It's an absolutely fabulous day. The sun is out, the temperatures are in the 70's, and my students have just had their first day of school. Which means they've been inside... all day. As much as I like the classroom where I teach private lessons, how could we stay inside on a day like this??
Clarinet and oboe players - does your right thumb hurt and look red after you've been practicing? Flute players - does your left index finger feel sore
see it every year - at some point in the marching season, a clarinetist comes to me saying their instrument isn't working. A short investigation uncovers a crack in either the barrel or upper joint...
A student of mine was in her lesson, and I asked about an exercise she had for homework. She answered, "it didn't go so well." "How so?" I asked. "I just didn't get it. It didn't make sense to me...
You love playing your instrument, but you don't think you want to make a career out of it. So, you'll play until graduation, then sell your instrument or put it away as a souvenir, right? Wrong!
Watch the end of a band class in many schools and you'll see it - students in a hurry to get their instruments put away. Even when you’re short on time, pulling the swab through the instrument should be part of your pack-up routine...
All of your reeds look a little sad. Some have a corner chipped off, some are cracked down the middle, one even looks like it got a spiky haircut! Trendy, but not good for playing. Time for a new box...
My students see me use it every week: the scale sheet comes out, my phone goes on the stand, and the metronome app opens and starts ticking. But, the musical usefulness of your smart phone isn’t limited to just one app...