TTU All-Star Clarinet Symposium

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The 2014 TTU All-Star Clarinet Symposium Participants!

I spent all day today with approximately 50 high school clarinet students from all over Tennessee who came to participate in our Annual All-Start Instrumental Symposium. This year's group was particularly outstanding, and I thoroughly enjoyed working with them. I led a clinic on the fundamentals of clarinet playing, warm-up technique (long-tone, scales, arpeggios, thirds, and articulation exercise), and a master class on excerpts from the Mid-State and All-East Tennessee audition music in the morning. The students also worked me to prepare for an afternoon concert as part of the large clarinet choir, which they performed to great satisfaction. 

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I went over the importance of daily warm-up and demonstrated systematic (and easy-to-do) warm-up routine that students should try to do on a daily basis.

After lunch, I led the TTU Clarinet Choir to play for woodwind participants. Several of my students came to help a great deal (I am truly fortunately to have such an outstanding studio, and I wouldn't be able to do these activities without them!). A group of Tech clarinet majors also came to demonstrate a reed-making session in front of the high school students. It was an inspiration for me to see so many students interested in studying music or at least continue being involved with music program at college. If you ask me, the future of what we do certainly looks promising!

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TTU Clarinet Choir getting ready to play for the high school audience.

A Little Joy as A Young Teacher

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I was one proud teacher listening to my student Sarah's Junior Recital last Sunday. She played a difficult program with great control, finesse, and most of all, understanding of the music. The program included Schumann's Fantasiestüke, Debussy Premiere Rhapsody, Stravinsky Three Pieces, and Malcolm Arnold's Clarinet Concerto No. 2 (with Martin Fröst's highly demanding cadenza which Sarah played from memory). First three belong to my signature repertoire, and I worked on them with her in great details. It was also an adventure exploring Arnold's rather underperformed concerto together and see my student giving it a her own distinct personality. While there were plenty of rooms for improvement, I could see very well that she clearly understood what this (playing the music) is all about. 

Since her arrival at Tech two and a half years ago, Sarah has made an impressive progress. Among other things, she performed Weber's Concertino with Maryville Orchestra as a winner of the Maryville College Concerto Competition, named twice Tennessee winner of MTNA Young Artist Woodwind Competition (1st place in 2013 and 2nd place in 2014), and participated in summer workshops such as ARIA and Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium, playing for renowned clarinetists, including David Shifrin, etc. 

I find the greatest joy as a teacher when others tell me that they hear and see my own playing from my students' performances. Assuming that I am doing something right, this can be a great compliment. As I was listening to the recital, I was quite taken by her control of dynamic, attention to the legato and phrasing, and relevant musical gestures, things that I cherish the most in my own playing.

I am only too happy to help my students to discover their places in this world by sharing with them my knowledge, passion, and beliefs. 

David Shifrin Recital at the Blair School of Music

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TTU Clarinet Students with David Shifrin

It is a great pleasure to see my students are becoming increasingly interested in taking advantage of various musical opportunities around them. Last night, they organized and drove themselves to the Blair School of Music in Nashville to attend a recital by Mr. Shifrin while I was in Tech Rehearsal for the upcoming "Halloween" Concert by our faculty quintet. I am very excited that my students got to experience what I was fortunate to do during my student years.  

Jonathan Copeland's Semi-Annual TTU Visit

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Jonathan Copeland, the clarinet specialist and repairman at Onks Woodwind Specialist

Keeping one's instrument in optimum condition should be one of the top priorities for both professional musicians and music students. With our diligent practicing and playing schedule (hopefully...), our instruments' mechanism can only withstand so much. Keys will bend, pads will wear out, screws will become loose, and various debris will collect even with regular cleaning and maintenance. For younger students who do not take proper care of their instruments, the problems are often exacerbated. To give a few examples:

• the instrument's performance will be drastically reduced
• lead to far serious issues such as crack, etc.
• difficulties in execution and inconsistent intonation
• unsanitary and disturbing accumulation of things you don't want to see
• frustration and much hinderance to expressing one's artistic vision
• bad habits will form by struggling with instruments that are not finely tuned

We already have enough to worry about aside from the mechanical issues of our instruments. Therefore, It is highly recommended that everyone should take his/her instruments to a professional repairperson (hopefully a specialist) at least once or twice a year. It can be challenging to find a time to send off the instrument for repair or overhaul. The costs associated with repair/adjustment also can be a reason that some people (especially students) put it off. 

Since few years ago, I have partnered with Onks Woodwind Specialist in Smyrna, TN to provide my studio a bit easier access to a skilled repairman. Jonathan Copepland, the company's clarinet specialist visit TTU each semester to work on various adjustment and minor repair works for our students. After signing up for time slots, students can drop off their instruments to Jonathan who works on them throughout the day in our music building. He also gives each students personalized advices and helps them to schedule a full overhaul if necessary. Since we bundle this together, students can enjoy the streamlined repair service and relatively affordable costs (most works are done in around 30 minutes, and their instruments play far better in the end). 

