Yesterday I gave my first masterclass to a bunch of 8th graders. Ultimately, I’m fishing for new private students. In Columbus, it’s not enough to be the best player in town. There are several other area teachers who canvas and…
How to Play True Legato
Legato playing, the smooth connection between notes in a musical line, is difficult on any instrument. Piano has more difficulty playing legato, since it’s basically a percussion instrument. Voice wins easily for the most true legato, since the larynx can…
Organic Rhythm
I used to play in a woodwind quintet, the wind equivalent of a string quartet. It was a pretty decent group made up of successful freelancers from around town in Washington, DC. During one rehearsal, we had trouble playing some…
Trying out new equipment
Musicians are as reliant on their equipment as they are their arms and legs. Great equipment is half the battle to playing well. But the search is not so easy. I’ve been trying out new mouthpieces for months now. Actually,…
…but I’m with the conductor!
So what?! It doesn’t matter a pile of feathers if it’s not together. Many musicians, good ones, don’t understand this basic fact of life in an orchestra. You have to factor in delay time for acoustics and human response time.…
Pops Concerts
We play a lot of pops concerts. If classical concerts are the meat, pops are the carbohydrates of our diet. They keep us going financially. The orchestra usually plays some light classical pieces on the first half, then a famous…