I’m pleased to share videos from my recent Delta State University faculty recital.
Woodwinds: Woodwind doubling
Q&A: Woodwind doubling advice
A couple of weeks ago I put out a call for questions, in honor of today being the fifteenth anniversary of this blog. A bunch of the questions boiled down to: what advice do you have on woodwind doubling? Here are a few answers:
- Be a beginner on each instrument. Take the time to work through beginner materials (starting probably with pages of whole notes!), scales, and so forth. Resist the temptation to dive in on advanced or even intermediate repertoire.
- Get comfortable with a long timeline. You can’t reach the highest levels of playing on a bunch of instruments in the same time that your peers are reaching the highest levels on single instruments, unless you’re a lot more talented than me. And you can’t afford to buy a section’s worth of top-quality instruments in that same time frame, either, unless you’re a lot richer than me.
- Prioritize what motivates you. Lots of aspiring doublers seem very concerned about what instrument they “should” learn next. There’s no roadmap, and it’s hard to predict what gigs might come your way in the future. So you might as well devote your time, effort, and money to whichever instrument you feel most excited about adding to your collection.
- Be skeptical of instruments, accessories, method books, etc. that are marketed as “for doublers.” If you want to play clarinet like a clarinetist, use what the clarinetists use.
Some other readers asked about the “secrets” to practicing multiple instruments.
As far as I know there aren’t any; if you want to play three or five instruments well, plan to put in three or five times as many hours. I’ve posted previously about an approach to an instrument rotation for practicing, but it really depends on you particular set of instruments, abilities, and goals.
Another reader asked how hard it was for me to learn secondary instruments.
Beyond general musicianship skills (like reading music or blending into an ensemble), I don’t think there’s a lot of useful cross-training effect. In other words, no instrument is a good shortcut to learning another, at least not learning it well. But I do think there are underlying concepts that can be useful for thinking of the woodwind family and its techniques as part of a unified whole. (I address those concepts in my book Woodwind Basics, or sprinkled throughout the last 15 years of blog posts.)
Someone else asked about when to get serious about woodwind doubling (high school? undergraduate studies? graduate school?), which is something I’ve opined about previously.
Everyone’s circumstances are different, but for my undergraduate music majors (and for me when I was in that stage) there are a couple of things that need to happen in their development: gain a certain level of mastery at operating the instrument itself, and develop a certain maturity of musicianship. While these things should be in development concurrently, achieving the first is ultimately a prerequisite to achieving the second. (You can’t fully execute a mature musical idea if you’re held back by technical deficiencies.) I think it can be a fun side pursuit to pick up an additional instrument or two in high school or college, but I think many people won’t be ready to pursue professional-level playing on multiple instruments until graduate school, and then won’t achieve it within the time frame of a graduate degree.
Another reader asked questions about pursuing a career in playing in musical theater orchestras: is it worthwhile to go on to graduate school? How do you get more gigs (cold-call theaters? take lessons with Broadway players)?
Graduate degrees (or any degrees) aren’t necessary for just about any kind of gig work, although they can provide useful training to improve your skills, gain some experience, and network with fellow musicians.
I would say don’t call theaters. Venues are unlikely to hire musicians directly. Instead, you want to connect with the musical directors or contractors who are likely hiring the orchestra members. Direct outreach to those folks might be effective in some cases. But a lot of musical directors, if they call their usual players and find them unavailable, will ask them for recommendations, so the musicians already playing the gigs you want are both your competition and your best chances at getting hired. Taking lessons is a possible way to get a foot in the door. Sometimes just catching them after a show, introducing yourself, complimenting their playing, and handing over a business card can be enough to get you on their radar.
Additionally, a career exclusively playing musicals would be an oddity. Most woodwind players who do musicals do lots of kinds of gigs. Develop your skills, build your network, and see what possibilities come your way.
Someone else asked a question about the history of multiple woodwinds degree programs.
This isn’t something I have dug into enough to answer with any confidence, but it would make a nice thesis or dissertation for someone working on a multiple woodwinds graduate degree. I do know that I’ve heard lots of folks confidently make conflicting claims about which degree programs were first or biggest or best, or about how the number or configuration or quality of degree programs has changed.
Thanks for the thoughtful questions!
Do I really need…
For woodwind doublers and lots of other musicians, the shopping list can go on and on. Do I need a clarinet in A? In E-flat? Do I need an alto flute? A contrabassoon? A bass saxophone?
Clearly there’s no one-size-fits all answer, but here are some things to consider.
- Are you doing, or aspiring to, the kind of gigs where not having access to the right instrument is a dealbreaker? Or the kind where nobody minds too much if you cover that bassoon part on something else? (The answers to these may depend on a lot of factors like the musical genre, the hiring contractor, the location, and the availability of other musicians in the area.)
- Are you happier being the person who is equipped for every situation? Or are you happier being the person who gets by with the necessities? (It’s okay to be either, or some of each.)
- Do you expect, in purely financial terms, a return on investment for your new instrument? Do you see a clear path to pay for the instrument, its upkeep and accessories, and then some, by getting gigs you wouldn’t otherwise get? (It’s also okay if you have non-financial motivations.)
- Are you pondering another purchase because of opportunities you’ve had to turn down? Or are you betting on future opportunities? Or just fascinated by another shiny object? (Any of those can be acceptable reasons if they fit with your financial resources and goals.)
- If the purchase is part of a strategy to get more opportunities, what is the market like? For a particularly expensive instrument like a contrabassoon, it might be worthwhile if there is an unmet or under-met need for it in your area. (But if other contrabassoonists nearby have already locked down all the gigs, your expensive toy might end up collecting dust.)
It’s hard to predict which instrument purchases will help you meet employment or income goals. Ultimately, it’s up to you to weigh the tangible and intangible factors and decide whether investing in something new is the right choice. Good luck!
Favorite blog posts, December 2022
- International Clarinet Association: Clarinet Chronicles: Repertoire as Representation (Hailey Cornell, Eric Schultz); Reprints from Early Years of The Clarinet: Bass Clarinet (Edward S. Palanker, Josef Horák, Norman Heim, Harry Sparnaay, et al)
- DoctorFlute (Angela McBrearty): Evening Out Your Registers
- Khara Wolf: Getting back in shape on the oboe; Synthetic Oboe Reed Review
- Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever. (Doron Orenstein): How to Use Breath Support to Fatten Your Sound and Fix Intonation
- Cornelius Boots – Bamboo Shakuhachi Master & Composer – Zen, New Music and Bold Creativity.: Grandmaster Boots: Shakuhachi Renegade or Champion? Dai Shihan Certification
- Joffe Woodwinds (Ed Joffe): Tribute to Gene Cipriano
- Jenny Maclay (clarinet): Clarinetists’ New Year Refresh
- The Bis Key Chronicles (Jim Glass): Wood or Metal Clarinet Prediction – 1920
Listing your woodwind doubles
Here is a question I’ve gotten a few times recently: if you’re a woodwind doubler, and need to list your instruments, in what order do you list them? Here are some options:
- Use a common “score” order, like: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone. To musically-literate folks this may be the closest thing to a sort of neutral listing, giving no special preference or ranking to the instruments. (But it can of course be misinterpreted.)
- Use a ranking, such as by which instruments you play best or prefer. If, like me, your ambition is to play your doubles equally well, and to be a hire-able professional on them all, then listing them this way may weaken that impression.
- Do a hybrid of ranking and score order, such as listing a strongest/primary instrument first, and the rest in score order. That’s my preferred approach for general cases like on my website or business cards. For me, it’s: saxophone, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon. That highlights my strongest instrument (for now, at least), and also puts it out front for jazz, rock, and blues gigs, which make up a substantial part of my freelance career.
- Tailor the list to the situation. If I’m submitting a brief biography for an appearance at, say, a clarinet conference, I’ll put the clarinet first. That hopefully helps people see me as a member of the group, rather than a visitor.
- Randomize. For something like a website, it’s relatively simple with a little coding knowledge to use a different order every time, and help prevent yourself from being pigeonholed. You could also randomize photos of yourself holding or playing various instruments, or video or audio recordings. Here’s a simple example.
To sum up, you’ll have to consider your skills and goals as a doubler, what kind of work you do or want to do, and to whom you’re presenting yourself.
