Thursday, March 26, 2015
New Video---Right Down The Middle Of The Horn
I talk for 15 minutes in this video, but it's all about playing right down the middle of the horn. For me, this is the sweet spot on the instrument. Give it a shot, and hear me out...I hope it helps!
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Does Your Setup Really Make A Difference? (No, I mean REALLLLLLLY)
Ok, I really mean it. Does your setup really make that much of a difference? I mean, does your horn to the mouthpiece, ligature and reed actually do something for you?
Yes and no.
Your Horn
Your horn helps you up to a point. Wooden horns sound a little nicer because they are made of wood and have thicker walls. A horn with a larger bore gives you more room to move the sound around. An extended horn allows you to play notes you cannot play on a standard horn. Certain horns have notes that are right in a sweet spot, but most instruments are VERY similar. A new horn or a nicer horn is not going to make you suddenly better. It's great to have a nice horn (I have a very nice horn,) but that horn does not make me a good player. You cannot learn to play with your eyes on another prize. Learn to play what you have, plan to get something better in the future maybe (but never blame the horn as long as it is adjusted properly.) Yes, broken horns suck, but you can even learn to play past certain leaks if you're really dedicated. However, everyone can go to the shop (and most of the time your school band will pay for it.)
Your Mouthpiece
Mouthpieces make a big difference, and they are much cheaper than instruments. You can play any mouthpiece you want, but it has to be the right one for you. You NEVER EVER play a mouthpiece simply because someone told you to. I don't care if Jesus whittled it by hand out of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. I just don't care. The price of the mouthpiece of whatever other marketing they use is NOT helpful to you unless the mouthpiece is actually nice for you to play. This is why you order mouthpieces on approval and try them.
Your Ligature
Ligatures provide response, but they do not make you a better player. They do not allow you to do anything, but they do give you a certain level of response. It is like the ammunition you put in a gun. You can get the regular bullets, or you can get armor piercing rounds or you can go all military and get fragmentation rounds that explode when they hit a target. Your ligature does the same thing, you're in a first person shooter with your ligature. You can use something soft like a Rovner for softer response, or you can use a metal ligature for more crisp response. The metals and materials make a difference, and you could spend a LONG TIME thinking about which one to use. These ligatures do not make you better, but they allow you to do the things you already know how to do.
Your Reeds
Your reeds make a HUGE difference. Go watch my videos and you can tell which reeds were good and which were not. It's pretty obvious. They die, and you have to rotate them. They can make a HUGE difference if they are too hard, and they will squeak at you all the time if they are too soft. You can spend a lifetime finding the right reeds, but they are the biggest predictor of your success because they directly interface with your air to make sound.
Notice how I never said any of these things makes you better. I have actually seen marketing for ligatures and mouthpieces with "testimonials" of people saying that that product "allowed" them to do....whatever. Guess what, if you need a specific product to do something that is relatively standard, you're not practiced enough at it yet. You should learn how to do the thing really well, they you can do the thing on ANY equipment, but you can look for the equipment that makes it the EASIEST to do the thing?
If that made any sense...
Yes and no.
Your Horn
Your horn helps you up to a point. Wooden horns sound a little nicer because they are made of wood and have thicker walls. A horn with a larger bore gives you more room to move the sound around. An extended horn allows you to play notes you cannot play on a standard horn. Certain horns have notes that are right in a sweet spot, but most instruments are VERY similar. A new horn or a nicer horn is not going to make you suddenly better. It's great to have a nice horn (I have a very nice horn,) but that horn does not make me a good player. You cannot learn to play with your eyes on another prize. Learn to play what you have, plan to get something better in the future maybe (but never blame the horn as long as it is adjusted properly.) Yes, broken horns suck, but you can even learn to play past certain leaks if you're really dedicated. However, everyone can go to the shop (and most of the time your school band will pay for it.)
Your Mouthpiece
Mouthpieces make a big difference, and they are much cheaper than instruments. You can play any mouthpiece you want, but it has to be the right one for you. You NEVER EVER play a mouthpiece simply because someone told you to. I don't care if Jesus whittled it by hand out of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. I just don't care. The price of the mouthpiece of whatever other marketing they use is NOT helpful to you unless the mouthpiece is actually nice for you to play. This is why you order mouthpieces on approval and try them.
Your Ligature
Ligatures provide response, but they do not make you a better player. They do not allow you to do anything, but they do give you a certain level of response. It is like the ammunition you put in a gun. You can get the regular bullets, or you can get armor piercing rounds or you can go all military and get fragmentation rounds that explode when they hit a target. Your ligature does the same thing, you're in a first person shooter with your ligature. You can use something soft like a Rovner for softer response, or you can use a metal ligature for more crisp response. The metals and materials make a difference, and you could spend a LONG TIME thinking about which one to use. These ligatures do not make you better, but they allow you to do the things you already know how to do.
Your Reeds
Your reeds make a HUGE difference. Go watch my videos and you can tell which reeds were good and which were not. It's pretty obvious. They die, and you have to rotate them. They can make a HUGE difference if they are too hard, and they will squeak at you all the time if they are too soft. You can spend a lifetime finding the right reeds, but they are the biggest predictor of your success because they directly interface with your air to make sound.
Notice how I never said any of these things makes you better. I have actually seen marketing for ligatures and mouthpieces with "testimonials" of people saying that that product "allowed" them to do....whatever. Guess what, if you need a specific product to do something that is relatively standard, you're not practiced enough at it yet. You should learn how to do the thing really well, they you can do the thing on ANY equipment, but you can look for the equipment that makes it the EASIEST to do the thing?
If that made any sense...
The Second Video Is Finally Ready!
I won't recap 15 minutes of talking, but here it is:
http://youtu.be/q1Tmfh60VLY
Just a talk about extracting as much sound as you can get from your instrument without sounding like a lunatic.
http://youtu.be/q1Tmfh60VLY
Just a talk about extracting as much sound as you can get from your instrument without sounding like a lunatic.
