Favorite blog posts, January 2024

See the woodwind blogs I’m following, and suggest others!

Using electronic harmonization with woodwinds

In a recent recital I performed my own arrangement of Ravel’s Boléro for multiple woodwinds soloist using electronics, with piano and snare drum. I used electronics to try to approximate some of Ravel’s harmonies (and timbres), and used what in my mind are three different techniques, which I’ll try to outline here. In performance, I … Read more

Recital videos, August 2023

I’m pleased to share videos from my recent Delta State University faculty recital.

Interview: Stefanie Harger Gardner, clarinetist and #clarequality activist

Dr. Stefanie Harger Gardner teaches clarinet, chamber music, and music theory at Glendale Community College and Ottawa University. Previously she served on the faculty at Northern Arizona University. Gardner has performed with Arizona Opera, the Phoenix Symphony, Red Rocks Chamber Music Festival, Seventh Roadrunner, the Paradise Winds, and the Égide Duo, whose mission is to … Read more

Favorite blog posts, June 2023

Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, June 2023 edition.

Favorite blog posts, May 2023

Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, May 2023 edition.

Favorite blog posts, March 2023

Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, March 2023 edition.

Experiments with electric woodwinds

I’ve been having fun with woodwinds enhanced with pickups or microphones. (If you’re interested in natively-electronic instruments like wind controllers, I’ve written about those elsewhere.) I still have a lot to learn about working with electronics. But here are a few observations in case anyone finds them helpful. Which instrument(s) to use? I find lower-pitched … Read more

Switching between clarinets: tone production

Switching to bass clarinet

Switching between any two instruments, even two closely-related ones, is a challenging prospect. You must practice for many hours to do it well. But often people switching between clarinets (such as between B-flat clarinet and bass clarinet) are making larger changes than necessary. The fundamental concepts in clarinet tone production are breath support, voicing, and … Read more