Getting gigs on woodwind doubles
Here’s a question sent to me recently [edited lightly]:
Do you have any advice on getting gigs on doubles? I play all the major modern woodwinds, but I’m definitely an oboe/English horn player first, and saxophone is my strongest double. I wouldn’t say I’m the best flute or clarinet player, but I’m good enough to gig or perform solo repertoire. I never get gigs on anything but oboe/English horn or saxophone, which makes me feel like I’m wasting my time practicing anything else.
Here are a few things to consider:
Firstly, hopefully it goes without saying, but continue developing your skills on your doubles.
Developing a reputation in your local market takes time. Plus, your local ecosystem of musicians and gigs is a factor outside your control. For example, if there is already an abundance of well-established clarinetists in local contractors’ contact lists, then it may just take time before you get a shot.
Get to know the players in town who are doing the kind of gigs you want, and establish professional acquaintances with them. There’s also a time-honored tradition of taking a “lesson” or two with top local players so they can see what you’re capable of, and potentially recommend you for gigs (plus you might learn something).
Check in with contractors or other hirers you may be working with already. You could say something like, “Hey, I’ve been doing so much oboe and saxophone lately work that I’m not sure people realize I’m a strong flute and clarinet player, too. Just wanted to make sure you have that info in the back of your mind. Thanks!”
Also consider what you are or aren’t doing to sell yourself convincingly as a doubler. I checked out your web presence, and found social media usernames and profile pictures that identify you very clearly as an oboist, plus some vague, apologetic hints that you are also woodwind doubler. Some humility is good, but if you want to work as a flutist then it helps to tell people you’re a flutist.
You also do not have a personal web page, or not one that I could quickly find. That’s your digital-era business card. (Consider getting some actual business cards, too.) It should state clearly what you bring to the table, and ideally provide some evidence. If I visit your website and it doesn’t mention the bassoon, or it mentions the bassoon but has audio/videos of you playing everything but the bassoon, then I’m unlikely to consider you a hireable bassoonist. If your bassoon playing is only so-so, I might still need you for a gig that has less-critical bassoon parts, but hearing you play something gives me some reference point for what you can do. As a next-best thing, you can provide an easy-to-find, easy-to-skim list of some gigs you have done in recent memory.
Find appropriate opportunities to offer your services on additional instruments. “Hey, I have my flute with me today, and I can cover that third part if you like.” “I was thinking maybe this passage would sound good on clarinet. Mind if I give it a try in rehearsal?” Don’t push it to the point of being annoying, and be a good sport if the person in charge wants you to stay in your lane.
Good luck!
Review: Multiple-woodwinds works by Darren Lord
I heard recently from Paul Saunders, whose compositions and publications for multiple woodwinds I have previously reviewed. He called my attention to an astonishing number of recent multiple-woodwinds compositions by Darren Lord, a musical director, keyboardist, and more who has worked on London’s West End theater scene.
At the time of this writing, Lord’s music for multiple woodwinds includes:
- Five volumes of mostly musical-theater-style pieces for multiple woodwinds soloist, with piano or downloadable fully-orchestrated backing tracks (with synthesized orchestra). Most or all of these pieces can also be purchased individually. (I got to look in detail at volume 2 for this review.)
- Five recital-type pieces for multiple woodwinds soloist with piano.
- Six pieces for quartets of multiple woodwinds players.
All can be purchased on Lord’s website. There are also extensive audio demos, some played by Saunders and some synthesized.
These are high-quality, worthy additions to the multiple woodwinds repertoire. And the sheer quantity and variety of available material should make Mr. Lord’s website a certain stop for anyone looking for pieces for study or performance.
I’ve made a substantial update to my Music for woodwind doublers page to include these pieces. Please continue to keep me updated on new or rediscovered multiple woodwinds repertoire!
Woodwind Doubler Census 2021 results, part 5 (final): self-identification
Thanks to all who participated in my 2021 woodwind doubling survey, and to those who helped spread the word. I’ve released the results in installments, so be sure to check out the rest.
I got 284 responses, an improvement over 2011’s 187. The numbers for each of these questions don’t necessarily add up to exactly that number, since not everybody responded to every question.
In the final section of the survey, I gave respondents the option to identify and tell me a little about themselves, including their names, locations, affiliations, websites, and other comments. I’m not sharing personally-identifiable information here, but I’ll respond in a general way to each question.
What is your name?
Almost 180 of you identified yourselves by name. It was lots of fun to scroll through see musicians I know and have worked with, who I have connected with online, and even some of my heroes and role models. And it was also very cool to see lots of names I didn’t know (yet). If you’re out there and would like to connect, I hope you will feel free to reach out.
Where do you live?
I’m sharing these sorted alphabetically and lightly edited.
| 19047 |
| Ada, OK |
| Ada, Oklahoma |
| Archer City, Texas |
| Arizona |
| around Boston |
| Around Raleigh, North Carolina |
| Asheville, NC |
| Ashland, KY |
| Atlanta |
| Auburn, ME |
| Austin TX |
| Austin, TX |
| Australia |
| Baltimore, MD area |
| Bangkok, Thailand |
| Berlin, CT |
| Birmingham, England (studying) |
| Bolivar, MO |
| Boston |
| Boston |
| Boston-area |
| California |
| Cambridge, UK |
| Canada |
| Centra Michigan |
| Charlotte, NC |
| Chatham, Ontario, Canada |
| Chicago |
| Chicago Suburbs |
| Chicago suburbs |
| cincinnati |
| Cleveland OH |
| Coburg, OR (but still gig in San Jose, CA, my previous residence) |
| Colorado |
| Comerío, Puerto Rico. |
| Connecticut |
| Conroe, TX (40 miles north of downtown Houston) |
| Coopersburg, PA |
| Corvallis |
| Covington, LA |
| Currently in Tampere, Finland; usually SoCal/ SF Bay Area |
| Dallas – Fort Worth Area |
| Dallas, Texas |
| Dallas, TX |
| Dallas/Fort Worth region |
| Darien, IL |
| DC area |
| Durant, Oklahoma / Las Vegas, Nevada |
| East Bay of SF Bay Area |
| East Lansing, MI |
| Eastern Mass |
| Eastern North Carolina |
| Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Eugene, Oregon |
| Fargo ND |
| Fargo, ND |
| Finger Lakes region of New York |
| Florida |
| Fort Worth, Texas |
| Fresno, Ca. |
| Germany |
| Germany |
| Grand Rapids, Michigan |
| Greater Vancouver, BC, Canada |
| Greensboro, NC |
| Greensboro, NC |
| Greensboro, North Carolina |
| Hamels, Braughing, Hertfordshire, England |
| Hampton Roas, VA |
| Harrisburg, PA |
| Hong Kong |
| Honolulu, Hawaii |
| Houston |
| Houston TX |
| Houston, TX |
| Ihio |
| Indiana |
| Indianapolis |
| Indianapolis |
| iowa |
| Iowa USA |
| Jersey City |
| Kanagawa, Japan* (originally from Maine) |
| Kansas |
| Kansas |
| Kansas City metro area |
| Lancaster area PA |
| Lancaster, CA |
| Las Vegas |
| Las Vegas |
| Little Rock, Arkansas |
| Liverpool, NY |
| London |
| London |
| London and Cape Town |
| Long Beach, CA USA |
| Los Angeles |
| Los Angeles |
| Los Angeles/Orange County, CA |
| Madeira Beach, FL |
| Manhattan and Connecticut |
| Melbourne, Australia |
| Melbourne, Australia |
| Melbourne, Australia |
| Memphis |
| Memphis |
| Memphis, TN |
| Memphis,TN USA |
| Metro Atlanta |
| Miami, FL |
| Miami, Florida |
| Michigan |
| Middleton Massachusetts |
| Midwest U.S. |
| Milwaukee |
| Milwaukee |
| Milwaukee |
| Milwaukee WI |
| Minneapolis |
| Minneapolis, MN |
| Minnesota |
| Mississippi |
| Mississippi |
| Montgomery, AL |
| Murfreesboro |
| Myrtle Beach, SC |
| Nashville, TN |
| Nashville, TN |
| Nashville, TN |
| Near Eugene Oregon |
| Nebraska |
| Nevada |
| New England, USA |
| New England, USA |
| New Jersey |
| New Jersey |
| New Jersey, US |
| New Orleans |
| New York |
| New York City |
| New York City |
| New York City |
| New York City Metro area |
| New York, Montreal, and Florida |
| New York, NY |
| North Kingstown, RI |
| North Texas |
| Northeast Ohio/Western PA |
| Northeast Tennessee |
| Northeast U.S. |
| Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania |
| Northern California |
| Norway |
| NY |
| NY area |
| NYC |
| NYC |
| NYC |
| Ocean Reef, Perth, Western Australia |
| Ohio |
| Ohio |
| Oklahoma City |
| Oregon |
| Oregon |
| Orlando, Florida |
| Oxford, UK |
| Pennsylvania |
| Perth |
| Perth, Western Australia |
| Pickering, ON Canada |
| Piedmont Triad Area of North Carolina |
| Pittsburgh |
| Pittsburgh, Pa. |
| Preston, UK |
| Queensland, Australia |
| Reno, NV |
| San Antonio |
| San Antonio TX |
| San Antonio, TX |
| San Francisco |
| San Fransisco Bay Area |
| San Jose |
| San Jose, CA |
| San Jose, CA |
| San Jose, CA |
| San Jose, CA |
| San Jose, CA |
| San W |
| Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Scenic Martin, TN |
| Scotland |
| Scotland |
| Seattle, WA |
| SF Bay Area |
| SF Bay Area |
| SF Bay Area |
| SF Bay Area |
| SF South Bay Area |
| SF South Bay Area |
| Singapore |
| SLC Utah |
| South Eastern Wisconsin, USA |
| southern Virginia |
| Springfield, MO |
| St Andrews |
| St Paul/Minneapolis |
| St. Louis area |
| St. Louis, MO |
| State College PA |
| Sussex, Wi |
| Tampa Florida |
| Teaneck, NJ |
| Tennessee |
| Toronto |
| Toronto |
| Toronto CA -> Greensboro,NC |
| Toronto, Canada |
| Troy, AL |
| Trumansburg, NY |
| UK |
| Urbana, IL (& Springfield, IL) |
| Va Bch, VA. |
| Washington, DC |
| Washington, DC |
| Washington, DC metropolitan area |
| Wellington, New Zealand |
| Will be moving to Denton, Texas |
| Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada |
What is your main gig, performing group, teaching institution, etc.?