Monday, March 23, 2015
The First Video Is Up (And It's About Tone....Oooohhhhhhh)
I could posted anything for my first video. I could have played some ridiculously high mess, or I could have growled, flutter tongued and techniqued my way through the video, but that doesn't really hold my interest. I can do all those things, but I feel like Quigley. I didn't say I didn't know how to do that, I just said I didn't have much use for it.
So, I started with tone: The video is here https://youtu.be/uK3P3EYSuqs and it's just me playing Amazing Grave at the bottom of the instrument with a lot of resonance, a little volume and many styles and speeds of vibrato. I would never release that as an album, but it is something that I would use to teach.
You have to get all the sound out of your instrument that you can, and it's kind of hard to do that when you are not actually blowing air into the instrument or thinking about it. I blab for like 15 minutes in the instructional video (which is coming soon), so go watch if you want a primer in thinking about your sound (and yes, I've thought about it a lot.)
Happy hunting!!!!
So, I started with tone: The video is here https://youtu.be/uK3P3EYSuqs and it's just me playing Amazing Grave at the bottom of the instrument with a lot of resonance, a little volume and many styles and speeds of vibrato. I would never release that as an album, but it is something that I would use to teach.
You have to get all the sound out of your instrument that you can, and it's kind of hard to do that when you are not actually blowing air into the instrument or thinking about it. I blab for like 15 minutes in the instructional video (which is coming soon), so go watch if you want a primer in thinking about your sound (and yes, I've thought about it a lot.)
Happy hunting!!!!
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Is Anxiety Normal In Music?
The short answer is no, it's not. If you feel extra anxious all the time, you are dealing with a real disorder that a therapist can diagnose. I was anxious nearly all the time for over 30 years before I realized "Hey, that might be a problem." Students today are anxious for a number of reasons, but I was recently reminded of ways in which anxiety is used against people (especially kids.) If you feel like you need someone to talk to, please go to see a licensed therapist or counselor.
#1: Great People Don't Get Nervous
Well, that's not true. Pavarotti used to wretch before every performance because he was so nervous, yet he's considered the greatest tenor to ever live. Hmmmmmmmm. I also once heard someone say that "You know you're supposed to be doing something when you don't get nervous." That could not be further from the truth. People who care get nervous, people who don't care don't feel a thing.
#2: You're Just Getting Yourself Worked Up
Well, little kids do that when they don't get what they want, but that ends REALLY quick. They can turn it on and off because they are trying to get what they want. When you are "worked up" and you don't know know why or you can't turn it off, you are most assuredly not "getting yourself worked up."
#3: People Who Use Your Anxiety Against You
I think my college band director was the absolute worst in this area. First, you need to understand that there are band directors out there who think playing mind games with you is going to produce a great band. If you feel like your director is messing with your head, you need to report them. I'm not saying you need to get them fired, but someone needs to sit them down and tell them to stop. Many times, these are well-meaning people who learned this technique from assholes....they don't see the error of their ways because they think it's normal. If they get one talking to about it, they usually realize how messed up it is.
Anyways, people saying things to you like "if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen" is rude, disrespectful, unfounded and unprofessional/unethical. My college band director used to say that to a flutist in the band, and now she has a doctorate in performance. So what if she got extra nervous? Does that suddenly make her a bad person and player? No, but that is exactly how he made it sound, and the pall in the room when he made these comments was apparent. Again, that shit is not right, and it has to stop.
#4: Getting A Little Push
This does not include facing your fears. If you have massive performance anxiety, there are healthy ways to tackle it. If you could never imagine playing a recital by yourself, maybe you could do a chamber recital with a couple friends so you're not alone. You may also want to ask your counselor or therapist what they think would help. Getting a tiny nudge is not abusive...getting shoved on stage by someone is abusive. There's a big difference.
#5: Your Anxiety Is Not A Joke
I will never forget the time I heard a band director tell a girl in the band that she was a good player...until she got a boyfriend. That was in front of the WHOLE band. I recall distinctly that it was a new relationship, and she was trying to juggle that, hoping it would work out (because he really was a nice guy) and all her school/band stuff. Or, my college band director telling me that "If you're so anxious, why do you want to stand on a podium and talk to people?" First, I never said I was anxious, but we had a conversation where I admitted personal things to him that he twisted around to make me feel bad. That's not right.
Anyone who is using your anxiety as a joke or treats anxiety like a joke in general is someone to be avoided. Again, if it is someone in authority over you, you need to report them. In 2015, you are more than likely going to get some kind of relief when you do so.
#6: Can You Be A Good Musician?
I watched people quit their music major left and right when I was in college. They changed majors for a variety of reasons, but I know for sure that many of them just felt this overwhelming anxiety that they did not feel when they changed their major. One girl told me (on changing her major to psychology) that it was just simpler. Since we know that psychology is not simple....you can do the math.
You can be a great musician if you're anxious, you can be the best musician in the world if you're anxious, and you are not broken if you're anxious. Anxiety sucks, and intense anxiety sucks even more, but it is not a catch-all to tell you that you can't do something. The simple fact is that you can do anything you want when you surround yourself with people who understand you.
(This is the point at which someone will say "Well tough, that's the real world and people don't have to cater to you." I never said anyone should cater to you, but being a little understanding is just common decency. If you are confronted with people who suck, you can always turn to your friends at the end of the day for comfort. If you feel alone, the world of Tumblr is pretty big, and there are some nice people on it. If you think you'll never find people who understand you, I promise that you will. It may take some looking, but they're out there somewhere.)
