Today we had the All-State Auditions in Northborough, MA. We had three students from Pentucket auditioning...two snare and one cello. I hope they get in! One thing I enjoy the most about this event is seeing all my fellow music teachers from the state. It is always good to check in and see what's happening with their programs. I spoke with Colleen Toland from Weston who was one of two teachers that built their instrumental program to be one of the best in the state. We talked about how to get the district as a whole involved in the schools' bands. Everyone seems to think that all my ideas we are putting into place this year are exactly what they did when they started...so I am pumped to see the results next fall!
While at the conference, I attended a clinic focussing strictly on the clarinet. I learned some pretty cool tricks to help young clarinetists sound great. I learned that elementary and middle school clarinet players tend to lean their right elbow on their thighs which is not good. Additionally, they usually have their chins pointed down which cuts off the amount of air they can get through the instrument. The clinician gave a great idea for explaining just how much breath is needed for good air support in clarinet playing. She told us to tell the students that they need to pretend they are 100 years old and that they need to be able to take a deep enough breath to blow out 100 candles. A question I asked was how to handle clarinet playing with students who have braces. When playing a clarinet, the lower lip should curl in over the lower teeth, but if you have braces in the way, what do you do? The clinician was stumped! Someone in the audience told us all her method, which was
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