I have edited a number of these (the asterisks are mine) in cases where, based on my best judgment, I felt strangers might be able to identify you through web searches.
| *** Big Band |
| *** College/*** Community College/*** College/private studio/*** Festival Orchestra/*** Philharmonic |
| *** County Schools, Freelance musician |
| *** Ensemble, Broadway shows, recordings, *** College of Performing Arts |
| *** Episcopal School |
| *** High School (band director) |
| *** Jazz Band |
| *** London West End |
| *** Middle School (Teacher) |
| *** Musician |
| *** Quartet, Goodspeed Musicals, Playhouse on Park, etc. |
| *** Symphony Orchestra (Assistant Principal Bassoon/ Contrabassoon and much of the Saxophone work), teach at the University of ***, lots of studio recording sessions. |
| *** Symphony Orchestra, Bassoon |
| *** University graduate teaching assistant |
| *** Videogame Symphony |
| *** Winds, Ballet *** Orchestra |
| ***Winds, ***, *** |
| 2nd Alto Sax, US Navy Band *** Jazz Ensemble |
| 6-12 band director |
| A school big band |
| ABRSM |
| Air Force, formerly with a regional band, but now assigned a non-music job |
| Alabama State University |
| Band Director – High School |
| Band instrument repair |
| Bar gigs w/ a combo |
| Before the pandemic I was regularly doing musical theatre work 3/4s of the year and also was doing a fair bit of big band playing as well. The big band and various offshoots of it play pre 1940s swing music and some smaller “Dixie” stuff so there’s a lot for me to do on clarinet. I also teach privately at a school system and a music store and was leading an after school ensemble and doing sectional work with the other bands at the school system. Those ended up being fairly evenly split, and then I would pick up various odd work at studio sessions or local bar gigs |
| Big band jazz |
| Broadway |
| Broadway and Lincoln Center |
| Broadway pits |
| Certified bad*** (jk, picking up jobs when I can/doing musicals) |
| Church and Various community bands |
| Church Music Director |
| Church of ***, Music Director and keyboardist |
| Coastal Carolina University |
| Community band/ musicals |
| Community bands |
| Community Bands – 4 of them. |
| community orchestra |
| Community theater |
| Community wind ensemble |
| Cruise ship musician (saxes, flute, piccolo, clarinet) |
| Currently all virtual – mostly with the Royal Canadian Naval Reserves at ***. |
| Currently RSO/VVGO/various guest player roles at Chinese orchestras in Singapore |
| Currently teaching orchestra. |
| DMA student at the University of *** |
| Elementary Music Teacher |
| Everywhere 😂 |
| Fargo Moorhead Community Theatre |
| Free-lance musician |
| Freelance |
| Freelance |
| Freelance musician around the west end and London |
| Freelance teaching and performing |
| Freelance woodwind specialist, director of local volunteer big band (Ensemble Swing Time), Singer |
| Freelancer / university adjunct |
| Going to the *** College of Music and Drama for Oboe Performance (with a touch of Woodwind doubling) this september |
| High School |
| High School Teacher |
| Home based teacher |
| I am a high school student at *** High School |
| I attend Brandon University |
| I play the flute family for the *** Symphony Orchestra |
| I primarily teach private students. |
| I work at *** full-time during the days, and sub regularly on Broadway on nights and weekends (under normal circumstances) |
| I’m in high school so this doesn’t apply |
| Instrument repair |
| Instrument Repair at *** |
| Jazz Big Band |
| Just freelance |
| Local high school and regional theater |
| Local theatre groups |
| Mainly in undergrad jazz band and concert band |
| Mars Hill University |
| Mid-*** Symphony, *** Jazz Band |
| Middle school music teacher, play in local symphony and a collegiate wind orchestra |
| Military Band |
| Military musician and private teacher |
| Missouri State University |
| Music bachelors student |
| Music education undergrad |
| Music teacher/Teaching artist |
| Musical instrument repair/orchestral oboe. |
| Musical theater, church |
| My band, The *** |
| My online business as a content creator and educator |
| National or international tours. |
| No main gig during The pandemic. |
| No main gig. |
| None, teach at *** College, produce concerts at ***, run the *** Saxophone Quartet, |
| North Carolina State University |
| Nowadays it’s mostly University ensembles in Cambridge |
| Performing |
| Performing |
| pit orchestra |
| playing in musical orchestras/ bands |
| Playing in musical theater pits |
| Playing on Broadway |
| Playing: Civic Theater and the *** Jazz Orchestra. Clarinet teacher for local school district. |
| Private instructor, various big bands, west coast style combo and various pits when they come up |
| private lessons at *** Music |
| Private lessons teaching |
| Private Studio |
| Private Studio |
| Private teacher & reed maker out of my home |
| Private teaching studio |
| Private woodwind teacher & freelance musician |
| Prof. of Music, The University of *** |
| Professional and community theatre pits. Too many to list. |
| Professional orchestra librarian |
| Professor at *** University |
| Professor at NDSU |
| Put work |
| Recent college graduate, premed, member of *** (funk group), and jazz musician/woodwind instrumentalist |
| Regional big band & GB |
| Regional Broadway caliber theater productions and local hire for national tours. |
| Regional theater, private lessons |
| Retired |
| Rockland County Concert Band |
| Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (studying) |
| Sam Houston state |
| Saxophone with *** |
| School band |
| Schriener University |
| Self-employed |
| senior in college, about to student teach |
| simpson college |
| Six Flags |
| Small School Band Director |
| Software Engineer |
| solo jazz performer |
| Southwest *** Community College |
| Stockton CA |
| Student |
| Student |
| Student right now |
| Substitute teacher specializing in music |
| Teach at ***. Play gigs w/my jazz combo. |
| Teacher (Elementary) |
| Teaching and free lancing. |
| Teaching and instrument repair |
| Teaching at a school(still a uni student) |
| Teaching Bassoon Lessons |
| Teaching middle school band |
| teaching private lessons |
| Teaching the reed studio at *** University. |
| Teaching: *** Music (lesson studio and music store) | Playing: *** (amusement park) Dixieland Band |
| The *** Quartet (baritone chair), freelancer/soloist, Orchestra of *** |
| Theater |
| Theater Musician |
| Theatre |
| There are several |
| Touring Musician (Broadway shows) |
| UNC Charlotte |
| Univ. of ***, *** Technical College |
| University adjunct professor, Broadway touring shows (local hire) and local theater company. |
| University as a student |
| University New Music Ensemble |
| University of *** *** Society (the musical theatre society) |
| University of Nevada, Reno |
| University of North Carolina School of the Arts |
| University of Oregon |
| University of Texas at San Antonio/private lessons (self employed) |
| University Professor an conductor |
| University student with some private teaching and freelancing |
| US Army Musician |
| US Navy Pacific Fleet Band |
| Varies |
| VVGO, RSO, UFB – virtual ensembles. |
| WAAPA – Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts |
| Weddings |
| Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts |
| Will be attending UNT |
| Youngstown State University |
What is your website address?