Who you surround yourself with and who you encounter, those are two totally different people groups. The people you surround yourself with are the two, three, four people who know ALL your shit. I mean all of it, and they're still around. Those are lifelong friends. Everyone else is someone you encounter. You can deal with the people you encounter when you have people surrounding you. Just don't forget the difference, and don't think you have to do it alone, because you don't. You're not broken, anxiety is real and it is crippling for some. We should all have a little compassion where it's concerned.
#1: Great People Don't Get Nervous
Well, that's not true. Pavarotti used to wretch before every performance because he was so nervous, yet he's considered the greatest tenor to ever live. Hmmmmmmmm. I also once heard someone say that "You know you're supposed to be doing something when you don't get nervous." That could not be further from the truth. People who care get nervous, people who don't care don't feel a thing.
#2: You're Just Getting Yourself Worked Up
Well, little kids do that when they don't get what they want, but that ends REALLY quick. They can turn it on and off because they are trying to get what they want. When you are "worked up" and you don't know know why or you can't turn it off, you are most assuredly not "getting yourself worked up."
#3: People Who Use Your Anxiety Against You
I think my college band director was the absolute worst in this area. First, you need to understand that there are band directors out there who think playing mind games with you is going to produce a great band. If you feel like your director is messing with your head, you need to report them. I'm not saying you need to get them fired, but someone needs to sit them down and tell them to stop. Many times, these are well-meaning people who learned this technique from assholes....they don't see the error of their ways because they think it's normal. If they get one talking to about it, they usually realize how messed up it is.
Anyways, people saying things to you like "if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen" is rude, disrespectful, unfounded and unprofessional/unethical. My college band director used to say that to a flutist in the band, and now she has a doctorate in performance. So what if she got extra nervous? Does that suddenly make her a bad person and player? No, but that is exactly how he made it sound, and the pall in the room when he made these comments was apparent. Again, that shit is not right, and it has to stop.
#4: Getting A Little Push
This does not include facing your fears. If you have massive performance anxiety, there are healthy ways to tackle it. If you could never imagine playing a recital by yourself, maybe you could do a chamber recital with a couple friends so you're not alone. You may also want to ask your counselor or therapist what they think would help. Getting a tiny nudge is not abusive...getting shoved on stage by someone is abusive. There's a big difference.
#5: Your Anxiety Is Not A Joke
I will never forget the time I heard a band director tell a girl in the band that she was a good player...until she got a boyfriend. That was in front of the WHOLE band. I recall distinctly that it was a new relationship, and she was trying to juggle that, hoping it would work out (because he really was a nice guy) and all her school/band stuff. Or, my college band director telling me that "If you're so anxious, why do you want to stand on a podium and talk to people?" First, I never said I was anxious, but we had a conversation where I admitted personal things to him that he twisted around to make me feel bad. That's not right.
Anyone who is using your anxiety as a joke or treats anxiety like a joke in general is someone to be avoided. Again, if it is someone in authority over you, you need to report them. In 2015, you are more than likely going to get some kind of relief when you do so.
#6: Can You Be A Good Musician?
I watched people quit their music major left and right when I was in college. They changed majors for a variety of reasons, but I know for sure that many of them just felt this overwhelming anxiety that they did not feel when they changed their major. One girl told me (on changing her major to psychology) that it was just simpler. Since we know that psychology is not simple....you can do the math.
You can be a great musician if you're anxious, you can be the best musician in the world if you're anxious, and you are not broken if you're anxious. Anxiety sucks, and intense anxiety sucks even more, but it is not a catch-all to tell you that you can't do something. The simple fact is that you can do anything you want when you surround yourself with people who understand you.
(This is the point at which someone will say "Well tough, that's the real world and people don't have to cater to you." I never said anyone should cater to you, but being a little understanding is just common decency. If you are confronted with people who suck, you can always turn to your friends at the end of the day for comfort. If you feel alone, the world of Tumblr is pretty big, and there are some nice people on it. If you think you'll never find people who understand you, I promise that you will. It may take some looking, but they're out there somewhere.)
Who you surround yourself with and who you encounter, those are two totally different people groups. The people you surround yourself with are the two, three, four people who know ALL your shit. I mean all of it, and they're still around. Those are lifelong friends. Everyone else is someone you encounter. You can deal with the people you encounter when you have people surrounding you. Just don't forget the difference, and don't think you have to do it alone, because you don't. You're not broken, anxiety is real and it is crippling for some. We should all have a little compassion where it's concerned.
Surviving Band: Part Two (Your Mental State)
I want to refer to my previous disclaimer...I hope your band is filled with cool people and your band director is the nicest person in the world, but I have met too many jackasses to believe that it's all sunshine and roses :) If the negative portions of this do not apply to you, that is a good thing. I just want to help people who are struggling with music.
This is an essay for ALL music students, music majors, band students in high school or college. This is the most important essay, in my opinion, because it deals with your mental state. Music is not supposed to make you crazy, and it is not supposed to make you doubt yourself. I just want to cover some myths that are wrong.
#1: Real Music Teachers "Guide" You To Learning
This is utter nonsense. A real music teacher is going to actually teach you. Sure, there are things that you have to go off and do on your own, and you would have likely done that anyway. But, you cannot do everything on your own. Your teacher has to give you real information. Someone told me recently that real music school is frustrating and that's ok. Uh, no it's not. You are paying good money for an education. If your teacher or professor is too lazy to give you clear answers to your honest questions, they need to get another job.
#2: It's All For The Band
Yes, there is a lovely knitting together that goes on in your band. Your band director likely preaches about doing things for the good of the band, and that is a noble ideal. I love it. You simply need to make sure that what you do for the band does not crush your own spirit. If doing things for the good of the group is killing you in the inside, it's time to stop. There comes a time when you have to take care of yourself. There has to a balance, and bending over backwards for the band (or your band director) can get very unhealthy.
#3: What About Your Resume?
