Given that the entire world is currently practicing physical distancing, and much of the world’s population is not supposed to go out except for essentials—or as Arthel Neville put it: “Don’t roam. Stay at home.”—it is fair to say that the COVID-19 pandemic has turned our current world view on its head. A tiny invisible enemy has brought societies and cultures to a screeching halt.
Musicians are part of the cultural fabric of all societies. However, regardless what level of musician you are; no matter where in the world you live; regardless what instrument you play; there is one thing we all have in common right now: We are all not rehearsing/playing with our peers.
If you can’t practice with your peers, what do you do? If you’re a serious musician, the answer likely is: practice at home… A LOT.
I have seen lots of posts from my sax-playing, Facebook friends that are showing the books they are currently working on. Like me, many are pulling out books that they haven’t opened for 20+ years. They’re pulling out books from university, and are working their chops on stuff long forgotten.
How Helen is spending her weeks social distancing
1. I started working on my Bb clarinet chops in a more serious way.
Since I started on sax and picked up clarinet as my double around year 3, I have always been at a disadvantage when it comes to that particular little wooden pain stick. Then I switched to bass clarinet a couple years after that, and my Bb clarinet was all but forgotten about.
All clarinet was forgotten about for over 20 years until I needed to relearn it for a pit gig, when I crammed to re-learn the instrument I disliked. Fast forward 5 years, and now I am seriously working on becoming equally proficient on both bass and Bb clarinets.
To that end, I pulled out my Klosé clarinet method, and am seriously trying to learn how to do justice to the Selmer Centered Tone, full Boehm clarinet that I got in December. The sound is amazing, and this horn appears to have had very little use. I joke about me playing it is a bit like giving the keys to a Ferrari to a 16 year old. 😉 😆
My goal is a very humble one. When this pandemic is over, and we are all allowed to gather in groups again, I would like to be proficient enough on clarinet to be able to play the Clarinet 3 parts solidly in our local community band. (They regularly play Grade 4-5 stuff.)
2. I started to seriously work on my sax technique that has slipped A LOT in the recent years.
Like most non-classical players out there, I have let much of my technical studies go by the wayside since formal studies. Even when I get together with my friend and occasional teacher, Kenton, he and I rarely practice technical stuff.
Despite part of the reason for the decline in my technique being a decline in my fine motor skills due to my neuro problem, I persevere. Although I will never be as clean in my execution as I once was—this is especially obvious on my Bb clarinet with open tone holes—I am still building up my speed every day.
To track my speed, I use a new practice sheet that I developed. I am using it for my students as well as myself. If anyone is interested you can find the Excel template here: practice schedule template
The 32 Etudes by Ernest Loyon is a book from Kenton that I got a couple of years ago. It is a book that they used at Berklee. It is a killer. I have worked on and off on a couple of them over the years, but never seriously. Now I am seriously working on one of the easiest ones (#3), and am going to see how close I can get to getting it up to speed before we are no longer housebound.
Looks easy enough, right? Just try and play it. It isn’t nearly as easy as it looks. So far I have been working on it on tenor and soprano. Haven’t done it on bari or alto yet.
3. I am completely redoing my musical gear inventory.
Years ago I started an Excel spreadsheet that contained all my musical gear. The problem was it was hard to find anything, and adding things was a bit problematic as well.
Then last week I downloaded a household inventory template and customized it to my needs. The result: I discovered I have way more gear than I thought…
Even at 10% of the original size, the list is cut off as you can see. At this moment it at has 216 line items. This is not counting books. It is not even counting swabs, individual ligatures (they are included with the MPs they are attached to), reeds, or even neck straps.
This inventory list includes horns, MPS, replacement necks and cases, electronic gear, mics, cables, stands, amps, and sundry accessories.
The colour-coding makes it easier to find things specific to individual instruments like altos, tenors, baris, or, or, or… You get the idea.
However you decide to put your inventory together, this is a very good idea to have. I have always had 2 copies of my inventory at least: 1 on my computer, and the other on a USB stick in the fire safe or safety deposit box.
Until I started going through all my old bills and putting dates and prices in the spreadsheet, I had no idea exactly how much $$ I had spent on gear. It is quite shocking actually.
Much of the $$ wasn’t even entered on my spreadsheet, since I didn’t record repair bills, or overhaul costs. Not that you couldn’t create columns for those costs, I just didn’t see the point.
4. Working with one of my students remotely
Don’t roam. Stay at home. Arthel Neville
Many sax teachers have switched to Skype lessons. I am not one of them. At least not yet. But then I don’t have a lot of students.
That said, this week I have been working with one of my students who was given a school assignment to write out and play a 12 bar blues solo. For those of us who have been at this a long time, we probably can’t remember what it was like to learn this stuff for the first time. I know I don’t.
My student and I have been Facetiming, emailing, and texting while she learns how to not only play a killer tenor sax solo, but how to write it out using MuseScore. Good times.
So amid a pandemic a sax player does what?
So as you can see, there are lots of things we as sax players can do to keep ourselves amused during this period of self isolation and social distancing.
I’ve told you what I’m doing, but I’m curious what you’re doing. Chime in and let me and others here know as well.
Most importantly, stay safe. Let’s all be here when this is over!
Hello Helen, thanks for your web site!
I have also have recently picked up the clarinet again. The small Community Band that I play in needed a Clarinet player, and so I decided to get back in to Clarinet.
I had an old Pierre Revan Clarinet that I bought used in the 70’s from my Sax teacher. It no longer played well, and it wasn’t worth having it re-padded. I sold it for little money on E-Bay and bought a Series 9 Clarinet and a pair of A Bb Series 10 Clarinets. The 10’s are Mazzeo Clarinets, and the Mazzeo feature is functional.
