Clarinet YouTube Channels

It has only been five years since the creation of YouTube in 2005, but in this short time the site has become the primary way to share and watch videos online. YouTube is now an incredible resource for musicians; many clarinetists now turn to YouTube to hear a recording of a piece they are unfamiliar with, find teaching tips, or watch videos of a particular performer.

The explosion of popularity of YouTube has caused a new problem: how do you sift through all the videos to find those of particular interest and good quality? A YouTube search for a particular piece might turn up a live performance by a top-quality professional player right next to a video of a high-school student learning a piece for the first time in their bedroom. Since many of our readers may use YouTube for reference purposes (or have students who do), we wanted to take a look at some of the best YouTube video streams about clarinet.

Currently, one of the exciting innovations in online media is the ability for an individual to "subscribe" to content of particular interest, such as creating a queue of movies in Netflix or using Google Reader to follow the RSS feeds of selected blogs. Similarly, users can personalize their YouTube experience by subscribing to YouTube "channels." Each username on YouTube has a "channel," and any registered user can subscribe to receive notification when the user posts new videos. Essentially, you can create a personalized stream of content of the quality you desire, and on the subjects in which you are most interested.

The following are a few YouTube users we have noticed as posting good-quality videos of interest to clarinetists. Perusing these videos is a great way to discover new clarinet works, hear performances by a variety of jazz and classical clarinetists, and get ideas for teaching.

"DavidGarnet" is the username of David H. Thomas, principal clarinetist of the Columbus Symphony and author of The Buzzing Reed blog. He has posted many videos of live performances, practice sessions, rehearsals, and lessons. Thomas has recorded and posted many of the Jeanjean etudes, as well as the Muczynski Time Pieces and movements from Mozart's "Kegelstatt" Trio and Quintet K. 581. He refers to the videos in some of his blog posts, so it may be interesting to view the videos in context on his blog.

A young Russian clarinetist named Grigory Wewer, "klarnetchik", has posted his excellent performances of Weber's Concerto No. 1 and the Rossini Theme and Variations, among others. All performances feature Wewer with the Omsk Symphony Orchestra.

Jazz clarinetist Jim Valentine, posting as "JimV33", has uploaded many jazz videos of Pete Fountain. Some of the videos feature Valentine and Fountain playing together, while others are just Fountain performing with his ensemble.

"clarinetmusicvideos" has posted several videos of Julian Bliss playing clarinet in his very young years (ages 4-10). It is quite entertaining to see the evolution of the playing of this budding young virtuoso.


Italian clarinetist Sergio Bosi ("clarinoprimo") has uploaded many videos of his playing. Some are live performances (including solo works with clarinet and orchestra or piano), and others are recordings set to collages of photographs. Bosi is a proponent of lesser-known Italian clarinet works, and listening to these recordings is a great way to get to know some of that literature. His live performances include the Busoni Elegie, the Castelnuovo-Tedesco Sonata, and the Debussy Rhapsodie.

Another Italian player, Corrado Giuffredi ("ulukay1981") has posted some fun videos of works by Piazzolla and others. Most of the videos are live performances of chamber works, including several for the unusual instrumentation of saxophone quartet and clarinet.

Belgian clarinetist Bob Van de Velde ("bobvandevelde") posts videos of his live performances, such as the Baermann Adagio with clarinet choir and Backofen's Thema con Variazioni for basset horn and string quartet. One highlight is his performance of the Mendelssohn Konzertstück No. 2 with a clarinet choir conducted by Eddy Vanoosthuyse.

Also based in Belgium, the Gent Clarinet Quartet ("rokquartet") has used YouTube for an interesting project called "TRY THIS AT HOME." Marco Mazzini, bass clarinetist for the group and founder of the Clariperu blog, has created several clarinet quartet arrangements of works like Rossini's Barber of Seville and Brahms' Hungarian Dance No. 5. The quartet posts videos of their street performances of these arrangements, along with the sheet music for the arrangement; they encourage viewers to download the music, create a video of their own performance, and upload it as a "video response" on YouTube.