Never ever ever ever ever ever ever skip out on things that would go on YOUR resume for something that will go on your band director's resume. Your band director gets to take credit for everything that the band does, but you need to make sure you are doing things that you can take credit for, as well. I did one thing in high school that I could actually put on a CV. One. And believe me, I did A LOT of playing. I only did one thing in college that I can put on a resume. One. So, I won 42 auditions in seven years, but only one of them actually helps me today. There are MANY things I skipped out on for the band (or some such thing) when I should have doing things for myself. Yes, do things for the band, but make sure you are doing things for you, too. This is where people get burnt out.
#4: Music Is Not Depressing
Sure, some music sounds depressing, but music itself should not be depressing. Music school should not be depressing. You should not be crying in a practice room, and you should not dread rehearsal. This is not an accusation, let me be clear. I am merely saying that something is out of balance if you feel dread and depression around your music career. It's ok to be a little discouraged now and then. That happens. But you should not feel this way ALL the time, and it is not a #musicmajorproblem. That's bullshit, and it's unhealthy. If it's a professor or teacher that makes you feel this way, you need to run in the other direction as fast as you possibly can.
#5: Help People
Music is not a kill or be killed proposition, but some teachers pit students against one another. You can easily find yourself hoping that other people fail, and that is not cool when you step back and think about it. Band or orchestra is not dog eat dog. Yes, someone will win an audition, but it is not a good thing that someone played badly, or didn't like the way they played or placed in a low chair that they are unhappy with.
Music is not mean in any way, and you should NEVER get on people about how they play. If you have perfect pitch, for example, you cannot be a jackass about it. Your observations have to be helpful. Trust me, I've seen it used badly. If you are first chair, help the last chair person in your section, they will be forever grateful. If someone is scared before an audition, comfort them.
#6: If You Don't Like It Anymore, You Are Not A Bad Person
If you wake up one day and you just cannot stomach band or chorus or whatever, it's ok to walk away. There may be something else that you want to do instead. You should not feel the pressure to stay if you are TRULY not enjoying it. One bad day is one thing, but months of dread and sadness should be a sign that might need to reevaluate. Never judge someone who needs to walk away from an activity, and support them after they leave. I have heard band directors characterize this move as selfish, rude and disrespectful. It is none of those things. You are doing what is best for you when you know you have run out of options.
#7: Teachers Get To Be Rude
Um, no. I could shock you with some of the things I have heard and been told. That's that. Rude teachers are still assholes. The title teacher or professor does not wash them clean. I have worked with emotionally abusive people, and they can make you think it's YOUR fault. It probably isn't. Most teachers are well meaning people, but you need to realize when you have run into someone who is messing with your head because they will do it to somebody else after they're done with you.
Again, I hope this is not happening to you today, but I see enough posts on Tumblr to make me think it's a real problem. I hope all is well, but if it isn't, I hope these words can help you move in the right direction. I can help if you need, but if you don't talk to me (which is totally cool and understandable since I'm a total stranger) then you need to talk to somebody.
Peace.
This is an essay for ALL music students, music majors, band students in high school or college. This is the most important essay, in my opinion, because it deals with your mental state. Music is not supposed to make you crazy, and it is not supposed to make you doubt yourself. I just want to cover some myths that are wrong.
#1: Real Music Teachers "Guide" You To Learning
This is utter nonsense. A real music teacher is going to actually teach you. Sure, there are things that you have to go off and do on your own, and you would have likely done that anyway. But, you cannot do everything on your own. Your teacher has to give you real information. Someone told me recently that real music school is frustrating and that's ok. Uh, no it's not. You are paying good money for an education. If your teacher or professor is too lazy to give you clear answers to your honest questions, they need to get another job.
#2: It's All For The Band
Yes, there is a lovely knitting together that goes on in your band. Your band director likely preaches about doing things for the good of the band, and that is a noble ideal. I love it. You simply need to make sure that what you do for the band does not crush your own spirit. If doing things for the good of the group is killing you in the inside, it's time to stop. There comes a time when you have to take care of yourself. There has to a balance, and bending over backwards for the band (or your band director) can get very unhealthy.
#3: What About Your Resume?
Never ever ever ever ever ever ever skip out on things that would go on YOUR resume for something that will go on your band director's resume. Your band director gets to take credit for everything that the band does, but you need to make sure you are doing things that you can take credit for, as well. I did one thing in high school that I could actually put on a CV. One. And believe me, I did A LOT of playing. I only did one thing in college that I can put on a resume. One. So, I won 42 auditions in seven years, but only one of them actually helps me today. There are MANY things I skipped out on for the band (or some such thing) when I should have doing things for myself. Yes, do things for the band, but make sure you are doing things for you, too. This is where people get burnt out.
#4: Music Is Not Depressing
Sure, some music sounds depressing, but music itself should not be depressing. Music school should not be depressing. You should not be crying in a practice room, and you should not dread rehearsal. This is not an accusation, let me be clear. I am merely saying that something is out of balance if you feel dread and depression around your music career. It's ok to be a little discouraged now and then. That happens. But you should not feel this way ALL the time, and it is not a #musicmajorproblem. That's bullshit, and it's unhealthy. If it's a professor or teacher that makes you feel this way, you need to run in the other direction as fast as you possibly can.
#5: Help People
Music is not a kill or be killed proposition, but some teachers pit students against one another. You can easily find yourself hoping that other people fail, and that is not cool when you step back and think about it. Band or orchestra is not dog eat dog. Yes, someone will win an audition, but it is not a good thing that someone played badly, or didn't like the way they played or placed in a low chair that they are unhappy with.
Music is not mean in any way, and you should NEVER get on people about how they play. If you have perfect pitch, for example, you cannot be a jackass about it. Your observations have to be helpful. Trust me, I've seen it used badly. If you are first chair, help the last chair person in your section, they will be forever grateful. If someone is scared before an audition, comfort them.
