Chancing Change

In my previous entry, I mentioned how last term pushed the limits with my teaching load and what happened as a result. As part of a recap for this term, I'm going to share some of the changes that I have made as well as some results so far.

I'd normally be teaching during the time of starting to write this entry (a couple of weeks ago), but I did have to deal with a small bout of what I suspect was gastro- over the previous weekend. I think it goes for any teacher that you can only dodge bullets of sickness, like the Matrix, for so long until one finally hits you. I am quite satisfied with how quick I have recovered.

The Analysis

I'm normally keen to embrace change with my music work if it seems possible and justifiable. The first term school holidays were the best opportunity to finally sit down and examine my teaching situation. I had reached what was essentially five days of teaching, but travel had increased. Further responsibilities were being allocated with schools and groups. After reading Finnish Lessons 2.0, by Pasi Sahlberg, I wanted to improve my structure of teaching and development of student programs. Most importantly, I didn't want to go through another bout of burning out (succumbing to everyday sickness, due to working with several schools and students, would be excusable).

Health and Fitness

It's easy to forsake our own health, especially in a profession where the needs of others is greatly considered. However, we won't be capable of providing our service if we don't prioritise our own health.

The penny dropped just over a couple of months ago when I decided to see how much I weighed. The last time I weighed myself was about 10 years ago, and I came in at about 70 kg. Fast forward to 2018, and the scales had me at about 86 kg clothed. It was no surprise as to why I felt so sluggish and less energetic.

With the local indoor cricket centre changing to a futsal centre and not many other sports being of particular interest, the fitness aspect was on a real decline. Combine this with what had become a tradition to kick back at the end of a working week with drinks and sitting around at home over the weekend, and one could understand my surprise of seeing my weight on the scales. Just as I expect students to make change in their learning, the onus was now on me to make effective change.

During the holidays, Emelia and I decided to get the Nintendo Wii out for the boys to try. We hadn't used it for about 7-8 years, so there was a bit to remember in getting it all set up. After allowing the boys to try out the sports and party games over the holidays, I found all the Wii Fit accessories and decided to give the program a try again.

Not exactly what my Wii Fit board was saying at first...

It was questionable in the past if the Wii Fit could be beneficial, but to me it was a case of seeing how much effort I could put into it to get positive results. Muscle exercises, yoga exercises (the stretching, my goodness that has been awesome!), and assorted aerobics activities would be compiled to form a program that depended on me to work hard. The first week was discovering what would work and be beneficial, then after that I could compile the type of program I wanted to complete. Currently I am focusing a lot more on the aerobic, with the Wii Fit, while completing some HIIT routines from the Fitness Blender team on YouTube.

But it isn't exercising alone that has been responsible. Reviewing what I'm eating, how much I am consuming, and even habits in attitude towards what I am consuming has played a large part in my change. Previously, I would have been having a six-pack of beer or a bottle of wine at the end of the working week and it would just be routine. Now I'm lucky to have a glass of wine or a beer per month. The motivation isn't there to drink, and I'm feeling and seeing the benefits for it. When it comes to eating, I don't feel the need to stuff myself with food and can feel satisfied. And with some research into different foods and ingredients I'm feeling more confident to get into foods that can leave me feeling satisfied and having more energy.

As a result, I have lost ~9 kg in just over two months. Movement feels fantastic, and I feel like I have so much energy. This term, compared to last term, has felt like a breeze with the same workload (if not, slightly heavier workload). There isn't an exercise regime, health program or anything similar that I have taken on; it's all boiled down to motivation to bring out my best for me, my family, and my business for other families.

The Music Programs

There have been times where I feel teaching gets rather stagnant, especially if we are to adhere closely to a syllabus of some form. This has become an issue, somewhat, from a practical and theoretical position in music. And it isn't just feeling from my position, but also observing students through their reactions, attitudes, and playing.

Over the last few years it has been a case of trial and error to establish what can be understood and make the teaching interactive and enjoyable. Even today, I am still sitting down planning and working out methods and strategies. From a pedagogical and development standpoint, this has proven to be interesting.

There were several aspects of my teaching I could reflect upon and feel are moving in the right direction after completing Finnish Lessons, but was there room to improve my work further? Even though my area of teaching is peripatetic (private-based), you can still find similarities in how you construct your teaching based upon a syllabus similar to schooling.

I believe if you have a sufficient understanding of educational development you should be able to break free of the normal standards and take chances with students to push them further. For woodwind musicians, there is an exceptional opportunity to do this due to the mechanical technique employed in order to play.

In order for me to make this developmental structure possible I would have to deconstruct part of previous teaching structure, and part of that is from the syllabus of the AMEB. To be clear, this is not completely walking away from the AMEB but stepping away from their earlier grade structures in order to put my plans in place. The clarinet and saxophone syllabus hasn't changed for the last 10-12 years, and the examination structure hasn't changed for I don't know how long now. With prices incrementally getting higher to the point where lower grade examinations are nearly costing twice as much as they did ten years ago, it gets to a point where you have to figure out what is not only feasible for families but best for the development of students that we work with. The first four grades do not lead as a prerequisite into any outstanding ensembles or organisations; 5th Grade being the minimum for State Wind ensembles, and 6th Grade for tertiary study should students choose to pursue this.