We have written about Mazzini's blog Clariperu in a previous column, but we should mention the YouTube channel under the user name "clariperu." It features over 30 videos of various performers and is definitely worth subscribing to.

"SUclarinets" features videos by the Shenandoah Conservatory Clarinet Choir and their conductor/professor Garrick Zoeter. Also included are videos of works for clarinet quartet, and Zoeter performing Takemitsu's Waves for solo clarinet, two trombones, horn, and bass drum. This channel is a great example of how teachers can use YouTube to feature the activities of their studio.

American clarinetist Jonathan Cohler ("cohler59") has posted some videos of his performances of works for clarinet and piano, including works by Brahms, Bernstein, Bliss, and D'Rivera.

Always entertaining, Tom Ridenour's videos (under the username "billyboy647") cover topics as diverse as repair and maintenance, long tones, barrel dimensions, and double-lip embouchure. He has uploaded about 70 videos containing a wealth of information about the clarinet and ideas for teaching, along with a large dose of Ridenour's unique sense of humor.


Visit the clarinetcache YouTube page to view all of our subscriptions. While we did quite a bit of searching, we have probably missed some great clarinet YouTube channels. If you have ideas for additions to the list, e-mail us or comment below!

Clarinet-Now.com

Have you ever looked in your closet and thought, if only I had more clarinet-related apparel? If so, Clarinet-Now.com is here to help, with a selection of items including a Richard Mühlfeld/Brahms T-shirt and clarinet high-top shoes available through the Clarinet-Now Zazzle Store. For even more clarinet-related gifts, check out this page. Normally we try to keep commercialism to a minimum here on Clarinet Cache, but we couldn't help but tell you about this site, because it offers much more than just these products.

Clarinet-Now.com was created by Christopher Jones, a clarinetist in the Greater Hudson Valley area of New York State and student of Kalmen Opperman. The site has many inspirational strategies and tips for sight-reading, scales, crossing the break, and more, with great photos of correct and incorrect embouchure and hand position. The numerous ads are somewhat distracting, but the content of the site is useful, especially for beginners (and their parents), and teachers looking for a new way to explain specific aspects of clarinet technique. Keep up with the latest on the Clarinet-Now blog.

Sibley Music Library

Adding to our list of websites for free sheet music, the Sibley Music Library of the Eastman School of Music has amassed an extensive collection of digitized works, many by composers from the 19th to the early 20th century. With over 183 PDF files of chamber music and solo repertoire for clarinet, this collection of works covers lesser-known compositions as well as a handful of pieces by mainstream composers (Weber, Mozart, Brahms). A number of pages containing exercises and duets from Lazarus's New and Modern Method Book, along with several dissertations and theses from the 1940's-1970's are worth taking a look at. All of the music listed on the website is in the public domain and a user account is not necessary to download the music--you many need to stock up on printer ink though.

Sidney Forrest interview

Over at The Buzzing Reed, David H. Thomas has published a podcast of an interview with clarinetist Sidney Forrest. Thomas was a student of Forrest at Interlochen and Peabody, and now performs as principal clarinetist of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. The interview, which is about 30 minutes long, features Thomas speaking with the now 91-year-old Forrest about a variety of topics including his study with Simeon Bellison, his own pedagogical techniques, and why he chose the clarinet ("I liked the name"). This an interesting listen and a great way to document a part of clarinet history!

Interview with Anthony McGill

Anthony McGill is well-known in the United States for his work as principal clarinetist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and as an accomplished chamber musician. He captured the attention of many around the world with his performance with Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, and Gabriela Montero at the inauguration of President Barack Obama in January 2009. On faculty at the Peabody Institute and the Mannes College of Music, McGill recently developed an educational iPhone application for clarinet. He blogs, tweets, and posts YouTube videos, and we at Clarinet Cache spoke with Anthony McGill about how he uses new technologies to educate and communicate.



Clarinet Cache: Your newest project, the "Clarinet in Reach" application for the iPhone, was recently released by the company Music In Reach. How did you become involved with the application and what was the collaborative process like?

