Sunday, March 15, 2020

"Virtual Masterclass" materials

Many thanks to the wonderful fEmpower community for putting out a request for shared materials to assist everyone in moving towards "online delivery."  We are truly living in an unprecedented time which makes us all grateful for online connections.



I have curated a few series below from my own content.  I hope they create fantastic conversations and opportunities for learning in this time that keeps us from being physically present with our students.  

2-wire reedmaking
This series is perfect for anyone who has GSP cane - any shape and profile - and have time to experiment with finishing it in a new way.  There are a few tools that are different but you can absolutely use standard tools to approximate the process.  I'm confident it will yield a compelling reed and definitely stir up some great conversations. 

YouTube playlist
Instructions

Purchasing a "new bassoon"
This series would be fun especially if you need to drum up some motivation for students who need to purchase their own instruments (a constant challenge in my studio).  


My personal musings - which I actually haven't finished!  Recommended order:
This is a 22-part series that I wrote in REAL-TIME on my path to winning my first salaried orchestral position.  It's raw, it's honest, it demonstrates all the things you should and should not do on that crazy path!  

It would be a LOT of reading, but here is the link to all the pertinent blog posts.  I missed a few when I labeled the posts but they would be easy to find for those who are just totally fascinated by the experiences I had and my writing.

You can find a few videos of me playing excerpts on this YouTube playlist.  I will also disclose that I was preparing for a Seattle Symphony audition when I made the videos doing the side-by-side comparison videos for purchasing a bassoon.  With that in mind, you might have a HILARIOUS time critiquing all my varied tempi and sundry errors whilst watching those videos knowing that I was actively preparing a professional audition.  #humility #vulnerability

Légère Reeds
I have long been an advocate of Legere reeds for many reasons. (Still wish I could get a sponsorship from them...LOL!)  I played on Legere reeds exclusively for the 2014-2015 concert season.  You will learn why in the posts I wrote.  I learned a lot and continue to purchase them and carry them in my reed case.  I don't often play on them but I still deeply believe in their value and may return to full-time use...one day.  

YouTube playlist - videos from other bassoonists as well
Here is a follow-up post that shares a funny experience I had with a borrowed Legere.  I also go off on a rant about my loathing for manufactured reeds.  

Hopefully these help to fill some time and give ideas for content we can all use in our studios in the upcoming weeks.  I will update this blog post as I think of other topics I have covered on both my website and YouTube channel.  Leave comments with questions, concerns, broken links.