Lots of you shared websites. In cases where I could locate a relevant and reasonably-fresh RSS feed, I’ve added them to my feed reader, which also puts them on my public blogroll.
Any other comments you would like to share?
Some of you took this opportunity to share some general thoughts about woodwind doubling, to expand upon your biographical details or musical experiences, or to offer critique/commentary on the survey itself. Many of you were also kind enough to express appreciation for the survey, my blog, and other resources on my website. It was deeply gratifying and also super weird to hear from a few of you that you drew inspiration from my website as kids and are now working musicians, graduate students, etc. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to say hello or share a few thoughts.
In conclusion, thanks once again to all for your participation, readership, and friendship. It was great to hear from so many of you, and I hope to do it again in 2031.
Woodwind Doubler Census 2021 results, part 4: gigs
Thanks to all who participated in my 2021 woodwind doubling survey, and to those who helped spread the word. I’m releasing the results in installments, so be sure to use my social media links, RSS feeds, etc. to keep up.
I got 284 responses, an improvement over 2011’s 187. The numbers for each of these questions don’t necessarily add up to exactly that number, since not everybody responded to every question.
What is your main source of income? (under normal circumstances)
“Retired” was an option I neglected to include, but enough of you wrote it in that I’ve added it to the chart here. Some of you also wrote in other things, most of which I felt fit into the existing categories, so I’ve used my best judgment to include them here.
| 2021 DATA | ||
|---|---|---|
| playing gigs | 51 | 18% |
| teaching music | 97 | 35% |
| working in another aspect of music | 20 | 7% |
| working in a non-music field | 63 | 22% |
| student, supported by family/financial aid/etc. | 40 | 14% |
| retired | 10 | 4% |
| 2011 DATA | ||
|---|---|---|
| playing gigs | 40 | 21% |
| teaching music | 42 | 23% |
| working in another aspect of music | 4 | 2% |
| working in a non-music field | 44 | 24% |
| student | 42 | 22% |
| other | 15 | 8% |
Which types of paid woodwind doubling gigs have you done in the past?
Some of you wrote in additional categories such as church gigs, concert bands in the community or the military, and theme parks.
| 2021 Data | ||
|---|---|---|
| school/community theater | 229 | 81% |
| large-scale tour of a musical (as traveling orchestra member) | 42 | 15% |
| large-scale tour of a musical (as local hire) | 74 | 26% |
| Broadway show or other major-city musical production (as permanent orchestra member) | 43 | 15% |
| Broadway show or other major-city musical production (as sub) | 74 | 26% |
| orchestral, opera, or similar | 156 | 55% |
| chamber music | 158 | 56% |
| studio recording (as leader or permanent group member) | 46 | 16% |
| studio recording (as hired gun) | 118 | 42% |
| television/radio/broadcast (live) | 36 | 13% |
| television/radio/broadcast (pre-recorded) | 38 | 13% |
| jazz big band | 158 | 56% |
| jazz small group or solo | 109 | 39% |
| rock/pop group | 75 | 27% |
| cruise ship | 17 | 6% |
| none | 22 | 8% |
| 2011 Data | |
|---|---|
| school/community theater | 153 |
| large-scale tour of a musical (as traveling orchestra member) | 17 |
| large-scale tour of a musical (as local hire) | 47 |
| Broadway show or other major-city musical production (as permanent orchestra member) | 29 |
| Broadway show or other major-city musical production (as sub) | 29 |
| orchestral, opera, or similar | 86 |
| studio recording (as leader or permanent group member) | 28 |
| studio recording (as hired gun) | 72 |
| television/radio/broadcast (live) | 26 |
| television/radio/broadcast (pre-recorded) | 29 |
| jazz big band | 112 |
| jazz small group or solo | 87 |
| rock/pop group | 65 |
| cruise ship | 18 |
| other | 25 |
Which of these do you play?
Some of you wrote in additional genres. A handful mentioned musical theater as being its own genre or mish-mash of genres.
| 2021 Data | ||
|---|---|---|
| classical music | 270 | 95% |
| jazz music | 229 | 81% |
| pop/rock music | 156 | 55% |
| folk/world music | 78 | 27% |
| 2011 Data | |
|---|---|
| classical | 178 |
| jazz | 160 |
| pop/rock | 124 |
| folk/ethnic | 60 |
| other | 19 |
How often do you improvise (such as jazz improvisation) on gigs?
| 2021 Data | ||
|---|---|---|
| never | 43 | 16% |
| rarely | 77 | 28% |
| sometimes | 100 | 36% |
| always or nearly always | 57 | 21% |
| 2011 Data | ||
|---|---|---|
| never | 31 | 17% |
| rarely | 53 | 29% |
| sometimes | 58 | 31% |
| always or nearly always | 43 | 23% |
On average, how frequently do you have woodwind doubling gigs? (under normal circumstances)
| 2021 Data | ||
|---|---|---|
| Every week or more | 45 | 16% |
| Every month or more | 76 | 38% |
| Every three months or more | 64 | 23% |
| Every six months or more | 53 | 19% |
| Never or almost never | 36 | 13% |
| 2011 Data | ||
|---|---|---|
| Every week or more | 44 | 24% |
| Every month or more | 52 | 28% |
| Every three months or more | 32 | 17% |
| Every six months or more | 23 | 12% |
| Less than once every six months | 36 | 19% |
What kind of competition is there for woodwind doubling gigs in your area?
| 2021 Data | ||
|---|---|---|
| slim or nonexistent | 45 | 16% |
| moderate | 139 | 50% |
| fierce | 56 | 20% |
| don’t know or not applicable | 38 | 14% |
| 2011 Data | ||
|---|---|---|
| slim or nonexistent | 40 | 23% |
| moderate | 98 | 55% |
| fierce | 40 | 22% |
Which of the following teaching situations are part of your income?
| 2021 Data | ||
|---|---|---|
| private lessons | 153 | 54% |
| ensemble directing or chamber music coaching | 57 | 20% |
| teaching from home or a private studio | 97 | 34% |
| teaching at a school (elementary through high school) | 70 | 25% |
| teaching at a university or conservatory | 62 | 22% |
| teaching more than one woodwind instrument | 104 | 37% |
| teaching classroom-type (including online) courses about music (such as music theory, history, etc.) | 42 | 15% |
| 2011 Data | |
|---|---|
| private lessons | 93 |
| ensemble directing or chamber music coaching | 39 |
| teaching from home or a private studio | 58 |
| teaching at a school (elementary through high school) | 38 |
| teaching at a university or conservatory | 31 |
| teaching more than one woodwind instrument | 66 |
How has woodwind doubling affected your employability?
| 2021 Data | ||
|---|---|---|
| no discernible effect | 23 | 9% |
| slight improvement to employability | 27 | 11% |
| moderate improvement to employability | 58 | 23% |
| significant improvement to employability | 143 | 57% |
| decreased employability | 0 | 0% |
| does not apply | 28 | 10% |
| 2011 Data | ||
|---|---|---|
| no effect | 23 | 13% |
| slight improvement to employability | 25 | 14% |
| moderate improvement to employability | 32 | 18% |
| significant improvement to employability | 93 | 54% |
| decreased employability | 1 | 1% |
Which of these have resulted from your woodwind doubling?
| 2021 Data | ||
|---|---|---|
| more non-doubling gigs on my primary instrument(s) | 107 | 38% |
| more non-doubling gigs on my secondary instrument(s) | 136 | 48% |
| fewer non-doubling gigs on my primary instrument(s) | 22 | 8% |
| fewer non-doubling gigs on my secondary instrument(s) | 4 | 1% |
| none of these | 92 | 33% |
| 2011 Data | |
|---|---|
| more non-doubling gigs on my primary instrument(s) | 69 |
| more non-doubling gigs on my secondary instrument(s) | 86 |
| fewer non-doubling gigs on my primary instrument(s) | 19 |
| fewer non-doubling gigs on my secondary instrument(s) | 6 |
What woodwind-doubling-related goals or ambitions do you have, that you have not (fully) achieved yet?
