Solo Prep

Selmer Series 10 and mouthpiece updates

College Prep, Family, News and Happenings, Personal experience, Public Schools, Repost, Solo Prep, Teaching /
selmer clarinetAccording to the 4-digit serial number, my Selmer/Paris Series 10 clarinet was manufactured in 1967. In 1968, my hs band director told my mother I had to get one. Not optional. He might as well have told her I needed a Mercedes for my first car. Dad made me a 50/50 deal, and after selling lemonade to golfers and hanging ad papers on doors … I got it.
I used it all through hs. It got me Solo/Ensemble medals, traveled with me and Holmes Band to KMEA and MENC, to Murfreesboro, TN and Virginia Beach, VA…. to All-State Orchestra, to band clinic and select bands, to summer music camps at Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State Universities, and followed me to Europe/U.S.S.R. with the United States Collegiate Wind Band in the summer between hs and college. I had to replace it at UK bc the clarinet prof kept saying things like,
“That was awful. I can’t tell if it was you or that crappy clarinet.”
clarinet2Anyway, I just opened packages of cleaning supplies, including swabs, key and bore oil, silver polish, swabs, disinfectant and more….. I want to see if it still has all the notes and speed it once did. Students have heard me talk about instruments with “speed buttons”.
Oh, working on my 1973-ish Buffet R-13 also. Both are considered “vintage” at this point.

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Rossini

High Schools, Music Department, Personal experience, Repost, Solo Prep, Teaching Music, Technology in the Classroom, Throw Back Thursday /

Clarinet soloA few years ago, probably the last time I played thru a top-tier piece, I was alone on the local hs stage using Smart-accompaniment on a laptop and audio recording via phone…. I was probably preparing to assign it as I had made cuts for solo festival limits. I did flub the final 38-note run up to that high Ab (couldn’t hold onto it)…. but the rest of the 7-pages went well and fast, phone audio microphone considered.

Anyway… I recently shared the online link for someone to listen for some of the things we’re working on … (scales, arpeggios, chromatics, articulation, ornaments, etc). Told the parental I was going to look for the music. FOUND IT, well Joan did. No, not going to assign (yet), but do intend to use it for the above-mentioned fundamentals.

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Solo Contest Checklist

High Schools, Repost, Respect, Solo Prep, Teaching /

ratingI prepared this list for one of my woodwind students and modified it some to include other instruments. There are links within this article to other articles I’ve written about literature selection, accompanists and the judging scoresheet categories.

Pre-performance

The basics. Music, instrument. People have forgotten both.

Solo Part – ORIGINAL for judge.  Measures numbered. 

Have you paid your accompanist? Customary, usually following performance. More about respect, preparation and appreciation for your accompanist, click here.

BRASS.

Valve oil

WOODWINDS.

Backup reed – in case something happens to yours that day.

Mouthpiece cap – Keep on when moving – protects and looks professional.

PERCUSSION.

Backup sticks/mallets.

Arrive at the school/venue about an hour before your performance time. Find your performance room and then you can go to warm-up. Don’t over-practice. Just review your challenging spots. Your ensemble should run through the piece. Note that these warm-up rooms can be noisy.

Performance Room

Arrive at performance room before your time. You can go in ahead of time (or anytime) and listen to other performers. Most in Group 2 will be h/s. If your accompanist is late because of accompanying someone else, just explain that to the door person or judge.

Have the book opened to your solo when you present it to the judge.

If judge asks questions, answer politely (as you always are).

Sit or stand. Your choice. I prefer standing. Judge may want to see your fingers, so don’t put the music stand directly between you and the judge. Be able to make eye contact with your accompanist.

Do not start until the judge tells you to. He/she may be completing notes on the previous performer. If permission received, play tuning note with piano – last chance to check your reed.

Be prepared to introduce yourself, your school, and your piece (title/composer).

When you finish, especially if there is any applause, a slight bow is appropriate to acknowledge. Applause is the audience saying thank you — a bow is your thanking them for the applause. Recognize your accompanist.

You will not get your music immediately – probably after the performer who follows you. You will not get your scoresheet. Those go to your band director at the end of the day. 

The door monitor will write your rating on the wall schedule.

Performance categories (sheet may vary slightly)

A separate post with addition scoresheet categories ===> HERE.

Intonation. Are you in tune with the piano? With each other (ensemble)? Do you have individual notes that are out of tune? Accuracy to printed pitches.

Tone. Resonance, clarity, control, focus, consistency, warmth.

Rhythm. Accuracy of note values, rest values, duration, pulse, steadiness, correctness of meter.

Technique. Facility, accuracy, articulation, fingerings.

Interpretation/Musicianship. Style, phrasing, tempo, dynamics, emotional involvement.

Performance factors. Choice of literature, appropriate appearance (related to performance), poise, posture, general conduct, mannerisms, facial expressions. Formal dress is not required, but jeans with holes and advertisement t-shirts will not only affect the appearance score, but also — judges can decide much about you before you play your first note. You are “on” from the time you take your performance position until you exit.

Did I forget anything? Let me know so I can improve this post for the next time. And note that rules per state are different… I tried to be generic in that regard.

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