Unfinished Business Challenge: Final Week!

Head of Clarinet
Heather
8 days ago
18replies

Hello everyone, Heather here (as ever) -

It’s the final week of the Unfinished Business Challenge!

I know I struggled in Week 3 - finding the time to work through my unfinished business, with all of the other things life can throw at you, can be really tough: I always have to remind myself that even getting the clarinet out for ten minutes makes a difference, if that 10 minutes is focused!

Well done for making it to the final week of the challenge!

- nancy
- 8 days ago
- Reported - view
Weber Page 3. Two more to go! Need more dynamics. Bonus TV ad in the background to go with the music. LOL
- Head of Clarinet
  
  Heather
  
  8 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  your dedication to posting every day is incredible! Amazing work!
- nancy
  
  8 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  I'm finally getting used to taking videos of myself. It helped to get a stand for my iPhone, and to settle into a more consistent spot. It was a steep curve to get comfortable with the whole process and also to not get all worried about making it "perfect."
- Howard_Lewis
- 7 days ago
- Reported - view
Nancy,

I think you sound terrific. It was hard to tell where you were taking breaths. Articulation, and tone were great.
I REALLY enjoy listening to you play.

Heather, what about you picking out 2 excerpts from famous concertos.?. Pick out maybe the most difficult part of a piece and then an easier part for lower level players.

Howard Lewis
- Head of Clarinet
  
  Heather
  
  7 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  Great idea Howard, it's definitely my plan to include lots of concerti in the study group :) Is there a favorite of yours? I'm holding off on any composers where we already have some great teaching on tonebase, but that still leaves a lot of room...
- nancy
  
  7 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  Thanks so much! It was fun to really focus on this piece and I like our idea of us working on a famous concerto together.
- Howard_Lewis
- 7 days ago
- Reported - view
Mozart and Weber 3 major pieces. Everyone’s favorites as well sa the Brahms pieces with piano.
- nancy
  
  6 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  Debussy’s Première Rhapsodie or Poulenc Sonata could be good. 😊
- Head of Clarinet
  
  Heather
  
  6 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  so many good tips from you both!
- nancy
- 7 days ago
- Reported - view
Here's page 4. I definitely want to memorize this whole piece and keep practicing it.
- Head of Clarinet
  
  Heather
  
  6 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  this sounds fantastic Nancy! Memorising would be great! How did the audition go???
- nancy
  
  6 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  I had to cancel the audition due to a family health issue. Hope it will be even more prepared for next time.
- Head of Clarinet
  
  Heather
  
  6 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  I'm sorry to hear that!
- nancy
- 6 days ago
- Reported - view
Here's the last page. It needs a lot more work. I've heard you should practice the end of a piece first because it gets the most neglected and you are the most exhausted by the time you have to play it.
- Howard_Lewis
  
  6 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  Nancy, It sounds terrific-especially those fast runs near the end. I love both Weber concertos and the concertino particularly the slow second movements.
  
  Howard Lewis
- Head of Clarinet
  
  Heather
  
  5 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  phenomenal work, Nancy! You're reaching up into the altissimo so beautifully, and there's NO BOUNCING happening :) Really well done with this challenge! I need to get back to it now my three concerts in the last week are zone - but maybe after a little nap...
- nancy
  
  5 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  @Heather I know--I'm so excited that the bouncing is something I can eliminate--especially when I see the videos every day. I hope your concerts were a success.
- nancy
  
  5 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  Thanks again for the positive feedback. I really appreciate it. I honestly didn't like this piece until I started working on it. Weber always sounded so predicable but it is really pretty intricate the way he moves scale structures around the clarinet to make music.