The Listening Library: Haven, Refuge, Home Memories from my undergraduate days at Indiana State University: hanging out in the Listening Library. When I wasn’t in a practice room (or playing pinochle in the lounge area), I was in the Listening…
Driving to swing band rehearsal last night, Baritone sax player Kate and I got to talking about Prince and his sudden passing. I am saddened by his death. His music holds a special place in my life, as it does…
Madison High School Fine Arts presents Bye Bye Birdie. The pit orchestra is a nice mix of high school students and area pros. I’m playing Reed 3 book which is clarinet and tenor sax and some of the clarinet parts…
I love playing on synthetic reeds! Two brands I use are Legere and Fibracell. [Update: Fibracell website not responding. You can find Fibracell reeds at any of the online music supply ordering sites.] Discovering Synthetic Reeds I first learned about the…
I do kind of make them do it. But in the end, they are so glad to have performed. And they are more inspired. Inspiration by recital Why, before the recital one young man had asked his Mother why he…
How to Give a Practice Performance and Stop Stage Fright It’s time again for the Spring recital performance. My students have been practicing their solos and ensemble pieces. They have been practicing scales and long tones; their foundational skills. And…
While it is true that I can make music on my own, it is wa-aa-ay more fun to play with others. I appreciate other musicians and the groups we form to play music together. Over the years I have participated…
Most of my music-making comes from playing musical instruments. Yes, I like to sing and whistle and hum with the best of them. But most of my music-making is done by playing a saxophone, clarinet, harmonica, Native American flute, or…
When I first began playing the saxophone, I was 10 years old. I had a year of piano under my belt which prepared me for reading music. But the piano lessons didn’t help with making my first sounds on the…
When it comes to music, I’m so grateful for my hearing. My healthy ears help me hear the sounds and textures of orchestras and wind symphonies; the ability to identify individual instruments in big bands, and chamber groups; and hear…
Just like the title says, I’ll be spending the week writing about Gratitude in relation to Music. This morning, I’ll be spending a couple of hours with the 6th and 7th grade band students at Beaumont Middle School. In the…
Today, I attended #PressPublish, a day-long WordPress blogging conference run by the folks at Automattic. My intention for attending was to get the spark back into my writing here @ MegGrace.com and be inspired to want to write again. Great…