#6: If You Don't Like It Anymore, You Are Not A Bad Person
If you wake up one day and you just cannot stomach band or chorus or whatever, it's ok to walk away. There may be something else that you want to do instead. You should not feel the pressure to stay if you are TRULY not enjoying it. One bad day is one thing, but months of dread and sadness should be a sign that might need to reevaluate. Never judge someone who needs to walk away from an activity, and support them after they leave. I have heard band directors characterize this move as selfish, rude and disrespectful. It is none of those things. You are doing what is best for you when you know you have run out of options.
#7: Teachers Get To Be Rude
Um, no. I could shock you with some of the things I have heard and been told. That's that. Rude teachers are still assholes. The title teacher or professor does not wash them clean. I have worked with emotionally abusive people, and they can make you think it's YOUR fault. It probably isn't. Most teachers are well meaning people, but you need to realize when you have run into someone who is messing with your head because they will do it to somebody else after they're done with you.
Again, I hope this is not happening to you today, but I see enough posts on Tumblr to make me think it's a real problem. I hope all is well, but if it isn't, I hope these words can help you move in the right direction. I can help if you need, but if you don't talk to me (which is totally cool and understandable since I'm a total stranger) then you need to talk to somebody.
Peace.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Surviving Band (A Sharable Dissertation)
I am at the point in my life where I feel like I have seen about as much as I can see before issuing these edicts. Nothing that you read here is an accusation. I may or may not be talking about your band, the person sitting next to you, your instructors or your director. I want you to know that I hope to God that you have wonderful and good-hearted people working with you. I really do. If some of the negative things you read do not apply, that is AWESOME!!! However, I know that there a lot of shit people out there, and I have learned how to deal with them because they had stood in my path time after time. This is just a set of observations based on my personal life experience. I am speaking mostly from the principal bass clarinetist's chair, but these things could apply to anyone.
Rule #1
Your Band Depends On Your More Than You Think
People who sit in the bass clarinetist's chair often want to play loud so that they can be heard. I can honestly say I only played loud for a about a year from the middle of my sophomore year to the middle of my junior year. Ever since, I have been accused of playing loud, being able to play loud and being intentionally loud. However, I do not play loud. I play with a resonant tone that decks even professional brass sections. So, when you're in band, you have to find a way to remind yourself that your band depends on you.
The bass clarinet is such a weird instrument because its parts will give you every impression that you could play and no one would notice. It happens a lot. I sit down to parts all the time that could be inconsequential. They could be totally meaningless, but I have to do something with them that makes me so important to the band that it is obvious when I am not there.
You might be thinking at this point that this is an arrogant way to play. However, I am not doing this because I want to look good. If I wanted to look good, I would take the trumpet player route and brag about my playing ;)
Bass clarinetists need to find a way to make every single thing they play musical. That whole note that you are holding for four thousand years has time inherent in it whether you like it or not. Changing articulations to make your parts more musical is a must, and you need to decide if you are going to play out past the bassoons and bari sax because, let's face it, the bass clarinet sounds better than both of those instruments. Sorry bari and bassoon players, but baris, your instrument honks unless you are freaking virtuoso (one of which I have played with) but it sounds weird when you play it too loud. And bassoons, I'm sorry, but your instrument does not cut through the band. It does not have the presence or gravitas that the bass clarinet has. We can play with vibrato and not lose the essence of the power of our sound.
So, bass clarinetists, what are you doing if you are spending all your time thinking about these things? Helping the people around you. The baris do not have to overplay their instruments, and the bassoons do not have to kill themselves. You are at the center of the low woodwind sound...dealing with the low brass is another story for another day.
You may think that your band director is going to tell you to shut up. Well, that's possible, but you need to poke them with a stick until you find out exactly how much you can do. The more you poke, the more leverage you get, trust me, it works. You are not being rude, you are just experimenting until you find the limits of the ensemble and your conductor's ears.
You also need to experiment with the shaping of sounds, lines and phrases. The bass line of anything has a shape if you start to insert it into the music. You primarily figure these things out by listening, but you come up with standard things you can do over time that make the parts sound more interesting. There is a big difference between a line of whole notes that is completely monotone (think Ben Stein) and a line of whole notes that is shaped properly (think soft ocean waves.) There is also a major difference between moving to certain harmonic lines a certain way. Moving a half step in a harmonic part is BIG DEAL...that movement to the note that is a half step away is serious business. Landing on roots notes of chords is intense, and landing on the bass note in an inverted chord has a sound that you cannot describe until you figure out you're doing it...those tones are almost flattened in nature...not in pitch...in shape.
Your tone itself has to have the characteristics the bastard love child of a set of bagpipes and a cello. There is breadth in that sound that is extremely resonate. Imagine the constant pressure that come from the squeezing of the bag along with the pressure that a cellist must apply to the bag in order to make any sound at all. When you put these two things together with a touch of vibrato, you get something pretty special. Before you ask, yes, I do play like that.
You have to play single tones that make people turn to you and go "damn!" I remember doing Frank Ticheli's rest a couple years ago, and the final note on bass is a written A (G concert, right?) And that is the undisputed best note on the bass clarinet. Don't even bother arguing that with me, it just is. And I sounded like a boss every single time we played, and every single time the bassoonist sitting next to me would say "whew" or "whoa" and at the concert he said "damn" when we got done. I played a whole note, ya'll. A whole note. You cannot tell me that your part is boring when I can get that reaction out of an adult musician who knows what they are doing by playing a whole note.
Surviving in band is all about doing something other people won't do. It starts with making real life musical decisions. You cannot make tiny decisions that are not of much consequence. You have to make decisions that really mean something. If you're doing that, you are on your way to really making a difference in your own band and beyond.
PS--Any band director on the planet that disagrees with this has a very loose grasp on reality. You have to make musical decisions if you are going to contribute to the band, and playing with a boring or bland tone is unacceptable. It's not unacceptable because I said so. It's unacceptable because you are capable of SO much more than that.
