- David Wells discusses composing cadenzas for the Mozart bassoon concerto (and shares his finished product).
- Jill Cathey shares some techniques she is using to improve her oboe reedmaking, including giving her reeds names.
- Saxophonist Eddie Rich legislates three laws of practicing [update: link dead].
- Cindy Ellis explains the function of each lip in the flute embouchure.
- Jennet Ingle explains (and demonstrates in a video) a technique for cleaning out oboe reeds.
- Manny Martinez suggests 10 classical saxophone recordings to check out.
- Trent Jacobs uses a power tool to make bassoon reeds.
- Cate Hummel continues her crusade against questionable “kiss-and-roll” flute embouchure pedagogy, and has an insight into that technique’s popularity.
- Jeff Cunningham explores some of the “ups & downs” for beginning saxophonists. It’s good context and advice for woodwind doublers, too, who may be at beginner stage on a secondary instrument.
- Bassoonist Andrew Burn shares some unconventional ideas about recital preparation.
- David Freeman logs a gig experience covering Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album, and shares saxophone solo transcriptions.
- Khara Wolf discusses aspects of high-altitude oboe reedmaking.
- Helen Kahlke shares a review of an inexpensive bass saxophone. Don’t reach for your wallets yet, but the takeaway here is that playable, affordable, modern saxophones lower than baritone could be on the horizon.
- Also, I am now a co-author, with Kellie Lignitz-Hahn, of the “Clarinet Cache” column in The Clarinet (journal of the International Clarinet Association), and the related blog. Check it out online or in your latest print issue.
Woodwinds: Flute
Woodwind doubling for flutists
Here is a cleaned-up version of my lecture notes from a presentation on woodwind doubling I gave last week at the Mid-South Flute Festival: Woodwind doubling for flutists What is doubling? Primary-to-secondary doubling: Playing multiple instruments within a family, such as flute (primary), piccolo (secondary), and alto flute (secondary) Primary-to-primary doubling: Playing instruments from different families, … Read more
Favorite blog posts, February 2016
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, February 2016 edition.
Trevor Wye’s “Flexibility I” flute exercise
One of my favorite flute warmups is “Flexibility–I (after Sousseman)” from Trevor Wye’s Tone book. This exercise is value-packed and meticulously thought out, and leads inevitably to some fundamental truths about flute playing.
Favorite blog posts, December 2015
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, December 2015 edition.
Student-selected online woodwind pedagogy articles
To be clear, I’m a lover of libraries, and for me there’s no question that there are tremendously valuable resources there that are not available online (yet?). But it seemed like time to experiment with embracing an online approach to the assignment.
Favorite blog posts, November 2015
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, November 2015 edition.
Favorite blog posts, October 2015
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, October 2015 edition.
Favorite blog posts, September 2015
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, September 2015 edition.
Recital videos, August 2015
I put on a faculty recital in August with a colleague. Here is the program and some videos: Program