Responses given here in random order and lightly edited.
| to be a professional historical woodwind doubler |
| LA studio musician (not likely as I don’t live in LA and health of industry) |
| Double tonguing on flute with success. Playing jazz clarinet successfully at my saxophone skill level. |
| * Excellent question! I found it clarifying to put down some of my doubling goals in writing. – starting a woodwind quintet consisting of doublers – performing solo recitals on flute/clarinet – make a living primarily through professional level musical theater work |
| Proficiency on double reeds |
| I really want to pick up some double reeds! Oboe has been calling to me for years but I don’t have the money yet to get my hands on one. And some day I’d love to play in a West End show. |
| playing double reed instruments |
| N/A |
| Ability to make double reeds. |
| Synth work. |
| Proficiency on double reeds |
| I would love to own one of each type woodwind from each instrument family. |
| Playing more pops orchestra shows |
| Playing more professional shows like a regional musical theater gig |
| Playing a musical and having a book that has oboe, flute, sax, and clarinet. |
| Broadway show in New York |
| Parity across all families of instruments |
| Become more fluid with double reds and flute |
| Better at jazz improv; skill on my doubles at level of primary instrument. |
| Broadway subbing, traveling tour sub |
| Getting a more consistent flute tone, and soloing better on both flute and clarinet |
| Be a consistent member of a union theater |
| Playing all instruments at the same skill level |
| I would LOVE to play in a real Broadway (or even touring) pit. With all that life demands, at this stage, that’s not a likely thing. But it would be rad. That’s about the only thing that could ever make me consider leaving teaching :) |
| Developing my own line of single reeds |
| Greater level of improvisational ability in various jazz styles, familiarity with a larger variety of ‘world’ instruments (esp. flutes) Own remaining missing ‘standard’ instruments across all families (have still studied most that I don’t own but will lose access upon graduation) |
| I have a few dream shows, I’d like to commission a piece for 5 woodwind doublers |
| Great fluency in the jazz idiom. I was going to reserve that as a sabbatical project, but I got a head start with it as a pandemic project and it’s benefiting my classical playing on all instruments as well. |
| More theatre work |
| I want to create an online course or program to help woodwind doublers improve their flute/piccolo/alto flute skills, but I need to make sure there’s a market for that! |
| Learn bassoon, better flute ability |
| I would like to become a regular hire for a downtown theatre company in Boston. I would also like to learn bassoon. |
| Playing union rate shows more frequently |
| I would love to feel more confident while playing gigs. Even though I get called back, I never feel like I sound as good as some other doublers and I feel that I sound better at home than I do at the gig. Also I’d love to play at higher profile venues, Broadway tours, etc. |
| More frequent and regular doubling gigs |
| Find consistent playing opportunities. |
| To complete my doctorate and befome a professor of woodwinds at a university. |
| Owning an English Horn. Maybe Bassoon as well? |
| Improving my skills on instruments I have the least experience at. Purchasing more secondary instruments that I don’t have. |
| Play orchestral clarinet gigs |
| I would like to hone my skills on bassoon and clarinet (the two instruments I think I am best at besides my primary) and would love to gain more experience on the doubles I struggle with (flute and oboe). I would also enjoy becoming a “low reeds doubler” of sorts who specialized in A/T/B saxophone, bassoon, and bass clarinet. |
| Play with a professional show |
| Improving skills on my secondary instruments |
| Practice more |
| Try oboe again, but need an instrument. |
| learning oboe |
| Owning all the instruments most often seen in a reed 1 boom |
| Learn the double reeds. Play in a big tour/original production or West end. Study a multi woodwind degree, Play in an ensemble on just flute. |
| Do a paid gig |
| To sub on additional Broadway shows. |
| Just to get better? |
| To create my own music |
| Fluency in bassoon/flute, making multitrack videos which allow me to get chops up for wider array of woodwinds |
| A true Broadway gig, but that will have to wait! |
| the abilities of playing on each instruments at the same level as my primary instrument. |
| I achieved a tenure-track position this year. That was my goal. I need a new goal! |
| To play in national level musical theatre |
| Bassoon |
| Still working on tenor sax. I plan to branch out from the greater flute family at some point but reeds are incredibly different and require much more work on my end before I’ll feel comfortable with them. |
| To achieve the same level of proficiency as my main instrument. |
| Get better on flute |
| Study of double reeds |
| playing all my instruments at approximately a college undergraduate level, learning the oboe (no money for one yet), acquiring more of the secondary instruments (alto flute, bass clarinet, more saxophones – no money for those either) |
| Playing in some shows that, musically, are extremely complex and would be very challenging. |
| Full time woodwind playing work |
| Get pit work regularly |
| Mastery of oboe and bassoon. |
| Being proficient on all of the major woodwind family of instruments. |
| More Broadway shows as a local hire |
| I still want to get my flute and clarinet playing strong enough to do work in an orchestral setting |
| To be better at Oboe and Flute. |
| I would like to have regular, paid doubling gigs. |
| Improvise at the level I want to on oboe and english horn. Also to buy my own bass clarinet and set of low flutes. |
| I still need to improve my flute chops |
| Perform at the Dallas Summer Musicals |
| Publish a book on woodwind pedagogy, record a multiple woodwinds album and form a woodwind doubling chamber ensemble. |
| Would like to own every saxophone and eventually learn the double reed instruments |
| I want to reach the level of a Broadway doubler. Eddie Daniels is one of my heros. |
| Record more standard solo works on various woodwind doubles |
| Piccolo has always been a struggle for me and i would like to get some proficiency on that |
| Improve my clarinet playing. |
| Bringing my secondary instrument (Oboe) to the level of my primary instrument (Saxophone) |
| Take oboe lessons and become a stronger oboist |
| Would like to be called for more musicals |
| Learn Bassoon, Get clarinet to a very high level. Play on Broadway |
| Play musical theatre show on flute which is my weakest instrument |
| I would like to get better at bassoon and low reeds. |
| learn bass clarinet, and get hired for gigs on only secondary instrument[s] |
| buying a pro flute and reaching the same level on flute as my clarinet and sax. I might be interested in learning oboe later. |
| To improve my sax playing so that it is the same standard as my other instruments |
| Would like to get into folk woodwinds more. |
| I want to spend more time on improving my flute, sax, and bassoon to match my level on clarinet (the instrument I studied longest/most). My doubles are fine for playing shows and I have not run into any issues performing on them, but I know that there are areas of my playing on those instruments that I want to improve with continued study. |
| Bassoon. |
| Adding a 3rd instrument |
| I would love to woodwind double professionally. My dream is to be able to have a seat in a Broadway orchestra or on a cruise ship. I am also trying to get accepted to a woodwind doubling program in college (I’m a high school junior right now). |
| I play sax primarily, can play clarinet and oboe, want to be proficient on flute |
| Double reeds in musicals |
| Would like to play on a Broadway tour |
| Consistent musical theater doubler. |
| Playing on Broadway eventually |
| – to play every single woodwind instrument as best as possible. The listener should not hear differences between your primarly and secondary instruments. – someday to play in NYC in a broadway show as a sub :-) |
| Playing in regional tours of Broadway shows, or playing in pits for more local/professional productions |
| Hoping to do my first doubling gig this fall! |
| I would like to add piccolo and alto flute capacity. I’d like to purchase a new high quality bass clarinet. |
| Play a Broadway show tour. |
| Making use of electronic wind instruments more mainstream in theatre pits as an alternative to shifting multiple parts to keyboards. |
| Saxophone altissimo work |
| College professor of one or more woodwind instrument |
| Sub on Broadway. Work to diversity Musical Theatre Pit Orchestras nation-wide through social justice initiatives. |
| I would like to achieve semi-professional level in at least one of my instrument families, and get paid to perform in a doubling context. |
| Permanent musical theatre pit orchestra member. |
| I’m looking to study clarinet in college, not necessarily in a woodwind-doubling context, but I would like to work both as a doubler and as a classical musician after college. |
| Playing certain musical theatre shows like Phantom of the Opera. |