#soapboxdismounted
Rule #1
Your Band Depends On Your More Than You Think
People who sit in the bass clarinetist's chair often want to play loud so that they can be heard. I can honestly say I only played loud for a about a year from the middle of my sophomore year to the middle of my junior year. Ever since, I have been accused of playing loud, being able to play loud and being intentionally loud. However, I do not play loud. I play with a resonant tone that decks even professional brass sections. So, when you're in band, you have to find a way to remind yourself that your band depends on you.
The bass clarinet is such a weird instrument because its parts will give you every impression that you could play and no one would notice. It happens a lot. I sit down to parts all the time that could be inconsequential. They could be totally meaningless, but I have to do something with them that makes me so important to the band that it is obvious when I am not there.
You might be thinking at this point that this is an arrogant way to play. However, I am not doing this because I want to look good. If I wanted to look good, I would take the trumpet player route and brag about my playing ;)
Bass clarinetists need to find a way to make every single thing they play musical. That whole note that you are holding for four thousand years has time inherent in it whether you like it or not. Changing articulations to make your parts more musical is a must, and you need to decide if you are going to play out past the bassoons and bari sax because, let's face it, the bass clarinet sounds better than both of those instruments. Sorry bari and bassoon players, but baris, your instrument honks unless you are freaking virtuoso (one of which I have played with) but it sounds weird when you play it too loud. And bassoons, I'm sorry, but your instrument does not cut through the band. It does not have the presence or gravitas that the bass clarinet has. We can play with vibrato and not lose the essence of the power of our sound.
So, bass clarinetists, what are you doing if you are spending all your time thinking about these things? Helping the people around you. The baris do not have to overplay their instruments, and the bassoons do not have to kill themselves. You are at the center of the low woodwind sound...dealing with the low brass is another story for another day.
You may think that your band director is going to tell you to shut up. Well, that's possible, but you need to poke them with a stick until you find out exactly how much you can do. The more you poke, the more leverage you get, trust me, it works. You are not being rude, you are just experimenting until you find the limits of the ensemble and your conductor's ears.
You also need to experiment with the shaping of sounds, lines and phrases. The bass line of anything has a shape if you start to insert it into the music. You primarily figure these things out by listening, but you come up with standard things you can do over time that make the parts sound more interesting. There is a big difference between a line of whole notes that is completely monotone (think Ben Stein) and a line of whole notes that is shaped properly (think soft ocean waves.) There is also a major difference between moving to certain harmonic lines a certain way. Moving a half step in a harmonic part is BIG DEAL...that movement to the note that is a half step away is serious business. Landing on roots notes of chords is intense, and landing on the bass note in an inverted chord has a sound that you cannot describe until you figure out you're doing it...those tones are almost flattened in nature...not in pitch...in shape.
Your tone itself has to have the characteristics the bastard love child of a set of bagpipes and a cello. There is breadth in that sound that is extremely resonate. Imagine the constant pressure that come from the squeezing of the bag along with the pressure that a cellist must apply to the bag in order to make any sound at all. When you put these two things together with a touch of vibrato, you get something pretty special. Before you ask, yes, I do play like that.
You have to play single tones that make people turn to you and go "damn!" I remember doing Frank Ticheli's rest a couple years ago, and the final note on bass is a written A (G concert, right?) And that is the undisputed best note on the bass clarinet. Don't even bother arguing that with me, it just is. And I sounded like a boss every single time we played, and every single time the bassoonist sitting next to me would say "whew" or "whoa" and at the concert he said "damn" when we got done. I played a whole note, ya'll. A whole note. You cannot tell me that your part is boring when I can get that reaction out of an adult musician who knows what they are doing by playing a whole note.
Surviving in band is all about doing something other people won't do. It starts with making real life musical decisions. You cannot make tiny decisions that are not of much consequence. You have to make decisions that really mean something. If you're doing that, you are on your way to really making a difference in your own band and beyond.
PS--Any band director on the planet that disagrees with this has a very loose grasp on reality. You have to make musical decisions if you are going to contribute to the band, and playing with a boring or bland tone is unacceptable. It's not unacceptable because I said so. It's unacceptable because you are capable of SO much more than that.
#soapboxdismounted
Why The Bass Clarinet Works For Me...
The bass clarinet works for me for a variety of reasons, and I mean that is in the most sincere way possible. This is not a scholastic essay about how I feel the instrument matches my voice and I get to play loud. That's what clarinet players say when they get to play it once in an orchestra. I'm talking about why the bass clarinet has worked for me for the last 20 years.
The bass clarinet works for me because it really is the instrument I was meant to play. The picture of my clarinet family collection does not do justice to the fact that my primary instrument is the bass. I should probably start putting the bass in the middle of the picture for the effect, but that's not the most important part. I'm just better at that than I would be at anything else.
The bass clarinet works for me because it is not an instrument for chumps who can't play. You may have thought that about certain people you saw who played bass clarinet, but that's not their fault. They were put on the wrong instrument by their band director, and there isn't much people can do about that once someone says "here, play this".
If you ever thought that the bass clarinet was the lazy clarinet, you should consider that I have sat next to hundreds of bass clarinetists in my day, and I've never met a lazy one. I've scared bass clarinetists, disenfranchised bass clarinetists, sad bass clarinetists, nervous bass clarinetists, undereducated bass clarinetists, depressed bass clarinetists, but I have never met a lazy bass clarinetist. What I find most interesting is that that opinion sort of carries on into adulthood and I still get wary looks from clarinet players...it's just a big clarinet. Bass does not mean stupid. (PS--I could play your clarinet part at pitch on my bass ;) :p )
The bass clarinet works for me because it took me everywhere I wanted to go. I have been approached by people in nearly every venue I've played in and had someone tell me that I sound good or I get around the horn well. The instrument speaks for me primarily because I don't like talking to strangers. I'm not the guy with a million contacts in my phone, and most of the time, I just want to keep playing. I talk to my closest friends freely, but regular people....they hear the bass, and that does most of the talking.
