Witt reports on the Carolyn Hove English Horn Masterclasses, days 1 and 2 and days 3 and 4.
- Bassoonist Betsy Sturdevant warns about carrying musical instruments onto airplanes.
- Jennifer Cluff offers tips for cleaning a flute (spoiler alert: she suggests letting a professional do it).
- On the WindWorks Design blog, J. D. Smith shares a do-it-yourself modification for the Yamaha WX5 wind controller.
- Christa Garvey does some facial stretches for a tired oboe embouchure.
- Bassoon professor Christin Schillinger offers advice for musicians choosing a college.
- Saxophonist Anton Schwartz recommends “back-chaining” as a practice technique.
- Oboist Patty Mitchell muses on her choice to be a musician.
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Favorite blog posts, April 2014
- Bassoonist Barry Stees continues his in-depth and insightful series on interpretation, with installments on motive and harmony.
- Flutist Cindy Ellis offers ten piccolo tips.
- Oboist Christa Garvey shares a breathing exercise for quieting performance nerves.
- Saxophonist Ben Britton experiments with some improved altissimo fingerings. And of course I would be remiss not to mention his very attractive saxophone fingering diagrams.
- Woodwind doubler Steve Moffet considers practicing instrument switches.
- Heather Roche catalogs extended clarinet articulation techniques.
- Bassonist David Pierce offers six words to inspire performers.
- Anna Norris explores some issues with beginners and the bassoon.
- Oboist Jill Cathey plays her scales backwards.
- Contraforte-ist Kristopher King shares his reed dimensions for this intriguing instrument.
- Oboist Patty Mitchell asks a question worth considering about music students and immunizations.
- Clarinetist Michael Dean addresses a surprising connection between posture and embouchure.