I have decided not to focus on preparing students for examinations from 1st to 4th Grade, unless requested, but focus on technical, harmonic, and performance development through my own devices and methods. Without the first four grades I can concentrate more on, what I have now established as, stages of development. From a technical standpoint, scales are taught in a completely different manner that can allow students to take greater skills into individual and ensemble performance. Arpeggios are taught no longer in isolation, but collectively in a harmonic sense. Effectively, the aim is to establish harmonic concepts and chord structures early on to carry into higher level performance and composition. In the area of performance, the aim is to set more constant projects and collaborative performance for all students involved. This will probably be another blog entry entirely on its own, and perhaps something that can inspire other teachers to consider how they could reconsider creating their pathways options of instrumental teaching.

These are some of the exciting changes that not only I am experiencing, but also for many students that I am working with as part of their instrumental studies. Engagement of instrumental studies has grown, and I'm looking forward to seeing how much more these amazing students can increase their cognition and ability to play.

Pushing the Limits (end of term recap)

This first term has been nothing like other periods of teaching. Changes that I have encountered with different schools and communities have brought about some very positive developments, which I will discuss later.

A few weeks ago I shared the picture below in my personal Facebook feed, which brought about several likes and "Haha" responses.

During my last week of teaching for the term my body deemed it had been pushed past its threshold and, as a result, shut down when I woke up Tuesday morning. There were several factors, including...

• The term being eleven weeks long
• Having a four-day weekend in the middle of the term, tricking the body into relaxing early
• Extra travel and events to be involved with, including consecutive trips to Grafton leading up to exhaustion

It's been a long term, and you can probably imagine the disbelief crossing my face having students state "Geez, the term has gone really quick!" The long term and the hard work involved has taken its toll on several teachers and students, but the time to recover is more than welcome with the holidays.

So what has occurred over the last couple of weeks?

Going back to April 8th, where it all started, the Clarence Valley Conservatorium held its Chamber Music Festival. Clarinza were involved (the clarinet ensemble I run on a Friday afternoon), as well as being involved with the jazz ensemble. Since I have no further teaching on a Monday evening, I've decided to give the tenor sax a good run and be involved with the ensemble.

Clarinza is a group I always enjoy giving a challenge, especially if it is something that can be covered in the space of a term. This time it was two lengthy pieces for the festival; Blue Silence by Elena Kats-Chernin, and Petite Symphonie for Winds Part 1 by Charles Gounod. The two works gorgeously contrast one another, but Blue Silence was something different to behold and unlike other pieces performed previously by the ensemble. The preamble to the work brought greater attention to detail of the music by the ensemble members.

"A person with schizophrenia hears voices, which can be very disturbing, there is a yearning for silence. I wrote this work so that my son Alex who suffers from the illness can listen to calmness, meditation. It's called Blue Silence because blue is sometimes associated with healing." - Blue Silence, Elena Kats-Chernin

The stamina and focus of the Clarinza musicians was something to admire. Audience and family members remarked at how well the students kept up their concentration and technical prowess, especially in the Gounod.

The afternoon concert was an opportunity to see Ensemble Q in action, something we encourage a lot of studying musicians to come along and listen to. There's always a concept that only "old people" go along to listen to "classical" or chamber music concerts, but this was an instance where you could observe a good spread of younger, middle-age, and senior audience members. There was so much to appreciate, absorb, and even be further educated about in a program that included music by Schumann, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn. The question has been raised previously in regards to why young people should attend chamber music, let alone "classical", concerts. When I watched Ensemble Q perform nearly 12 months ago, there was a very inspiring response from audience member Sjord.

"It's good for the soul."

This was so true 12 months ago, and it's been the same ever since. It matters not whether you have a great understanding or zero history with the music. Chamber music performances are always an opportunity to listen to, and witness, something that is different, inspiring, relatable, and/or emotionally attachable being demonstrated by multiple musicians on differing parts.

Travelling home after the concert, I could feel my body start to go into a decline. I think everyone has experienced this at some point when a cold or some form of sickness starts to set in. In this case, it was the dreaded feeling of exhaustion. Sleep was the only way to hopefully overcome this and avoid punishment. Monday, it was back to Grafton to teach. Come Tuesday morning, when the early alarm woke me up, I knew that was it.

No voice, aching all over the body, and everything feels incredibly heavy. The body simply shuts down and feels like all of your defences have activated as if you have been on the receiving end of some crushing sickness. It's an awful situation to end up in, but in retrospect it is one that I can appreciate. I've always felt my tolerance has increased over the years in regards to how my teaching load is handled, but for the work put in to so many teaching areas I could feel how my body was determining it was being run into the ground. I can be quite proud of the efforts so many of us have put in in regards to teaching and learning development so far.

I reluctantly had to take Tuesday off, one of my large days of teaching at Bellingen High. The body needed rest, and it meant having to remain in bed for most of the day. I was still able to teach a couple of lessons in the evening, followed by a wedding music rehearsal. Despite sound like a nasally congested frog for the rest of the week, my body felt like it was making a speedy recovery.