The bass clarinet works for me because it can play anything. It has the biggest range in the wind family, and it has the most character. I can play pop articulations that only singers can do, and I could cover everything from Barry White to Mariah Carey if I wanted to. It does everything, but most people don't think it does because they were never told what was possible.
The bass clarinet works for me because it put me in the path of all the people I needed to meet. From my wife to my best friend, the bass clarinet planted me directly in their path. To some people it's something they played one semester in college like it was sort of a prank (someone actually told me that once) but it does much more than play pranks.
The bass clarinet has a stigma that lasts to this day, and a bass clarinetist often has very little to cling to. That sucks because you can't post on Instagram the tickets you got to go see someone play the Mozart. You just can't. You don't hear it anywhere, and there are even recordings where you should hear it and you can't.
The bass clarinet works for me because it feels more than it gives. You can't get totally famous playing the bass clarinet, but you are going to feel more when you play it. If you're a young bass clarinetist, you're probably thinking that it will only take you so far because, well, that's just how it is.
I bet the bass clarinet works for you, too, but you might not have found that out yet :)
http://thebassclarinetguru.blogspot.com/2015/03/why-bass-clarinet-works-for-me.html
The bass clarinet works for me because it really is the instrument I was meant to play. The picture of my clarinet family collection does not do justice to the fact that my primary instrument is the bass. I should probably start putting the bass in the middle of the picture for the effect, but that's not the most important part. I'm just better at that than I would be at anything else.
The bass clarinet works for me because it is not an instrument for chumps who can't play. You may have thought that about certain people you saw who played bass clarinet, but that's not their fault. They were put on the wrong instrument by their band director, and there isn't much people can do about that once someone says "here, play this".
If you ever thought that the bass clarinet was the lazy clarinet, you should consider that I have sat next to hundreds of bass clarinetists in my day, and I've never met a lazy one. I've scared bass clarinetists, disenfranchised bass clarinetists, sad bass clarinetists, nervous bass clarinetists, undereducated bass clarinetists, depressed bass clarinetists, but I have never met a lazy bass clarinetist. What I find most interesting is that that opinion sort of carries on into adulthood and I still get wary looks from clarinet players...it's just a big clarinet. Bass does not mean stupid. (PS--I could play your clarinet part at pitch on my bass ;) :p )
The bass clarinet works for me because it took me everywhere I wanted to go. I have been approached by people in nearly every venue I've played in and had someone tell me that I sound good or I get around the horn well. The instrument speaks for me primarily because I don't like talking to strangers. I'm not the guy with a million contacts in my phone, and most of the time, I just want to keep playing. I talk to my closest friends freely, but regular people....they hear the bass, and that does most of the talking.
The bass clarinet works for me because it can play anything. It has the biggest range in the wind family, and it has the most character. I can play pop articulations that only singers can do, and I could cover everything from Barry White to Mariah Carey if I wanted to. It does everything, but most people don't think it does because they were never told what was possible.
The bass clarinet works for me because it put me in the path of all the people I needed to meet. From my wife to my best friend, the bass clarinet planted me directly in their path. To some people it's something they played one semester in college like it was sort of a prank (someone actually told me that once) but it does much more than play pranks.
The bass clarinet has a stigma that lasts to this day, and a bass clarinetist often has very little to cling to. That sucks because you can't post on Instagram the tickets you got to go see someone play the Mozart. You just can't. You don't hear it anywhere, and there are even recordings where you should hear it and you can't.
The bass clarinet works for me because it feels more than it gives. You can't get totally famous playing the bass clarinet, but you are going to feel more when you play it. If you're a young bass clarinetist, you're probably thinking that it will only take you so far because, well, that's just how it is.
I bet the bass clarinet works for you, too, but you might not have found that out yet :)
http://thebassclarinetguru.blogspot.com/2015/03/why-bass-clarinet-works-for-me.html
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Any Opinions On Lyrics Videos?
I'm also wondering if anyone has an opinion about unsigned artist sites... Someone who likes making lyric videos would be a help, but I am really interested about a site that deals with unsigned musicians.... The two together are a big focus for me right now.
On a side note, it's almost time to shred and find out how these songs actually sound :)
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
You Have To Play It Out
I having such fun playing new melodies and creating something that us improvisatory... It is like it can never really be written down, and I like that :)
Monday, March 16, 2015
What About The Length Of An Album
I've got albums from my favorite band that are barely 40 minutes long. I don't care, I love it...I just always wonder what convinces people to make albums of a certain length. Is this something that people arrive at because they think the album is done, or is the number of tracks and their relative length part of some divine formula. Just wondering...
In other news, writing in the middle of the night really helps. I have some great tracks ready to go, and I just need to decide what is going to accompany them. How simple or complex they will be. But this thing is coming together in a way where I can spend mid-April to mid-May recording and see if I can release this puppy on June 1 on basically all forms of media :)
In other news, writing in the middle of the night really helps. I have some great tracks ready to go, and I just need to decide what is going to accompany them. How simple or complex they will be. But this thing is coming together in a way where I can spend mid-April to mid-May recording and see if I can release this puppy on June 1 on basically all forms of media :)
No One Knows For Sure, But That Time You Know
That time that you know that you wrote something truly brilliant. I mean, you will be happy with all the things that you write and record, but sometimes they are things that you like personally. They are not necessarily things that everyone is going to stand up and say "That's fucking brilliant." However, there are those few times when you write something that you know is utterly brilliant, that's a good feeling. It's an even better feeling when you wrote that song at 2 in the morning and it's about somebody you care about. Yeah, that's a good feeling. I cannot wait to really finish this work and put these songs on tape.