Anthony McGill: I was approached by John Ferland and his brother Dan sometime this past year and they told me what the project was all about. I thought this was an amazing concept and soon after agreed to work as a consultant on the project. The collaboration was great. They would provide an outline and I would fill in the blanks. It was very straight forward. I would provide all the musical data and they would work out the tech side.


CC: The iPhone app currently has fingerings only up to altissimo G, and the instructional videos from your YouTube channel are for beginners. Do you have plans to add fingerings and other content to make the app more useful for professionals, or is it aimed at a younger student audience?

AM: Yes. We have decided to make it very usable for beginners and intermediate students alike. Since this is the first version we didn't feel the need to add super high notes for the segment that may use it right now. In the future we may have all kinds of advanced content.

CC: Many artists use blogging as a promotional tool, but you recently started a blog that seems to be more about your personal insights and experiences as a professional classical clarinetist. What inspired you to create the blog and what kind of audiences do you hope to reach?

AM: The website anthonymcgill.com was the first step and I thought it would be nice to have a place to connect with people directly. The content that I have on it came from just sitting down and writing about whatever I felt like. I could go from announcing the new iPhone project to writing about how a rehearsal inspired me. I am letting it take me wherever it wants. 


CC: As social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter grow in popularity, do you think that the Internet has changed what it means to be a classical musician in the twenty-first century?

AM: I believe so. I feel that any chance I have as an artist to be a communication entrepreneur is great. And with so many avenues out there to do that, sites such as Facebook and Twitter have made it very easy for all of us to increase our connection and presence in the world. As musicians the more ways we can communicate, the better.


CC: Do you find that there are benefits (or drawbacks) from being able to communicate directly with your friends and fans?

AM: I think there are great benefits and I haven't noticed any drawbacks at all. Because in years past there was no communication whatsoever, I feel that being able to get emails or questions from young students about their playing, what repertoire they should be working on, all of these things without knowing them at all is awesome.


CC: At 30 years old, you are probably younger than many of your colleagues in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Do you think your age contributes to your openness towards blogging and other new forms of communication?

AM: I think that it does. I still feel like I don't know what I'm doing every day, but it has become something that I think is really interesting and new. I think that we are at the beginning of a new way of communicating and connecting. I jumped on the train and I want to be on it as an artist of the future.


CC: In December of 2006 the Met began releasing live performances in movie theaters and recently began the Live in HD program which offers transmission of live operas to select public schools at no charge. As a performer and teacher, do you think this approach to gaining wider audiences will affect the future generation's involvement in the performing arts?

AM: I hope these productions are reaching a younger audience. But I think the most important thing is for it to reach a larger audience. Old, young, or in between, I think it is awesome. If we could get them in more schools and then inspire the cities to invest more in music and not cut these programs, I think that would be the best thing. Connect the success of the program with the success of students in school.


CC: Many symphony orchestras and chamber groups seem to think that adding visual elements to performances, promoting concerts on Facebook, and "tweeting" during concerts will attract younger audiences. In your view, does this use of technology enrich the classical music experience, or cheapen it?

AM: I think that it depends. If the technology enhances the art form I'm all for it. If it detracts and takes focus off of the music then it is detrimental. This is my opinion, but fortunately it is debatable. Debate and differences of opinion are actually extremely helpful to keeping the art form viable. Without trying new things the creativity dies. So I think some use of this is good. Tweeting while playing may be a bit counterproductive though!

CC: Finally, many of us are curious about your experience performing at President Obama's inauguration. Can you tell us more about it and how you felt about participating in such a historical event?

AM: It was an absolutely amazing experience. I was asked by Yo-Yo Ma to play after having played the Quartet for the End of Time with him in Japan back in 2001. It was the biggest surprise of my life to get this call. Being able to play with those amazing musicians and be a part of such a pivotal moment in history was something I'll never forget. I would play in the cold over and over again, crack many clarinets, recorded or not for the rest of my life to get back to that stage again! I will never forget it.

