Jennifer Showalter: News and Tips

The first step to having good technique on the Clarinet is proper hand position! Your right thumb should support the Clarinet with your thumb positioned on the thumbrest between your knuckle and fingernail. If your thumb is placed too far in, it will take the rest of your right hand out of an optimum position.

Once your right thumb is in a stable position, check to make sure that you are sealing the open holes of the Clarinet with the soft pads of each finger. This will put each finger into a relaxed curve. Keep your hands and fingers as relaxed as possible as you are playing, with soft, flexible muscles.

Now you are ready to perform and practice, and acheive great results!

When you are performing a solo with the piano, it is important to tune properly before you begin playing. First, you need to evaluate where the piano is on pitch and set your barrel joint. For example, have the pianist play a concert F on the piano and just listen for a moment. Then play your throat register concert F on the clarinet with a good sound, but without adjusting the pitch! Ask yourself, are you flat or sharp to the piano? Adjust your barrel joint and try this again. Once your barrel joint is set properly, then you can try another pitch using the whole clarinet, such as a concert A or Bb. You might find that you need to pull out slightly in the middle of the clarinet as well to be in tune with the piano.

Once your clarinet is tuned properly and you are performing, then be sure to adjust your pitch to the piano. Expect that your clarinet may go sharper as you continue to play and adjust your clarinet when possible.

Happy Soloing!

We are playing a great church concert on Sunday at 10 am, featuring arrangements by Don Neufeld, our Interim Dean at Azusa Pacific University.

Check it out at:

http://www.grace-church.com/

Larry took me to Vegas for my birthday this weekend! We had a great time at the Barry Manilow show. He had a great band, and he also had a program established to help local school music programs.

Check it out at: www.manilowmusicproject.org

Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena will be featuring Easter week services with full chamber orchestra!

Palm Sunday, April 17th, 9 and 11 am
Good Friday, April 22nd, 7 pm
Easter Sunday, April 24th, 9 and 11 am

Many styles of music will be featured!

http://www.lakeave.org/

"European Adventure" was featured on NPR in Arizona. I am pleased that all four pieces on the CD that feature clarinet and piano have received radio airplay!

Our annual Azusa Pacific University Faculty Woodwind Quintet concert will be coming up this month!

This concert will feature works by Blumer, Arnold, and Ligeti. Free admission!

Monday, March 14th, 7:30 pm
Munson Recital Hall

I hope to see you there!

www.apu.edu

Reed placement on the mouthpiece is very important to how the clarinet sounds and responds! For most mouthpieces, the best starting position is to place the reed even with the tip of the mouthpiece. Be sure that you are checking the position of the reed and mouthpiece right at eye level, otherwise you could be placing the reed too low without realizing it! It is also important to check that the reed is on straight and not tilted to the right or left...use the guide at the bottom of the mouthpiece to help you.

Good reed placement is crucial for clean articulation and a smooth tone! Be sure and take the extra moment to check your reed placement before you play...it will help you sound better and choose a good reed much more quickly!

Happy Tonguing!

I have already started working on picking new repertoire for future recordings. I visited Vandoren on my recent vacation to Paris, France, and found some great new French music to try out! Stay tuned!

Long Beach Ballet has another great season of "the Nutcracker" planned for December!

We will be performing, with full symphony orchestra, at the Terrace Theater in Long Beach and at the Civic Auditorium in Pasadena. This production is always the most sought-after production in Los Angeles!

Check the website for details:

http://www.longbeachballet.com/

I have joined Price Rubin and Partners for worldwide concert management! You can check out my page at:

http://www.pricerubin.com/classical/summary.php?CategoryNumber=41

For the strongest embouchure and ease of performing, be sure that you are rotating your reeds. For high school players, I recommend rotating 5-10 reeds. When you do this, you always have plenty of reeds to use if one reed breaks. Every reed plays slightly differently, so having plenty broken in gives you better odds that one will sound great when necessary. Also, your embouchure will stay stronger if you avoid playing only one reed too long, which will cause your embouchure to weaken as the reed softens. Happy performing!

It is so exciting to submit "European Adventure" for GRAMMY awards consideration this year! I was approved as a Recording Academy voting member earlier in the year, so I submitted my CD in the members category in August.

Wish me luck!

Our one year anniversary already! Time flies when you are happy!

I have a great recital coming up at the Cerritos Library on Wednesday, July 28th at 7:00 pm! I will be performing with Paul Stein, violin, and Cindy Williams, piano. The recital features the Milhaud and Khatchaturian Trios, the Poulenc Sonata for Clarinet, and the Strauss Sonata for Violin. Paul has entitled the program "The Russian, The Prussian, and Two Frenchman". I hope to see you there!

The Fanfare magazine feature article and CD review are available...go to the "Reviews" link to read them both!

The May/June issue of Fanfare magazine is available...page 6 features "European Adventure"!

"European Adventure" is advertised in the May/June issue of Fanfare magazine.

When playing dynamics on the clarinet, remember to listen and adjust for the intonation tendencies of the clarinet. The clarinet tends to go sharp when played soft and flat when played loud. Always keep your air fast and your tone focused to maintain good intonation!

"European Adventure" is heard on:
WXXI FM in Rochester, NY; CJPX FM in Montreal, PQ; KCME FM in Colorado Springs, Colorado; WRR FM in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; KFUO FM in St. Louis, Missouri.

"European Adventure" is heard on:
WMKY in Morehead, KY; WBLV in Twin Lake, MI; WABE in Atlanta, GA; WITF in Harrisburg, PA; CKUA in Edmonton, AB.

"European Adventure" is heard on:
WWFM in Trenton, NJ; KCCU FM in Lawton, OK; WCVT FM in Stowe, VT; WKAR FM in East Lancing, MI; WUOL FM in Louisville, KY; and KCME FM in Colorado Springs, CO.

"European Adventure" is added to ArkivMusic.com, The Source for Classical Recordings!

"European Adventure" is heard on Jim Svejda's show on KUSC Classical Radio in Los Angeles!