| To get more comfortable with my flute playing. I’d like to get more comfortable with my technique in all registers so less overall practice is required when I take a flute gig. I’d also like to improve my tone quality so I feel less like an imposter when performing on flute. |
| Get better at my doubles |
| Wish I could play flute. Wish I owned a bari sax and a bass clarinet. |
| Adding bassoon— the final frontier! |
| Masters in multiple woodwinds |
| I want to play as a permanent member of a national/ international tour and possibly play on Broadway some day. |
| I would like to play in musicials, and i would like to become fluent on all 5 of the woodwind family members. |
| Learn to play oboe |
| I would very much like to improve my skills on flute. |
| I would like to play a doubling book for an original musical & record its cast album. Also, as a young student, my goal was to work towards a permanent doubling seat on Broadway. But now as an adult, I realize that theater can be made anywhere & there are other major cities producing fine theater. |
| Playing in professional level theatre orchestra |
| None to be honest. I’m completely satisfied with the opportunities I’ve had and there’s nothing really left on my doubling bucket list. |
| Feel confident taking a musical theatre gig with heavier flute requirements. |
| To better my double reed proficiency. I’ve taken oboe lessons for six months during Covid and improved significantly, but I need to purchase a different bassoon with short-reach keys before I can do much with it. |
| Play for a professional tour |
| Play in musicals at Broadway. |
| Getting my flutes chops on the same level as my sax/clarinet abilities. Improvising, particularly on flute. |
| Play more recitals. |
| Play for a professional level theater production |
| Being versatile enough on all the secondary instruments to not be nervous for a theatre or session call. |
| Playing for touring theatre shows |
| Technique-wise, get to a solid skill level on flute, bass clarinet, and soprano/baritone sax, and improve my tenor chops. In the future (after college), I’d like to be able to make a living at least partially from doubling in musical pits/cruise ships/etc. |
| Broadway! |
| To play in a pit on Broadway. Be a part of a studio recording |
| There are a few shows I’d like to do still. |
| I aim to play with characteristic expression & tone color on all my instruments, and to feel as comfortable improvising on all my instruments as I do on my primary. |
| I have yet to enter the world of paid doubling gigs, as many of my instruments are newly acquired. I’d love to double in a pit band/orchestra for theatre or similar. |
| Maintaining skills is a challenge. Steady practice time. |
| Acquiring a larger number of students on my secondary instruments |
| Release a jazz album displaying all my doubles on improvised solos. |
| To be known as a doubler on all 5 major woodwinds |
| Experience most of the major wind instruments |
| Learning bassoon |
| Improvising as comfortably on doubles, as on saxophone (primary instrument) |
| Play with a touring Broadway musical |
| Met my career goals, in general. |
| Making music with some of the best musicians in the world |
| doctoral level degree and college teaching |
| To be widely known as the best in my market. |
| Learn bassoon |
| Get the double reeds going, starting with Bassoon |
| A few more recordings I wish to do. |
| Get better on saxes |
| The goal is to be as proficient on clarient as saxophone. |
| I would like to get a gig in a significant production outside of community theater. |
| I would like to become proficient on all saxophones |
| Growth as an improviser, not only in “traditional” jazz, but also in folk/world and contemporary/avant-garde stlyes; increased mastery of contemporary playing techniques (multiphonics, microtonality, etc.) on all instruments; recording projects (multi-track and single instrument); Possibly authoring pedagogical materials for aspiring doublers, especially aspiring double Reed musicians |
| Getting the last two familes of woodwinds up to the level of my “primary” three. Also, buy a contrabassoon. |
| learning bassoon |
| Be more regularly employed locally, without touring |
| Playing all instruments at a more accomplished level. If not then understanding better to be a better teacher of each instrument. |
| Solo recording with own arrangements |
| Extended technique knowledge/facility on “secondary” instruments |
| Master flute |
| Would love to do a few pro show seasons or even just sub. |
| Bring up the double reeds to a higher standard! |
| I’d love to become equally proficient in every woodwind instruments. |
| Getting in a Broadway musical pit |
| Be able to play flute equally well as clarinet and saxophone, buy an oboe/be able to use it as a double for theater and/or jazz big band, become a regularly contracted musician in my local professional theater scene |
What are your proudest or most significant achievements as a woodwind doubler?
Responses given here in random order and lightly edited.
| Playing my first book without a primary instrument. |
| Giving degree recitals on all of them. |
| Playing at major university graduation ceremonies |
| Being able to play flute proficiently as a sub on a show in Florida. I no longer have to transpose flute parts on the clarinet! |
| Getting into a DMA program in Multiple Woodwinds |
| Performed West Side Story multiple times. |
| Being able to teach beginners in middle school band settings and help them see it’s possible to do more than one. One student has gone on to become proficient in multiple woodwinds and is considering it for employment after college because of this setup. |
| Cover an Oboe/Eng Horn pit orchestra part after 6 weeks of playing (after not playing oboe for 30 years). |
| I’ve been a hired member of a national tour. |
| That sometimes at a gig people will think I’m a clarinetist until they hear me play the saxophone. The other proudest achievement was getting that look people give you when something really stood out in a good way, and it was after one of the piccolo solos in the Addam’s Family Reed 1 book |
| Helping with a workshop production of a new musical |
| Generally speaking, the times that I have been able to take what was once a double and represent myself as a specialist on that instrument are the memories that stand out (ex. playing principal chair or a major solo in an orchestra on my former “double,” performing on a former “double” at major a conference). Nothing too major to report here. :) |
| Feeling confident enough in my abilities to accept any and all doubling gigs… and getting called back to do more |
| Professional oboe/English horn playing |
| 25 years in the Orpheum theater orchestra in Memphis. |
| Performing with a major musical production touring through the city. Also performing with one of the finest opera companies on earth (though not as a doubler) |
| Touring with a show and getting to know the other band members |
| Playing the oboe/English horn parts on WEST SIDE STORY and TUCK EVERLASTING. |
| Learning to play the flute to a professional standard |
| Getting non-doubling gigs on my secondary instruments as it makes me feel like I am legit on them rather than the stereotype of just a doubler who is dabbling. |
| Playing my first pit gig on oboe and tenor saxophone, and mostly teaching myself tenor sax and clarinet |
| Performing in over a hundred different groups / situations. |
| Being asked to play an off Broadway tour |
| Feeling adequate enough to finally step up and attempt flute for a live gig (Drowsy Chaperone) |
| I achieved a tenure-track position as assistant professor of flute and clarinet. |
| Traveling with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, being a first call sub at a union opera house. |
| my first season as a gig muscian |
| My proudest accomplishment was subbing on a few shows on Broadway, and having it all go well! I worked very hard preparing the books and following all of the advice I was given by peers and past teachers. The recurring positive comments I have heard from other reed players, music directors, and contractors has confirmed that I am on the right path. Working as a regular sub on Broadway has been one of my greatest performance (and life) accomplishments. |
| Depping in the west end |
| Being able to do orchestral excerpts better than majors – eg rhapsody in blue opening excerpt better than a clarinet major Also getting recognised for my efforts. |
| Getting a contra alto clarinet solo in a wind ensemble. |
| Making a living on Broadway in NYC |
| One of my proudest achievements as a woodwind doubler was learning the book for my first show as a doubler. Another achievement was playing the Oboe/English Horn book in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I wasn’t proficient with double reeds at the time, so I transposed the whole book to saxophone! It was a lot of work, but it was totally worth it. Getting to play in a show gives me such a sense of joy! |
| Getting props from Edgar Meyer while playing contrabass clarinet on his own bass concerto |
| composing and performing a concerto for woodwind doubler and orchestra |
| One of only very few people within a 100km radius that plays all five woodwind families at a pro level, and owns the instruments. |
| Playing major difficult community theater pits like West Side Story and Chicago. |
| Being the teacher of record on two different instruments at a major university. |
| playing as a local hire of broadway tours in multiple cities in the region |