Many thanks to Jonathan for his visit, and we all look forward to seeing him again in April!

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Jonathan doing his repair work on our students' instruments

Now I have a lot of sticky notes. Want some? Stop by at my studio for one. First come, first serve!

QEP Excellence Award in Innovative Instruction

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with TTU Provost Ghorashi 

I am very honored to be a recipient of the QEP Excellence Award for Innovative Instruction for my project during 2013-14. I first came across the QEP during my first year at Tennessee Tech when I attended the new faculty orientation. This program was implemented in early 2000s by TN Board of Regents and provides a significant amount of funding to encourage innovative instructional projects. The goal is to help students cultivate critical thinking, real-world problem solving, and communication skills. I have received funding from QEP for the past three consecutive years (over $10,000) that made several dream projects come into reality. Here are some examples, and you can read more about them here:

• "Cultivating Musical Entrepreneurship through Chamber Music Ensembles"
• "Reed-Making Workshop"
• "How to Develop and Maintain Successful Private Studios" (to be implemented during 2014-15)

My foremost goal as a teacher is to help students develop the highest standards of musicianship and proficiency. But I also strongly believe that we need to do more:

• Providing opportunities and seed projects for students to become self-driven 
• Teaching all aspects of music entrepreneurship, including programming, publicity, fund-raising, soliciting, development, etc.
• Giving students exposure to all available resources, technology, and cutting-edge ideas
• Helping students develop specific goals for the next decade and long-term vision for the future
• Instilling a sense of responsibility and vocation for their lives as musicians, educators, and entrepreneurs
• Helping them to build their professional network early on 
• The list is endless and is keep growing...

I feel very fortunate that my own teachers showed me many great examples back in school. I hope I can do the same. There are many challenges ahead for students pursuing musical career, but I am also genuinely excited for the tremendous opportunities awaiting them. 

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Who doesn't like being given a plaque (and a $1,000 cash incentive)?

A student named Tennessee state winner of the MTNA Young Artist Woodwind Competition!

Sarah McMichen, a freshman clarinet performance major in my studio, was named the winner of the 2014 MTNA Young Artist Competition in Tennessee. Her program included Weber's Clarinet Concerto No. 2, Poulenc's Clarinet Sonata, Sutermeister's Capriccio for Solo Clarinet, and Saint-Saëns' Clarinet Sonata. She competed among 12 undergraduate and graduate students from all over the state of Tennessee. She is set to perform at the Southern Division Competition in Louisville, KY in January 2014.    

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A student to be featured as a soloist with Maryville Orchestra

Here is an article from The Greenville Sun published on February 23, 2013 about my student Sarah McMichen on her recent win at the Maryville College Concerto Competition. Sarah was featured as a soloist with the orchestra performing Weber's Concertino.

Sarah McMichen Featured Soloist In March 4 Concert

MARYVILLE - The Orchestra of Maryville College will present a "Showcase of Area Artists" on March 4, with Greeneville's Sarah McMichen to be one of eight soloists.

McMichen will perform Concertino for Clarinet in E flat Major, op. 26 by Carl Maria von Weber.

McMichen is the daughter of John McMichen and Cynthia Tannert and is a freshman at Tennessee Technological University, where she is studying clarinet under Dr. Wonkak Kim.

Previously, McMichen studied under Randall Misamore.

She is a member of the TTU Clarinet Society, the TTU Wind Ensemble, the TTU Marching Band and the TTU Clarinet Quartet.

She previously was a member of the Knoxville Youth Jazz Orchestra, the Symphony of the Mountains Youth Orchestra and the East Tennessee Youth Wind Ensemble.

In 2012, she attended the Interlochen Center for the Arts, and she participated in the Tennessee All-State Jazz Band and TTU Festival of Winds and Percussion.

In 2011, she attended the Governor's School for the Arts. She participated in the Tennessee All-State Concert Band in 2010 and 2011.

Conductor Bill Robinson will lead the orchestra in a performance of concerto works at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 4, in the Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre of the Clayton Center for the Arts on the college campus.

The annual Showcase of Area Artists provides a performance opportunity for talented area musicians and features a wide variety of musical styles and instruments.

Artists are selected by a panel of judges during auditions held each December.

A college and community ensemble, the Orchestra at Maryville College brings live symphonic performances to the public stage four times per season.

"The Showcase Concert is the high water mark of what the college orchestra is all about," Robinson said in a press release. "We give young, extremely talented students the rare opportunity to perform as soloists with full symphonic accompaniment. It is the perfect blend of our educational mission, as well as our role of bringing live classical music to our community."

Tickets are available at the Clayton Center Box Office and are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors (age 60 and older) and $5 for non-MC students. Tickets are free to MC faculty, staff and students with ID (although a printed ticket is required for admission).

For more information, contact the Division of Fine Arts at (865) 981-8150.