My First Studio Spring Recital 2018

Success!

Now that summer is over and my schedule is solidifying, I'm getting back into the swing of things.  My very first student recital was a success!  And I was super proud of all my students for getting up there and performing so well for everyone.  For some, it was their very first time performing Solo in front of an audience!  Overall, I received good, positive feedback.  Parents were super helpful and supportive.  And some of them even suggested I should do it twice a year!  

As always, there could be improvement, but I say it was a success!! And I'm super excited to do the next one.

Suggested Recital Etiquette

Performers

• Give yourself enough time to warm-up before the recital begins.
• Professional Attire
  • Guys: Pants, dress shirt, dress shoes (jacket and tie optional).
  • Ladies: Pants/skirt and blouse or street length dress. Dress shoes. If you’re carrying around a heavy instrument, I suggest NOT wearing high heals.
• It’s a good idea to acknowledge the audience by bowing both before and after the performance.   
• If your performance is accompanied, please remember to acknowledge your accompanist when you are finished with your bow. 

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Audience Members

• Please applaud performers as they take the stage and as they leave in support of their hard work.
• Please turn off all electronic devices that could disturb the performance.
• Students work very hard for the opportunity to perform, so please show your respect by remaining seated for the entire recital.

Most importantly, have fun! 

Setup & Why It's OH-SO Important | Part 2: Alto Saxophone

Setup Recommendations for Alto Saxophone

    Investing more in the beginning will payoff in the end!

Mouthpiece

    The mouthpieces listed below are in levels of preferred sounds, the Hite being least preferred and the JodyJazz being the most preferred, yet all of which I’ve had success with.  *Note: the difference between Meyer and JodyJazz is so minuscule really that only a professional could hear the difference in sound.  So, depending on your budget, I recommend using the following:

Hite Premiere Mouthpiece

Meyer 7 Medium (SIZE WILL VARY DEPENDING ON COMPATIBILITY - it’s a good idea to play test a few different sizes)

JodyJazz Hard Rubber Mouthpiece (SIZE WILL VARY DEPENDING ON COMPATIBILITY - it’s a good idea to play test a few different sizes)

Mouthpiece Cushions

    These protect your mouthpiece from teeth wear and tear.

WINGKIND Alto/tenor Sax Clarinet Mouthpiece Patches Pads Cushions, Black, 8 Pack

Beginner Alto Saxophone

    Yamaha YAS 23

        Yup, that’s it. I’m a big fan of the YAS 23 to start with. Now I play on a Yanigisawa, but here is a video of me playing a Yamaha YAS 23 with a Meyer 7M mouthpiece and Bravo non-toxic synthetic 3 reed. 

Alto Sax Reeds (for beginners) 

Bravo Reeds size 2.5  (I currently play on a size 3.)

D’Addario Jazz Select Reeds size 2 Hard or 2 Medium (depending on student)

Alto Sax Reed Soaker

Quality Reed Soaker (also good for Alto)

Alto Sax Neck Strap

Protec Neck Strap

Alto Sax Instrument Stand

Hercules Sax Stand — Although definitely not as sturdy, Hercules would be my second choice.

Alto Sax Swab

Hodge Silk Swab

Setup & Why It's OH-SO Important | Part 1: Clarinet

As a clarinetist & private music instructor, I’m almost obsessed about this idea of setup.  All throughout my grade school years, I’ve had invaluable instruction on my instrument.  But none of my private instructors taught me the importance of setup.  When I got to CSU East Bay, everything changed.  My whole philosophy changed.  I will never forget when my clarinet friend, Dan told me I needed a different setup.  He took me to the House of Woodwinds in Oakland, CA and he said I should try the Vandoren M15 clarinet mouthpiece.  That very day changed me and the way I played forever.  A couple years later, I transferred to CSU Sacramento.

Deborah Pittman LEFT, my Clarinet Professor @ CSU Sacramento

My clarinet professor at Sacramento State, Ms. Deborah Pittman, was also a major influence in this regard.  She taught me a lot about reed care in terms of soaking reeds in lukewarm water for 5-10 minutes, shaving them down with sandpaper if they were too hard to play on, and reed storage. 

So what about setup for beginners?  In a perfect world, it’s always great to start on the best instrument and mouthpiece possible.  But if I had to choose between the best instrument and the best mouthpiece, I would hands down choose the best mouthpiece.  Without a good mouthpiece to start on, it’s almost impossible to learn the clarinet with accuracy.  

Setup Recommendations for Clarinet 

Investing more in the beginning will payoff in the end!

Mouthpiece

• Vandoren M15 (Profile 88)

Mouthpiece Cushions

• Vandoren Black, Thick

These protect your mouthpiece from teeth wear and tear.

Mouthpiece Ligatures

• Rovner Versa Clarinet Ligature & Cap

Beginner Clarinets

• Buffet Premium Student Clarinet

• Yamaha Advantage

Clarinet Reeds 

• Vandoren V12 size 2.5

• Vandoren Blue Box size 2.5 (If you’re on a budget.)

• Bravo Non-Toxic Synthetic size 3 (Great for marching season!)

Clarinet Reed Storage 

• D'Addario Reed Vitalizer Case

This way you have a wide array of reeds at your fingertips.

Clarinet Reed Soaker

• Reed Soaker w/ Clip

Clarinet Neck Strap

• BG Clarinet Neck Strap

Neck straps help with lifting the weight off your wrist.

Why Practice?

Encouragement vs. Obligation

“So what is the most important thing that I, as a parent, can do to help my child be successful at music?”

This is a question that I hear my parents ask in my music studio all the time.  

The most simple answer is to encourage your child to...

practice

But how do we break this down?  How do we make this seem not like a burdensome activity but rather one that improves self-confidence and provides a sense of accomplishment? 

I've always been self-motivated when it comes to music, and my parents never discouraged me from playing/practicing my clarinet at home - even in the beginning stages when, let's face it...the sound coming from my clarinet was probably not...pleasant.  But they knew that, in time, it would provide me with highly meaningful experiences, and this has turned out to be very true.  But I digress...

Practice in music should never feel like an obligation.  

“Regular practicing is a path towards self-discipline that goes way beyond music — it's a skill that has hugely positive ramifications for personal fulfillment and lifetime success. (How ‘tiger mom’ is that?) But the trick is that self-motivated discipline isn't exactly first nature for most kids, so it's up to families to help create positive, engaging and fun ways to practice as a path towards self-motivation.”   

— Anastasia Tsioulcas (NPR Classical)

Click Here to See Full Article

Some children are not inherently self-motivated to begin with.  It lies dormant and is yearning to come alive.  This is when parents and the family as a whole must give a helping hand, so to speak.  

Below are some tips and tricks to keep your child motivated: 

• Try leaving the instrument out (in a safe place) already put together so that your child can pick it up like a game or a toy, says Tsioulcas.
• give your child a choice between practicing and doing chores; they will most likely always choose practice
• inspire your child by taking them to musical performances at your nearest jazz club or symphony orchestra.
• make sure you make the time available for your child to practice; that he/she is not feeling overwhelmed
• get involved; ask your child to play for you, listen and praise  

There are many ways to help your child succeed, but the fact that you even ask is proof enough of your commitment to your child's ability to grow and learn as a musician.  

Please feel free to leave comments below so that other parents may glean from your experience.