To Oil or Not to Oil?

The age-old question of whether or not to oil the bore of your clarinet is still debated today. Every clarinetist seems to have formulated their own opinion based on their personal experiences, but many aren't familiar with the scientific details as to how oil affects wooden instruments. Although his website is centered around his commercial instrument repair services, Larry Naylor proves to be an expert on the subject, and on his site you can find a handful of articles dedicated to the explanation of how the grenadilla wood is cut and cured, how and why wood changes and cracks, and tips on protecting your clarinet against cracking. His articles include solutions for "blown-out" instruments, effects of organic oil on the bore, and he also presents a blind survey on preferences for oil-soaked clarinets versus non-oiled clarinets. The results from his experiment are interesting, and may change your mind about whether or not to oil your instrument.

MusiciansWay.com

Designed as a companion site to the 2009 book The Musician's Way by Gerald Klickstein, MusiciansWay.com stands alone as a great resource for musicians. It is organized into five main subject areas (practice, performance, wellness, creativity, and music careers), each containing a wealth of information and links to primary sources such as scholarly articles, YouTube videos of master teachers, photos, and more. Any instrumentalist or vocalist has much to gain by exploring this site - find employment statistics, memorization strategies, scholarly articles on musician injuries, and everything in between. Resources for specific instruments include a List of clarinet links. Also, the Musicians Way blog offers weekly posts on classical music and a variety of aspects of performance. Check it out!

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.