Zara Lawler's Practice Notebook

We normally only post clarinet-related things here on Clarinet Cache, but in the case of Zara Lawler's Practice Notebook, we will overlook the fact that she is a flutist! Lawler's blog about practicing is of interest to any musician who practices, whether it's an hour here and there or six hours a day. The blog covers efficient practicing, physical warm-ups, memorization, and more, with lots of specific ideas and techniques to try. Lawler's writing is clear, concise, and often funny, as in her latest post about guerrilla practicing in airports. Check out the Practice Notebook - it may help you to take a fresh look at your old practice routine.

Clarinet at the Grammys: Paquito D'Rivera and Derek Bermel

The 52nd annual Grammy Awards are tomorrow, and we thought we'd take a look at the clarinet-related nominations.

Clarinetist and composer Paquito D'Rivera has been nominated in two categories: "Best Classical Crossover Album" for his new album JaZZ-ClaZZ, and "Best Instrumental Composition" for the track "Borat in Syracuse" on the same album. JaZZ-ClaZZ is the result of a collaboration between D'Rivera and Sabine Meyer's Trio di Clarone. Listeners familiar with D'Rivera's composition Aires Tropicales for woodwind quintet will recognize several of the movements (including "Dizzyness" and "Vals Venezolano") arranged here for clarinets.

The January 27, 2010 edition of PRI's "The World" included a nice feature on Paquito D'Rivera including an interview and audio clips from the album. Listen to streaming audio or download the podcast here.

Syracuse University has posted an article about the commissioning and premiere of "Borat in Syracuse" by D'Rivera and SU’s Morton B. Schiff Ensemble.

Another Grammy nomination goes to Gil Rose, Derek Bermel and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project in the category "Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (With Orchestra)" for Bermel's performance of his own Voices, for Solo Clarinet and Orchestra.

Here's the full list of nominees from the Grammy Awards website. Best of luck to our clarinet friends tomorrow!

ClarinetFest 2009 Videos

If you were like us and didn't make it to ClarinetFest 2009 in Porto, Portugal this past summer, you are probably pretty curious as to what you missed out on. Fortunately, a few individuals and one of the participating bands (ARMAB-Apresentacao da Banda e da Vila da Branca) have uploaded several videos on YouTube, giving us a peek into some of the performances held at the eye-catching modern concert hall, Casa da Música. For a full listing of programs, events, and to get a glimpse of the concert venue, check out the official ClarinetFest 2009 site here. Some of the featured soloists with the ARMAB band include:

Bass clarinetist Sauro Berti performing three movements of Jan Hadermann's "Spotlights on Bass Clarinet."

Steve Cohen performing "Brooklyn Bridge" by Michael Daugherty.

The band arrangement of Amilcare Ponchielli's crowd-pleasing "Il Convegno" features soloists Horácio Ferreira and Joao Pedro Santos.

Other videos from the festival include a performance of Debussy's "Premiere Rhapsody" by the High School Competition winner, Carlos Ferreira.

Last, but not least, this next video shows a unique ensemble consisting of a singer, guitarist, and clarinet quartet. Despite the shaky filming, the video manages to capture the excitement and merriment of both performers and audience.

Benny Goodman and Red Norvo (1960)

This great clip was uploaded in 2006 and has accumulated nearly 100,000 views. It features early jazz vibraphonist Red Norvo and Benny Goodman. Details about the video from uploader WhenSwingWasKing:

"The camera catches the jumping 10-piece group Goodman led from 1959-1961 (built around the Red Norvo Quintet), but in this clip, the spotlight stays firmly on Benny and Red. "The World is Waiting For the Sunrise" was an early Goodman showcase in 1934, and was memorably re-recorded by BG with Mel Powell in 1942 (for Commodore). Benny was still playing this number brilliantly in the 1980s!"

Clarinet Videos: Best of 2009

Since this is the time for top-ten lists, we have compiled our own list of our ten favorite clarinet YouTube videos of the year. A few of the videos are from late 2008 since we didn't compile a list for last year. Some of these videos are live performances, some are recordings, and some are... well, why don't you just see for yourself!