| Don’t know if this counts: In High School, after my sophomore year, our only oboe player graduated. My band director asked if I wanted to learn oboe over the summer, so I did. Played it the next two years in concert band (while playing alto sax in jazz band) |
| Graduating with my Masters in Multiple Woodwind Performance from NJCU! (And seeing my students succeed due to my skills as a doubler/educator.) |
| Being the first call for many of the Music Directors in my area. |
| Making oboe reeds that work! |
| When I first made a decent sound on a flute and then again on piccolo. |
| Being able to sight read the music on tenor sax an clarinet. Being able to cover my own part w/out another player sitting next to me to cover the clarinet part. |
| I played the whole run of community theater Once Upon a Mattress splitting both the horn book and the oboe book. (1/2 the run on horn, 1/2 the run on oboe) |
| Doubling in a jazz band |
| Getting paid as a doubler in a community theater setting, which is what I love doing. |
| West Side Story |
| Making first woodwind chair in a regonal production of “The Wizard Of Oz” |
| Appearing on several albums and soundtracks |
| Subbing on shows with lots of fast horn changes, difficult technical passages, and exposed solos, and doing it well. Finding time to practice, heh. |
| A collegiate musical premiere |
| At a read-through, playing more accurately than my colleagues |
| 1. Recital with a world-class pianist, playing major literature on flute, clarinet, and alto sax. 2. Subbing flute/picc/clarinet/sax book on the 1st National tour of Les Miz with no rehearsal |
| My reputation as a doubler has grown and people identify my musicianship with this skill. |
| Subbing for Beautiful a Carole King Musical National Tour! |
| Being able to play what I’m needed to play on the instrument wanted. |
| Playing almost all of the woodwind books of West Side Story during various production runs. |
| Broadway shows |
| Broadway |
| Being able to play nearly any woodwind asked for |
| Oboe |
| West Side Story WW books…having played 3 different books over different shows. |
| I can now fluently cross the break on clarinet. |
| Playing on Broadway and LA Studio work. I also currently play on all the Disney on Ice recordings. |
| Being able to play at a level on each instrument where people assume each instrument is my only instrument |
| Playing more professional gigs that more heavily involved doubles, even gigs only on doubles (no saxophone) |
| Playing some sax heavy show books, laughing about my soprano sax debut. |
| Being able to come into a sub situation and knock it out of the park. I’ve gotten most of my regular gigs from subbing in musicals and jazz bands. |
| Getting the opportunity to play the pre-Broadway run of Frozen |
| Being on two national Broadway tours |
| Playing for Penn State School of Theatre productions. |
| Performing as a guest artist at the Aspen Music Festival on flute, clarinet, saxophone, and oboe |
| Learning oboe/English horn on request from beginner to anchoring the chair for a production of Les Mis in 6 months, and playing well enough that everyone who didn’t know me thought I was an oboist and asked to hire me for orchestra gigs only on oboe. 😂 |
| I was part of a professional recording session in high school. In graduate school, I got to play in a side-by-side performance with the local professional orchestra. |
| Sight-reading on Broadway |
| Developing my abilities on my secondary instruments to gain enough confidence to seek out gigs including those instruments, knowing that I can manage them reasonably. |
| Arranging wind books and playing all three for an album |
| Playing a show where i had to cover sax and clarinet parts out of 5 reed books because the only other WW player was flute/piccolo. I basically made my own book. |
| got a call when the band need some doubles |
| Reed 2 – Music Man |
| An American in Paris – Westchester Broadway Theatre 2019 |
| Moving to a new area and almost immediately getting gigs – also companies enjoying my playing and keeping me in the loop |
| professional work |
| Playing 7 instruments in one show; flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, soprano/alto/tenor saxophone. |
| Getting the opportunity to play for a filled production of beauty and the beast for Disney’s “Encores!” |
| Phone rings again |
| Playing clarinet/bass clarinet in my university’s top orchestra, subbing on clarinet in a semi-professional orchestra, playing clarinet/bass clarinet/alto flute on a Gil Evans repertory concert and getting complimented by a flute professor who didn’t know me |
| I was very hesitant to write this, as the gig has not happened yet. — But I recently booked a Broadway tour as a permanent member. I will be going later this year. I feel that this is a major milestone for me & it’s something ive been working towards since my youth. |
| Hearing my students progress. |
| I’m grateful for having had the opportunity to play so many different musical theater productions. |
| Having others in the ensemble not be able to tell which instruments are my primary/secondary |
| Getting a (part-time) University job before even completing my Masters. |
| Making a respectable living performing full-time as a doubler. |
| Being able to hold my own in an orchestra section on my secondary (bassoon in this case) |
| Playing a regional broadway show. |
| Top call woodwind doubler in Houston and playing An American in Paris movie score with the Houston Symphony (tenor sax/Bb clarinet) |
| Being able to read and pick up most parts on the spot, and being able to translate jazz improvisation to doubles |
| Live performance concerts with stars traveling to town to perform. |
| Being able to go from tenor sax to clarinet w/out a glitch. Really being able to nail the parts. |
| Subbing on Broadway, hearing myself in a film score for the first time. |
| extending my flute register was so rewarding, something i struggled with for a while. |
| Being asked by the music director of a show I was subbing in , which instrument was my primary. She could not tell. |
| Recording an album last year |
| called again by the contractor of a big city musical show a second time :-) |
| Performing as Reed 1 at the American Repertory Theater. |
| Making music with some of the best musicians in the world |
| 6 Instruments on one musical. |
| I have enjoyed being able to play across multiple books with facility. I enjoy the challenge of performing multiple woodwinds at a single performance (typically a musical). |
| Subbing on a well known and long-standing Broadway musical. |
| Having a fine violinist in NYC tap me on the shoulder with her now and ask which of my six instruments in the gig was my first instrument. Of course I never told her |
| International competition wins on multiple instruments |
| I agreed to play a production is Oklahoma, knowing it would REALLY stretch my clarinet chops. I knew I’d be playing 2nd, to a far superior clarinetist/friend so I thought it would be great. All the bass was in the 2nd book, so she took that and said “You’re on 1st. Have fun!” It was terrifying, at first, but ended up being one of my best experiences and that one run raised my clarinet chops from passable (at best) to a place I felt confident, moving forward, taking predominantly clarinet books. |
| Receiving a return call to play from a contractor. |
| Live tv, session work, pro theatre |
| Being able to switch onto clarinet and still feel somewhat comfortable. Being given a very heavy doubling book all to myself show coming up!) |
| Playing West Side Story professionally. |
| Finally feeling comfortable on all my doubles but always more to learn |
| Regular, paid theater work at a local professionally managed theater |
| The Cor Anglais solo in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels |
| Forty years on Broadway, Concerts, recordings, tours |
| Working in musical theatre |
| Learning to play the Eb Clarinet for a specific gig. |
| Playing for a major cancer fundraiser cabaret event, personal connection and great musicians. |
| Playing the original US production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame |
| Dixieland and ragtime solos in musicals on secondary instrument, playing with a group of reeds where everyone is formally trained on their primary and very very good on the others |
| I have fairly quickly become one of the top woodwind players in the area and I (under normal circumstances) often have more offers to perform than will fit in my schedule. What more could I ask for? |
| Playing in the orchestra for the premiere of “Ain’t Too Proud” |
| Playing for touring musicals in Denver |
| Played in 117 different shows on Broadway |
| Become a competent oboist |
| Creating Doublers Collective |
| Touring Broadway show local hire. |
| I recorded an an album that featured a set of original music and features myself as a soloist on 10 different woodwinds. |
| Played on a few Broadway shows that passed through town |
| Broadway and first national tours. |
| Playing an entire reed book for a musical is very satisfying, particularly as a non-major/non-career musician |
| Performing on multiple secondary instruments that I taught myself and haven’t played very much and being successful. Playing 6 instruments for one Broadway musical. |
| Playing in multiple ensembles for fun |
| learning and playing in two community theatre performances at the same time |
