Piano Lessons in Chesapeake, VA

Instruments: Clarinet

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
Actually I originally wanted to play the Saxophone, but my lungs were underdeveloped at the time, so my band teacher gave me a Clarinet mouth piece which I could make an easier sound on. From there, they encouraged me to try out the Clarinet and after a couple tries, I really liked it and decided to play it. When I was learning how to put cork grease on, I did not know what a cork was, so I put cork grease on the entire mouth piece to which my teacher told me I would have mint breath for the rest of the day!

What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
I am most proud of getting a superior rating in my high school's solo and ensemble competition, performing Stravinsky's three pieces when I was a senior (the adjudicator gave me a 1+). Later I performed my recital for my bachelor's degree and my graduate recital for my master's degree. From there, I am most proud of playing with the Lakeside Symphony orchestra and the Blossom Festival Band. Performing in the professional setting is what I honestly like most of all. It inspires me to continue learning my craft as a musician.

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
The hardest concept to learn on the Clarinet is how to use your air effectively. What I mean by that is, how does one produce tone? It is a combination of his/her air, fingers on the tone holes, and mouth on the mouthpiece. but the tone holes do not make the sound nor does putting one's mouth against the mouth piece. This is a fundamental concept but students generally think placing one's fingers on the clarinet will make a sound. Using one's air to shape a phrase can ultimately make the music come alive. Playing something stagnant is not creative.

What does a normal practice session look like for you?
It depends on what I am practicing. If I am looking over a new piece for a recital. I will first read through the piece, then create a road map of what to practice first. Practicing slowly is what a lot of people say. I believe that, but it is how you are practicing slowly that is important. One should have a process of how to practice slowly. I take a passage of music, and break it down to the bare fundamentals (range, notes, accidentals, etc.). I try to find where my fingers might slip up and practice that part slowly. It is important to have a process to one's practicing so that one does not practice too fast or create bad habits.

If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
I have my Bachelor's and Master's degree in Music performance, specifically Clarinet. I originally pursued a duel degree in Music education, and music performance, but later in my dual degree, I realized I wanted to conduct and perform and everything else in music education was not for me. From there, I performed more frequently and it made me less nervous. Performing in an orchestra, band or as a soloist is one of my passions. This is why I want to teach, to pass my knowledge of the Clarinet to my students and give them the same passion I have.

What is your favorite style/genre of music to play and why?
My favorite style is Classical music but I also enjoy playing klezmer and jazz music. Classical music is what I was originally trained on and it is soothing to the ear. I also like analyzing classical music so that may be another reason I like performing Classical music. I like klezmer because of the pitch bends and the type of harmonies produced. Along with Klezmer, I like Jazz music because of the swing and Big band era. I also like Jazz because one can break rules in music theory and smear notes together.

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