https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm Spring 2022, MUS 16, Mount San Antonio College en-us 2022-03-01 18:53:17 UTC 2022-06-16 17:08:51 UTC hello@padlet.com alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2082218436 I am not sure if everyone struggle with this at first or if it just takes that long to practice, but playing pieces fast at the upper register has always been difficult for me. I hope to improve in anyway for my playing speeds, as this would open up much more pieces that I would be interested in.]]> 2022-03-07 17:52:45 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2082218436 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2082219256 This goal comes from one of my own experiences not to long ago. I was walking in this night market and heard a clarinet street performer playing. Not only did I want to reach that level of confidence, but I also wanted to be able to project my sound just as well as he did. To reach this, every time I play, I will be conscious of how well the sound reflects. Perhaps I will record myself playing to see how loud I can go]]> 2022-03-07 17:53:08 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2082219256 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2082219972 To do this, I will train my lips for playing. One way piece of advice my tutor provided me was to keep the mouthpiece out whenever I am studying or doing homework and occasionally blowing into the mouthpiece. For breathing stamina, practicing certain breathing techniques, like breathing in fully and learning the proper form, will help tremendously. ]]> 2022-03-07 17:53:29 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2082219972 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2092694261 I believe this is the third lesson of the semester? I am currently working on learning minor scales. Specifically, I am working on D minor right now, as well as refining my A minor scales. I would play them around 70 to 80 bpm depending on the task. As for the piece I am currently working on, this would be Tartini's Concertino second movement. There is a lot of jumping and is mostly just arpeggios, but I really enjoy playing this piece. I am aiming around 104 bpm and plan to play the whole second movement. In terms of techniques, I learned some new fingering techniques to make sure my note changes are clear and smooth. In addition, making sure that I do not tense up my fingers while I play is something that I will be focusing on. ]]> 2022-03-13 22:16:54 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2092694261 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2122887847 Fourth week of practice, still working on minor scales, moved onto D minor, which is one of the harder scales for me to play not going to lie. Still working on Concertino, but now focusing on both second and first movement. For the next week, getting down the rhythms and getting the tempo up to speed will be my goal. One technique that helped me is a certain breathing technique, which makes me play a lot louder and makes sure that I won't loose sound as I play.]]> 2022-03-31 05:27:14 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2122887847 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2122891530 Moving on from G and C minor for the week, again at 80 bpm with arpeggios at 70 bpm. These scales are a lot easier, so I am much more confident when practicing and playing the scales. Still working on Concertino, first and second movement, and I have gotten used to at least 50 percent of the notes for each movement, so finishing up and becoming comfortable playing and practicing these pieces are my main goal. In addition, shaping and connecting the notes smoothly will also greatly improve the overall feel of the music, so that also will be my goal for the week.]]> 2022-03-31 05:30:41 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2122891530 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2122894471 Working on the D minor scale, I have trouble switching from the lower octave to the upper octave, so that slows down my bpm a lot. Smoothing that out will come with practice, but at least I got used to it. Listening to Concertino, I have a lot to work up towards, but I got the basic rhythms down. My next practice lesson will probably be on getting more comfortable with the second movement. ]]> 2022-03-31 05:33:31 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2122894471 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2122897448 I practiced outside today, near the robotics room where I usually visit for the day. I had a friend with me and she enjoyed listening to me practice, so that was a fun change of pace. Anyways, for this practice session, I was working on the C minor scale, which is a lot easier than the D minor scale, so getting that down was easy. I listened over the first movement, and took mental notes of how it is supposed to sound. Its a very slow piece, so making sure that every note gets its full value is important. I am also slowly getting to speed for the second movement, but progress is there!]]> 2022-03-31 05:36:05 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2122897448 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2122899813 Today was a shorter practice day, for only around 20 minutes, which was right before my physics class, so that was a time crunch. I practiced the C minor scale for only around 5 five minutes as a warm up, so working on that will be for another day. I ran through both the first and second movement twice each, which was enough for me to take mental notes on where I need to focus on next time around when I do get more time. In any case, I can now play each movement without stopping, so that is great for my lips and my stamina]]> 2022-03-31 05:38:20 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2122899813 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2122903509 A bit of a longer playing session today, I practiced more on my C minor scale, which was a lot smoother and faster than yesterday, so that is a plus. I also practiced on some of my wind ensemble pieces, which was a nice change. Mainly, I was focusing on dynamics and shaping each for both movement one and movement two. I was experimenting on what sounded right and where I needed to take breathes, but I am not quite satisfied with my shaping, so I will need to work more on that. Still, progress is showing, and I am starting to enjoy and appreciate these two pieces a lot more, now that I am able to express these two songs that want that I want to]]> 2022-03-31 05:41:21 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2122903509 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2137188434 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_gm0NCabPs&ab_channel=obiwan88

The first is from Sharon Kam, an Israeli-German, performing Mozart's Clarinet Concerto. One aspect that jumped to me the most, which is probably not beneficial to my playing but is interesting to me nonetheless, is her movement and passion as she plays. Her passion is shown throughout her movements. She also has great control of her air and fingers, which gives her great dynamics. I struggle with tensing up when playing, so learning to let go like Kam would be beneficial to me. As for habits, recognizing that I am tensing up while playing would be a start. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0srzSEPeHrk&ab_channel=GeorgeCollier

This comes from a street performance of a clarinet player, Doreen Ketchens. If there was one term to describe her playing, it would be expressive. I am not a jazz clarinet player, but there are still a lot of things to take away. One day, I wish I could have this much fun and expression when playing! But right now, finding out my own style of playing, similar to how she has her own, would be benefit me the most. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymlqkpd4OxM&ab_channel=epic02