| Community theatre is enough for me!😁 at least thus far |
| Playing the flute in a show, and people commenting that they thought it was an actual flutist. Playing clarinet in a Dixieland group. |
| High level of ability across most major woodwind families, high level of flexibility, and ability to learn quickly (either styles or instruments) |
| Hired to play flute books on shows |
| Playing several touring shows as local hire. Being by company to play in another city because they liked my work. |
| That I can play multiple instruments |
| Playing (tenor/clarinet) with Lady Gaga in her Jazz & Piano show in Vegas. Outside of that, all of the subbing I’ve done on production shows and musicals. |
| National Tour |
| Becoming the alto sax player at six flags fiesta texas |
| easily switching between different families of winds |
| Being reviewed by you! |
| When someone thinks a double is my primary |
| Building a solid reputation as being a great musician and nice person. |
| Woodwind-doubling has checked items of my bucket list I never knew I had! Because of doubling, I have gotten to tour the world and have landed in a lovely corner of the world. |
| Touring Japan with a show. Also performing with celebrity artists like Johnny Mathis |
| Reading an entire musical book that used 98% flute |
| I have a contracted position in a pit orchestra where I play over 100 performances per year. |
| My flute sound. |
| Masters recital at UNT where I performed on all five woodwind instruments |
| 1. Writing and recording my own works. 2. Film scores |
| Being able to play both flute and dizi for multiple concerts in a wide variety of musical group types (ethnic orchestra, concert band, guitar ensemble, etc.) |
| Being told that they couldn’t tell what my primary instrument was. |
| Traveling with a production to perform at the International Thespian Society Conference in Nebraska |
| Playing flute for the first time in a show this weekend!:)) Being flexibile!:) Being able to play so many shows!:) |
| Flute: learning Nielsen’s flute concerto Clarinet: learning the Brahms sonatas Saxophone: final recording project (small group jazz) for my undergraduate degree |
| Being hired to do full performances on secondary instruments |
| Being the first to incorporate electronic wind instruments into professional theatre pits in my area. |
| Talking about ocarinas long enough that people around me became interested in the instrument, eventually resulting in the credits song of this piece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92HX8Zstijs |
| I landed myself on a national tour of a musical |
| Getting a gig where I had to play 14 instruments in one night, while simultaneously compèring for the event! |
| Becoming just as sufficient on flute as the other flute majors at my university. |
| playing bassoon and contrabass clarinet for my university’s production of a musical after having “played” clarinet for all of six weeks |
| Winning a Premier Military Big Band seat |
| I had to pick up clarinet for a university jazz gig after having not played in about two years and it went really well. |
| Hired for a show at a professional summer stock theater |
| Some shows made me get good at instruments. For example bass clarinet and clarinet. |
| I’m proud of when I played reed 3 on Annie as it was the first time I did a show that didn’t include my primary instrument. |
| Playing a show with a Bari on a harness and making the switch to the bass clarinet in 4 beats |
| I am most proud of getting into a Master’s degree and switching from a flute primary to oboe primary. |
| Being the only doubler in high school band concerts |
| I received two awards for “best instrumentalist” in high school for two different instruments. It allowed me to get a significant music scholarship. |
| Being a big band MD commissioning new works and being able to offer composers the choice of lots of woodwinds |
| Getting my first paid gig in a pit band |
| Playing in various orchestras with directors on different Instruments at different times, and then not suspecting that I wasn’t on my primary instrument. |
Thanks again for your participation and stay tuned for more survey results.
Woodwind Doubler Census 2021 results, part 3: training/education
Thanks to all who participated in my 2021 woodwind doubling survey, and to those who helped spread the word. I’m releasing the results in installments, so be sure to use my social media links, RSS feeds, etc. to keep up.
I got 284 responses, an improvement over 2011’s 187. The numbers for each of these questions don’t necessarily add up to exactly that number, since not everybody responded to every question.
Which was your first instrument, among the major woodwinds?
| 2021 Data | ||
|---|---|---|
| flute | 37 | 13% |
| oboe | 13 | 5% |
| clarinet | 106 | 38% |
| bassoon | 6 | 2% |
| saxophone | 119 | 42% |
| none of these apply | 1 | ~0% |
| 2011 Data | ||
|---|---|---|
| flute | 22 | 12% |
| oboe | 10 | 5% |
| clarinet | 77 | 41% |
| bassoon | 5 | 3% |
| saxophone | 73 | 39% |
Which of these have been part of your education on woodwind instruments?
| 2021 Data | ||
|---|---|---|
| school band/orchestra program (high school or younger) | 262 | 93% |
| private lessons outside of school | 248 | 88% |
| summer camps | 188 | 67% |
| university band/orchestra program | 241 | 85% |
| university/conservatory bachelors degree with formal concentration(s) in multiple woodwinds | 27 | 10% |
| university/conservatory bachelors degree with single-instrument or other music concentration | 182 | 65% |
| bachelors-level study on secondary instrument(s), but not as part of a formal multiple-woodwinds program | 111 | 39% |
| university/conservatory masters degree with formal concentration(s) in multiple woodwinds | 35 | 12% |
| university/conservatory masters degree with single-instrument or other music concentration | 75 | 27% |
| masters-level study on secondary instrument(s), but not as part of a formal multiple-woodwinds program | 31 | 11% |
| university/conservatory doctoral degree with formal concentration(s) in multiple woodwinds | 10 | 4% |
| university/conservatory doctoral degree with single-instrument or other music concentration | 24 | 9% |
| doctoral-level study on secondary instrument(s), but not as part of a formal multiple-woodwinds program | 6 | 2% |
| other university/conservatory music degree or certification | 14 | 5% |
| self-taught on one or more instruments | 167 | 59% |
| 2011 Data | ||
|---|---|---|
| school band/orchestra program (high school or younger) | 175 | 94% |
| private lessons outside of school | 170 | 91% |
| summer camps | 131 | 70% |
| university band/orchestra program | 143 | 76% |
| university/conservatory bachelors degree with formal concentration(s) in multiple woodwinds | 27 | 14% |
| university/conservatory bachelors degree with single-instrument or other music concentration | 97 | 52% |
| university/conservatory masters degree with formal concentration(s) in multiple woodwinds | 13 | 7% |
| university/conservatory masters degree with single-instrument or other music concentration | 37 | 20% |
| university/conservatory doctoral degree with formal concentration(s) in multiple woodwinds | 4 | 2% |
| university/conservatory doctoral degree with single-instrument or other music concentration | 5 | 3% |
| other university/conservatory music degree or certification | 12 | 6% |
| self-taught on one or more instruments | 118 | 63% |
What factors influenced you first to get involved in woodwind doubling?
Besides the provided answers, several of you included personal anecdotes of influences including boredom, norms of the early music scene, orthodontia and injuries, career aspirations like instrument repair and studio work, and the Lawrence Welk Show.
| 2021 data | ||
|---|---|---|
| just interested in more than one instrument | 202 | 72% |
| required/helpful for a jazz (or other improvisatory music) group you played in or wanted to play in | 139 | 49% |
| had or wanted opportunities to play for musical theater | 196 | 70% |
| influenced by a teacher or role model | 136 | 48% |
| wanted to improve employability | 138 | 49% |
| an ensemble you were in (or wanted to be in) needed someone to play a specific instrument, and you were willing to learn it | 118 | 42% |
| an ensemble you were in (or wanted to be in) didn’t include the instrument you already played and you needed to learn another | 46 | 16% |
| your training/experience as a teacher required you to branch out | 56 | 20% |
| 2011 Data | |
|---|---|
| just interested in more than one instrument | 40 |
| required/helpful for a jazz (or other improvisatory music) group you played in or wanted to play in | 37 |
| had or wanted opportunities to play for musical theater | 35 |
| influenced by a teacher or role model | 23 |
| wanted to improve employability | 19 |
| an ensemble you were in (or wanted to be in) needed someone to play a specific instrument, and you were willing to learn it | 19 |
| your training/experience as a teacher required you to branch out | 9 |
What sources have you used to learn about or otherwise engage with woodwind doubling?
Besides the provided answers, nine of you wrote in something to the effect of “lessons” or “teachers,” which I didn’t include as an option because I covered formal training in other questions. A few of you also wrote in “YouTube,” which I have lumped in with “social media sites.”
Thanks again for your participation and stay tuned for more survey results.