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Put your clarinet down for a minute...

It wasn't until I was in my late 20's that things changed. I made my first pitch. I'd worked up the nerve to ask a donor to help me fund a chamber music concert of music I'd always dreamt of performing. Despite the daunting ask, my belief in the vision of this project was greater than any anxiety I had - and after weeks of going back and forth asked for a meeting. I got the funding! Believe me, the delivery wasn't smooth and effortless, but the vision was clear and the donor was on board!...

7 days ago • 3 min read

This week, we're getting the message out about the 2024 edition of the Portfolio Challenge. It starts next Monday, and we're teaching a mini-series today, Friday, Saturday and Sunday with lessons you can use to amp up your materials. (If you aren't into it, click the square above and you'll be removed from the series! You'll return to the normal Monday newsletters). On to the first (1/5) lesson! LESSON 1: Demystifying the website It’s hard to tell you the number of times a student has put...

8 days ago • 2 min read

Welcome! Hi again Reader, hopefully you've gotten Lesson #1 and have started exploring the techniques. If you're a "good student" like me and feel the need to get through it all today, don't worry - take a deep breath (ha!) and take your time. It's a LOT of material. The idea is to try different techniques throughout the week. If you want to make observations or take notes, we've provided a handy weekly tracker for you to do just that, and reprint if you want to continue the practice. We're...

about 2 months ago • 1 min read

Welcome! Dear Reader, Good morning Reader, Welcome to day 1, lesson 1! We're kicking things off with a the most vital of essential life-supporting forces, your breath. It's central to how we feel, and it's fascinating to know that it's both involuntary and voluntary! We do it when we don't think about it, and yet, we can control it when we want to. And, as musicians, our breath plays a central role in how we feel during practice and performance. And, if you're a wind player or singer, your...

about 2 months ago • 1 min read

Welcome! Dear Reader, Tomorrow we kick off the body and breath challenge! For the next 35 days, we'll explore what is central to your music-making, the foundation of YOU. Whether you’re a Thriver, a returning participant, or if you’re new, we are delighted you’re here. Throughout this challenge, you’ll be invited to: try methods of breathwork investigate movement make connections about what it means to use your body as an artistic instrument discover body awareness and the various mobility...

2 months ago • 1 min read

Claude Debussy once said, "The music is in the space between the notes." Take a look at the opening of his Premiere Rhapsodie: If you only focus on the notes themselves, you miss a whole range of possibilities, from color to direction, to emotion and texture. When you play between the notes, and connect the music through the silences, you create new dimensions to the music Zoom out and look at you as a clarinetist. It's exactly the same. You can't focus on just articulation, just finger...

2 months ago • 2 min read

"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?" Within the first couple of lessons with a new student, we're digging in deep on this question. It's a catalyst for clarity, action and direction! But... nearly 100% of the time, the answer is "I want to play in an orchestra or ensemble, and teach and maybe play chamber music on the side." It hardly ever varies. It's like someone wrote a script and they follow it to a "T" - every time. Why is this answer problematic? ⬇️ Hello there. This is Ixi, creator...

2 months ago • 4 min read

Good News: Practicing Effectively is a Skill You Can Develop! This is the second in a series of 5 insightful emails this week all about the art of practicing 🎻 We're getting amped for the Practice Design Seminar starting on Jan 22, but if you'd rather opt out (aka miss out), click here to be taken off this series :) Alright, let's clear a few things up for you. While you can be great at playing your instrument, that is not the same skill set as knowing how to practice well. Obviously, the two...

4 months ago • 3 min read

We're diving deep into the world of PRACTICE this week! 🎻 In preparation for the Practice Design Seminar starting on Jan 22, we're gearing up to share a series of 5 insightful emails this week, all about the art of practicing. If you'd rather not receive these, click here to be taken off this series! Flashback to 1998. I'm in a practice room at USC, staring at a list of audition excerpts for the Santa Barbara Symphony. Instead of having a plan, I was lost (where do I even start?), suffering...

4 months ago • 2 min read
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