“Plays Well With Others” applies to more than your behavior in Kindergarten. How about in a musical ensemble? Can you hear the other parts as well as your own? What is your volume level? Just because the music indicates fortissimo doesn’t…
Summertime Music Are you or your musical child looking for a fun ensemble playing experience this summer? If so, I’ve got just the thing: SERI. Small Ensemble Reading Intensive. SERI is my weeklong summertime workshop for clarinet and saxophone players.…
The Rose City Gay Freedom Bands held their first Young Artist Solo Competition for 10th through 12th grade music students in the tri-county area and SW Washington. One of my students, Ally Shuell, entered the competition playing Diversion for Alto Saxophone…
Ornette Coleman once said, “The Tenor’s got that thing, that honk, that you can get to people with. Sometimes you can be playing tenor, and I’m telling you, the people want to jump across the rail.” In 2005, I purchased…
There’s a great variety of events coming up in the next weeks and months. Opening this weekend is an exhibit of contemporary Cremonese Violin Making and works of the old masters at Kerr Violin Shop located at 4451 SE 28th Avenue in…
Self Care through Music Listening to live music is self care. On Thursday, May 4 (“May the fourth be with you!”), I received wonderful Rx at the concert performance by Anat Cohen; clarinet, and Trio Brasileiro; pandera, bandolim, and seven-string guitar. From…
With true life current events reading like a dystopian fiction come true, I felt it was time for something uplifting. We musicians have an opportunity to bring some positivity and gratitude to the fore and use our musical powers for…
[Post edited and re-posted to reflect use of Pandora over Spotify.] One night, before I went to sleep, I asked my dream self to help me write today’s music appreciation article. I woke up with this headline on the tip of…
My students put so much energy and practice into their recital performances. I like to honor their efforts by recording the show and uploading the individual videos to my YouTube channel () Our most recent recital was November 1, 2016. Oops!…
Tonight, students will perform the songs they have transcribed over the Summer. They chose the songs they wanted to learn, so you’ll hear pieces like: The Pink Panther by Henry Mancini on clarinet complete with an improvised solo! Hedwig’s Theme…
Just a short post today. John Coltrane, jazz saxophonist and composer, was born Sept. 23, 1926. To celebrate his contribution to jazz, here are two of my favorite tunes by him: Naima. A soulful, tender ballad. My Favorite Things. Up-tempo…
For several days last week, one song played over and over in my head. It’s called an ear worm, right? Anita and I had watched the 1967 movie version of the musical, Camelot. We watched about 40 minutes at a time.…