These two guys are from the TwoSetViolin channel, who makes content on all types of music, mostly on classical music. These two are awesome, as they have so much confident in themselves, and when playing together, they sound even better. I am no violin player, but I have always found an appreciation of violins for their relevance in this type of music. Their dynamics are moving, and their control is great. I want to be able to perform with this amount of confidence. ]]> 2022-04-09 06:13:27 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2137188434 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2146271577 2022-04-17 22:53:30 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2146271577 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2146271634 2022-04-17 22:53:39 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2146271634 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2146271684 2022-04-17 22:53:47 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2146271684 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2146271880 2022-04-17 22:54:15 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2146271880 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2152898196 Practiced today for a little while on campus, working on my A minor, B minor, and E minor scales. I am working on getting up these scales to 80 bpm. I was also working on getting all of movement 4 of the Concertino up to 120 bpm, which is going well. I am starting to shape the lines to my liking, which really expresses my playing style. I started off slowly, from 100 bpm, to 120 rpm and is pretty clean. The only part where I struggle now is near the beginning, as well as the end with the really high notes, which have always been hard for me to hit]]> 2022-04-22 01:25:27 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2152898196 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2157377563 This was a pretty fun lesson. I played through the B minor, E minor, and A minor scale with relative easy. My next goal is to play through the F# minor scale and to review the D minor and G minor scales. For lip warm ups, I will be attempting to articulate these scales at 80 bpm, so we will see where that will go. This lesson marks the mid way point of lessons, so deciding on what to play for my jury is opening up. Currently, Tartini's Clarinet Concertino is my most likely option, as I have worked on it for the most part for the past few weeks and have gotten comfortable with these pieces. In addition, I plan on meeting up with Professor Wiley to run through these pieces. I have two weeks until my next lesson, so lets see how this will go!]]> 2022-04-25 21:32:19 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2157377563 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2215711821 After playing with Professor Wiley, we decided to play three movements of Tartini's Clarinet Concertino, Movements I, II, and IV. I brushed up on my D minor and G minor scales and arpeggios, but F# minor scale and arpeggio still is a challenge for me. F# minor is the last scale that I will be learning, so we learned a total of 8 minor scales. For the rest of the semester, we will be reviewing scales. I am getting down the feel and rhythm for each movement, but am still struggling with the last few high notes for the last movement. I will be working on the Altimisso register for the next week to finish up movement four. ]]> 2022-06-09 02:43:35 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2215711821 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2215711984 After another round of practicing with Professor Wiley, my instructor and I decided to narrow down the jury selection to movements II and IV. Playing three movements in a row proved to be too much. Even if I could play these movements, the quality of each of them would drastically change. As for the scales for the week, F# minor is coming along better than last week, so I will consider that good. This weeks scale review includes G and C minor scale and arpeggio. A month is left until jury, so lets see how far I can go!]]> 2022-06-09 02:43:45 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2215711984 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2215712137 I am finally able to comfortably hit the highest notes on this piece! This took a few weeks to get down, but I have the technique in the back of my head whenever I play, so this was a great breakthrough! Now, I have to make sure that I can consistently hit those notes, so that I can replicate that success in my jury performance. Also, the notes are pretty exposed and is easy to get out of tune, so making sure they stay in tune is also a challenge. As for scales and arpeggios, the ones I will be reviewing are F minor and E minor. ]]> 2022-06-09 02:43:55 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2215712137 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2215712351 Second to last week before jury, and my practices have been kicking up into high gear. I want to say that I am now comfortable with the two movements. I can play both of them through without any pauses, which is a good signs. B minor and F# scales and arpeggios are for reviewing. We have a total of 8 scales to become familiar with, so not too much to review, but still a decent handful]]> 2022-06-09 02:44:06 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2215712351 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2215714315 Today is the last day of lessons. Wow, the semester went by really fast! As a recap, we will be performing a few of the minor scales we learned, as well as Tartini's Clarinet Concertino movements II and IV. We ran through the two movement without too many issues, which is a good thing. I have a few spots to iron out, but other than that, I feel confident in my playing ability. Here's for the jury!]]> 2022-06-09 02:45:58 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2215714315 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2217598603 I practiced the first and second movement of Tartini's Clarinet Concertino with Professor Wiley, and it went smoothly with some small hiccups. Knowing the piano cues of when the piano parts come in is highly beneficial. In addition, it is simply just plain fun playing with an accompaniment part. ]]> 2022-06-10 15:04:33 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2217598603 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2217602621 I am still practicing and being comfortable with the altissimo register and embouchure for the high notes. So far, if I slowly creep up the notes, I can play the high F, but I cannot play it my itself as one notes. The music calls for a jump between a G and an F, which I have never practiced before, so making sure this jump runs smooth will be key to my success.  ]]> 2022-06-10 15:08:25 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2217602621 alegaspi5 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2217605622 My second piano accompaniment with Professor Wiley, this time on movements two and four. I have the notes down and can play through both pieces consecutively, which is a positive thing. Professor Wiley commented on my rhythms, especially on the evenness of the eight notes, which is something I plan on working on in my practices. Overall, a good run, but still needs great improvement. ]]> 2022-06-10 15:12:09 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2217605622 https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2223256638 Angelo Legaspi.mp4]]> 2022-06-16 17:08:51 UTC https://padlet.com/kmarston11/vtsbp0cwey6wvdxm/wish/2223256638