I’ve decided to stay with the Series 9, and sell the A /Bb set as I will probably never need the A Horn and the 9 will suit my needs. I had been playing my Bass Clarinet somewhat, so I am familiar with the Clarinet fingerings. It did take me several months of playing to remember to cover the tone holes, however.
I now have been playing the clarinet in the Band for ~2 years. In January another Clarinet player joined the band, and it looks like she will stay with it, so I may be able to go back to playing Sax.
I’m thinking of transposing at least some of the music to play the Tuba on the Bass Sax, or I may use the Bari for this as it is easier, as no transposing is needed except changing the key signature.
Of course all of this has been put on hold due to recent events…
I think this just sums stuff up really well about now. 😆
Nice to hear what you and others are up to. I’m afraid that I’m going to be a bit of a bore (or is that boar?). Absolutely noting different for me. I live in the country, grow much of my own food, and am mostly a hermit. I play mostly play in collaborations on line with musicians from all over the world (recordings, not live on line as that’s pretty crappy). Since many other players now can’t leave home, there’s many more posts. I’m just posting similar numbers of tracks, as this is harvest season, so a bit more time pressure. For me it’s 100% improvisation, so always a challenge. Others work out compositions or write out parts to play. Non recording practice is just the usual to keep the fingers moving.
Well, you were warned, nothing interesting or juicy.
Hi there Wade. Right now I suspect your life sounds pretty idyllic to a great many people! (Me being one of them I must admit.)
It is remarkable how many people are playing collaboratively with people the world over. If this pandemic has done one thing, it has really let us connect not only with our own family that shares our house, but also with the larger “family” who shares our musical interests. These latter connections seem to run deeper than the usual online discussion groups, but rather it appears to be forging new relationships that brings musicians together.
COVID appears to be the great equalizer, since no one is immune.
I hold out a sliver of hope that when this is all over, and we have a vaccine, that some of the experiences stay with us, and we as a people–regardless where in the world we live–have just a bit more connection to other people around the world. That may make us less likely to see those different from us as “other”, and perhaps, just perhaps, make the world less hostile to everyone and everything.
Be well Wade. Stay safe in your little piece of countryside… helen
I. I’m cleaning my instruments more frequently and more carefully. My local technician insists of giving every horn that comes in an antibacterial wash. I’d suggest a dedicated UV lit booth – or leaving the instruments out in the (Australian) sun.
2. With a group of friends I’m creating improvised mp3 tracks, exchanging them and adding another layer of improvisation. I’d like to extend this to video.
I will probably end up using Zoom, but the inherent time lag is an annoyance.
3. Practice – concentrating on clarinets (Bb soprano, alto and bass. Fortunately my neighbours seem to like the sound of my playing.
4. Trying, and generally succeeding in moderating my consumption of alcohol
A Melbourne composer, Dr Gary Butler, is dissatisfied with social distancing and is experimenting with anti-social distancing. Apparently this involve flatulence and telling people to “F*** Off”
Thanks, Helen, for giving us this space and so much information over the years.
Joe – Wollongong
Hey there Joe.
I’m curious what your tech is doing to give a horn an antibacterial wash. How? Disassembling it? With a sax that seems like a lot of work. Is he/she doing that even for minor jobs? Given COVID is viral, soap and water will kill it. No need for anti-bacterial soaps.
Woodwinds dry quite quick, but brasswinds–especially ones with lots of bends and curves like French horns–can be wet for a long, long time. Those are ones I would be most worried about, since I don’t imagine anyone has had a chance to do studies to see how long the virus can live in saliva in a warm, dark place.
I’d be curious how much work any tech is getting. David–my tech who I work a couple of days a week for as as his Education Rep–has seen his work drop off to near 0. If the school horns don’t come in, he doesn’t know what he is going to do. Not to mention he has nearly 1,000 rentals out right now that should be coming back in June, and getting cleaned up and set up for September. With schools out indefinitely in our province, everything is up in the air… Including September…
On a totally comedic note, love Dr. Butler’s idea! Too funny. 😆 Hey, at this point we all have to be able to laugh at something.
Take care Joe. Good luck with the video idea. I hope it works out. We are all going to be looking for ways to connect with others artistically before too long.
Thanks Helen.
I have nothing interesting to add on your topic but that daily practice opportunity doesn’t replace the fun of playing with others. I’ll take this opportunity to thank you for your postings.Ii have been following along and learning from what you offer ever since you gave me guidance on an alto that I was about to buy about 10 years ago when I retired and got into music. I’m still happy with my purchase and enjoy what you contribute on line.
Stay as well as you can and keep it coming when you can.
Thanks again,
John, Montreal
Hi there John. Glad to hear that you’re still doing well. With QB being our country’s COVID hotspot, you are living in THE place that would make me most cautious about going out for essentials. BC is bad, and I’ve come to dread the daily briefings with our Chief Medical Health Officer, but I don’t know how QB got it so bad. It’s just crazy.
I took the car out just to charge the battery yesterday since it had been around 10 days, so I decided to stop at the liquor store for wine. I got back in the car and then thought: How the world has changed since I last went out. It seems that every time I got out (about every 10 days), new social distancing measures have come into effect, and things look less and less like normal.
I am seriously starting to wonder when & how musical rehearsals will be starting up again. Knowing what we know about the virus already, it’s not looking good for anytime soon.
If I remember right, were you not the player who ended up with a Julius Keilwerth alto stencil? Refresh my memory and let me know if I’m on the right track with my thinking.
Stay safe John. Take care… helen