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Cover songs...
Anybody got experience with releasing covers? I had a brilliant idea, but I want to do it right... I don't want to be a cover freak unless I can get it right... Really right... You know?
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Tell Me Your Method?
There are many ways to write a song, but there is only one way to get it on paper... Would you improvise until you got a final version or write everything down and splice together a final version??? The process can be fast, but which do you prefer?
Friday, March 13, 2015
First Video Coming Sunday...
My educational video series for kids playing low clarinets is coming. I'm literally going to start from scratch. So, you could in the 6th grade, barely able to hold the thing or take it out of the case, or you could in high school or college just trying to survive the instrument. It's going to be mostly bass clarinet, but there is A LOT to talk about. Not the least of which is how you should sound if you want to make a difference. I could literally write a dissertation on this, so, I hope the videos are helpful. I'll try to ramble as little as possible, and I'll try to make it fun and engaging.
Video links to come soon...
Video links to come soon...
Thursday, March 12, 2015
How Does One Shred When One Does Not Have A Studio In Which To Shred?
How do you record in your home, shred , and not blowout the mic you're using... Any thoughts?
Instinctual Lyrics?
I wrote almost all my songs as the music first and the words second. The music just come naturally, and I can edit it to fit in words that work well, but I have not written a whole song and then tried to write music to fit it. There is something about instinctually putting words to the music I already have that I find oddly satisfying. I know that people edit their songs all the time, but how often do they edit them? I feel like the music happens and then some lyrics happen when I am ready...anyone else want to share their process?
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
From A Distance...I Record My Music
The idea of recording in a garage or some other kind of rustic environment is very appealing, but I want to make sure I record in a way that actually makes sense. I have a recording device on my phone and tablet. I have the computer software I need to cut together whatever I want, but I have to record at the right distance. It is hard to record so close to a microphone with an acoustic instrument, but I don't want to create something that sounds like I'm in a tunnel...
Do I record intimately and reduce all the volumes I use? I could do that, and I think that it would sound great...I'm just wondering if that actually makes sense.
Do I record intimately and reduce all the volumes I use? I could do that, and I think that it would sound great...I'm just wondering if that actually makes sense.
Monday, March 9, 2015
All Songs Written
Well, I technically did not write two of them, but I have decided how I'm going to play them since they were over 200 years ago. The other songs are totally written, and I need to decide on the setting for record straight solo much, that is in the pop format, that feels like something smooth and indieish. Yes, I know. That's some serious shit. I'm tempted to record them on my phone or tablet from across the room.
Anyways, I want it to sound like it was recorded in a garage because those are some of the roots of indie music. Things that do not fit the mold (like Bass Clarinet pop songs that have no sung words) and things that are not going to hit the Billboard 100 on their first release. I much prefer to be on the outside of the box...now to make it sound that way.
Anyways, I want it to sound like it was recorded in a garage because those are some of the roots of indie music. Things that do not fit the mold (like Bass Clarinet pop songs that have no sung words) and things that are not going to hit the Billboard 100 on their first release. I much prefer to be on the outside of the box...now to make it sound that way.
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Songs With No Words? Sort Of...
I have just constructed five songs that have words, but they don't. I'm also going to use two very old favorites from the classical literature that people would recognize, but they are going to have their own spin. However, these five songs that have words, they won't be sung on the tracks. The words have meaning, they determine the titles of the songs, but they are like poetry that accompanies the tracks.
I can imagine, in a perfect world, that people at shows would sing the words along while I play, but I don't think that the words need to be present on the tracks. I'm a bass clarinetist, not a singer. I'm like Santana...I'd rather not sing. However, I'm not making Supernatural. I'm not trying to crack open the Billboard hot 100.
I think the songs will really speak to people because they have deep emotional meaning. They are very personal, but I don't see the need to throw the words up when I know I can't sing them.
So, what say you to words that exist but are not sung? I don't think I'm living a pipe dream that people would sing them at a show, but I don't want people to think I'm crazy. A poem that fully matches the song someone's listening to...it almost begs them to interpret the song even more, and that is what is going to make it all worthwhile.
I can imagine, in a perfect world, that people at shows would sing the words along while I play, but I don't think that the words need to be present on the tracks. I'm a bass clarinetist, not a singer. I'm like Santana...I'd rather not sing. However, I'm not making Supernatural. I'm not trying to crack open the Billboard hot 100.
I think the songs will really speak to people because they have deep emotional meaning. They are very personal, but I don't see the need to throw the words up when I know I can't sing them.
So, what say you to words that exist but are not sung? I don't think I'm living a pipe dream that people would sing them at a show, but I don't want people to think I'm crazy. A poem that fully matches the song someone's listening to...it almost begs them to interpret the song even more, and that is what is going to make it all worthwhile.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
The Heights Of Cross Promotion
I am going to be doing a lot of releases over the course of the year. There will be a YouTube channel with mood music on it that has lovely backgrounds. There will some indie rockish type stuff coming out in the summer and fall, and there will be several releases through the CD Baby free market. You would have to pay for the tracks, but they don't charge me much to list on their market. As I said, the heights of cross promotion. If you have never been to the CD Baby website, you go visit them because there are MANY more people besides me who also want and deserve your business. Links will be coming as soon as the first album comes out. This is sort of an unholy combination of storytelling moody jazz that could pass for indie rock if I changed the structure and added some words. Yeah, something like that.
Friday, March 6, 2015
New Music Coming Soon!!
I will have an album coming out at the beginning of the second quarter, and one every quarter for the next two years!!! I also have an album waiting and ready to go for the holiday season, and you will be able to get an album of sacred music in between. I have discovered a good distribution option for me, and I will be promoting the heck out of it very soon. I just have to get everything submitted first.
More to come!
More to come!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)