Classical:
Bernhard Crusell - Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in F minor, Op. 5, mvt. III, performed by Eric Hoeprich and the Kölner Akademie

This is a selection from the Kölner Akademie's recent CD release Bernhard Crusell:Klarinettenkonzerte. The recording includes Crusell's three clarinet concerti as played by Eric Hoeprich on a copy of one of Crusell's clarinets, backed by the Kölner Akademie ensemble, also using historical instruments. For listeners unaccustomed to the sound of period clarinets, the difference in tone from the modern clarinet can sometimes be jarring; here, though, everyone will enjoy the beautiful sound Hoeprich achieves on the early 19th-century clarinet. The historical instruments truly enhance the music, and the result is stunning. Read a review of the CD here.

Michael Han Kim - Stravinsky, Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet

Only 13 years old in this video, Korean prodigy Michael Han Kim emerged on the YouTube scene in 2008 with a list of other performances steadily growing. Han Kim, born in Seoul in 1996, began playing the clarinet at the tender age of 7 and has won several prizes in competitions throughout Korea and Japan. Visit his YouTube channel at "michaelhankim" to find more of his videos and detailed information about this budding clarinetist.

Humor:

Artheme Swallows his Clarinet

The text at the beginning states: "Artheme Swallows his Clarinet was produced in 1912 by France's short-lived Eclipse company. Few Eclipse films survive; when this delightful comedy was found, the print was decomposed along the edges and the end had melted away. Ten years later, another print miraculously surfaced, free of rot but very choppy. This edition is digitally reconstructed from both, almost frame by frame." Read more about this short film here.

Pop music covers:
Lady Gaga's Poker Face on Bass Clarinet

One of the most viewed clarinet videos of the year, InstrumentManiac's cover of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" is ... well, it's something. YouTube is full of videos of young clarinetists performing their favorite pop songs, and most are, frankly, pretty painful to watch. This video, though, has something special. Maybe it's the aviator shades, maybe it's the cheesy green-screened backgrounds, or maybe it's Lady Gaga's pop charisma coming through. This player's other popular YouTube videos include covers of Rihanna's "Disturbia" and a song from the Twilight movie.

Lou Reed - Perfect Day - Accordion and Clarinet Cover

Another great cover uploaded this year is moshezuchter's clarinet and accordion version of Lou Reed's "Perfect Day." The sound isn't perfect, and the accordionist's head is cut off in the video, but it really is charming (especially if you know the original song).

Instructional:
BIRSoutheastTech - Clarinet Care and Maintenance

This video covers the basic elements of assembly, care, and maintenance of the clarinet. It is well-done with clear instructions and great photos and video examples. This video would be useful for band directors with beginner clarinets, parents with a rental or newly purchased clarinet for their child, or anyone that is attempting to learn clarinet without a teacher. The video was created by Lucas Pemberton of the Band Instrument Repair program at Minnesota State College - Southeast Technical.

How It's Made - Rico Reeds

This interesting short video from Rico shows the process of reed manufacturing.

Buffet Clarinet Factory Tour

We're not sure of the origin of this video, but it is a beautifully shot video montage of the process of manufacturing a Buffet clarinet, set to an unidentified clarinetist playing the first movement of the Mozart Concerto on basset clarinet.

Most Daring:

Playing a Clarinet Covered in Bees

Although you might remember our post last summer about Dr. Norman Gary's daring feat, we couldn't resist adding it to our list. This unique talent (or should we say fearlessness) holds us in awe and wonder as to how he manages to avoid inhaling one of the bees! This bee wrangler definitely deserves kudos for his love of bees and playing the clarinet.

Jazz:
BigBandHeaven - Artie Shaw Concerto

Here is a recording of Artie Shaw (1910-2004) playing with his orchestra set to a nice slideshow of photographs. Taken from the personal record collection of Richard Hawkey, the excellent audio quality of this video is refreshing, with the warm sound inherent to vinyl records still preserved.

Because the search capabilities of YouTube are not the greatest, we may have missed a few videos. If you know of another 2009 clarinet video that you think belongs on this list, please post it in the comments section below. Happy New Year!