Once the teaching week concluded it would be time for holidays. Right?

Clarence Valley Orchestra Tour

Straight into the next event! I must say that I did thoroughly enjoy this event, travelling and performing with the orchestra at Inverell and Tenterfield. Not only was it the opportunity for the show to be taken on the road but also the chance to socialise with members of the orchestra and choir that we would normally see in passing, or rehearse with.

The bus trips made for great conversation, and quiet reflection where appropriate. Morning tea at Glen Innes with coffee and large scones, and then arrival at Inverell where we met the people billeting us (with many thanks to the Rotary Lions!) The CVO gave their first concert in the afternoon, and then we had a large gathering for dinner. Many more people were met as some interesting topics of conversation came up at dinner including education in Inverell and people's perspectives on Australian education, bus transportation, families, soil and its chemical variance, and robotics. On the surface these topics of conversation don't seem to be the most riveting, but there was some great entertainment and information shared by many people in relation to these areas.

Tenterfield was our second port of call. We explored the Sir Henry Parkes Museum and enjoyed morning tea while looking at historical photos, items and models of the town, and the assorted historical caricatures. I decided to go for a stroll and exploration along the main street, even though the purpose was to find some lunch and a coffee. There's a lot of history about Tenterfield, and I would love to visit the town again to explore it further.

The CVO gave their second concert, and it was as well received as the first concert in Inverell. Both audiences were very appreciative and responsive in so many ways, whether it was clapping and singing along or even shedding a tear to some of the memorable war tunes.

The bus made its return to Grafton in the evening, and from there everyone departed for home. Is that all and time for a break?

Weddings Galore!

As I alluded to earlier I had a rehearsal for one wedding but also had to prepare for a second wedding, which happened to be for my cousin, Bianca.

The first wedding gig with Mei Wei Lim and Lawrence Pastro was a lot of fun. A great assortment of popular, jazz, and musical numbers picked out by Katie for the reception as we provided entertainment in the corner with keys, kit, and saxophones (soprano and alto). The atmosphere was jovial and relaxed, and everyone had a great time. The catering at the Sawtell Surf Club was amazing as well, especially being entitled to some of their provided food after our stint. I think the three of us could have kept on playing for the entire evening to the point where we would be the last to leave.

The second wedding allowed for me to assemble an ensemble together, which I decided would be two soprano clarinets and one bass clarinet. The initial plan was to compose music for both the signing of the register and the exit of the bride and groom. This happened for the latter, but I decided to give a slight rearrangement to some of the 17th Century Hungarian Dances by Ferenc Farkas for trio, instead of quartet, for the signing of the register.

The original work composed was Gioiosa Uscita, or "Joyous Exit". I wanted to compose a piece that would give a sense of momentum through irregularity, something you probably wouldn't expect to hear at such an occasion. The piece is in 10/8 with a constant four pulse of two dotted crotchet beats followed by two crotchet beats in rondo form. The first clarinet always returns to the tune, while the second clarinet part and bass clarinet parts feature in the B and C themes respectively. You can hear a recording of the trio, playing at the wedding, in the link above.

And when I'm not touring or playing at weddings...

Keeping my kids entertained, fed, out of trouble, supervised, and the list goes on. Strategically placing myself to keep an eye on them and do work at the same time is not an easy task. They're all growing up so fast!

After reading Finnish Lessons 2.0, by Sahlberg, I'm already planning to further develop my programs. I may discuss this further some time in the future.

BMA 2018 Goes Broadway!

If someone mentioned "BMA", you could be forgiven for either thinking it was some form of awards ceremony or even a particular form of body measurement. And it certainly isn't a mining corporation of any kind. BMA, in a local sense, is the abbreviation of the "Bellingen Music Association".

Music groups such as the Bellingen Youth Orchestra and the Bellingen Big Band are not uncommon for those that live on the Coffs Coast, especially with their growing reputation or longevity respectively. Then you discover more groups as you dig further, especially on the choral side of things, with the training concert band of "The Globetrotters", and the variety of male, female, and a cappella ensembles (Bromantics, SoHum, StellaBella, and AkaBella).

So where does the Bellingen Music Association fit in?

Simple. They provide administrative support for these groups that participate, meet, rehearse, and perform. Public liability insurance is a huge help towards these groups, especially if it's covering members and equipment. And if you are searching for any further expertise or resources, the association is your contact.

What's this about "Broadway"?

The BMA hold an evening each year to help raise money towards funding these ensembles, usually associated with a theme. I think it's been about six years since I last attended one of these evenings. I could expect the experience was going to be rather different with the different line ups of musicians involved within the groups.

The theme this year was based on the glitz and glamour of Broadway, as groups had a lot of music prepared in relation to musicals and theatre. Young and old dressed as different characters from musicals featured on Broadway, ranging from the paupers of Oliver, to the different witches of Wicked and The Wizard of Oz, the hippy generation of Hair, and even the suave and formal dress of many past productions. Unfortunately I wasn't allowed out of the house with my proposed outfit inspired by Elder Cunningham from The Book of Mormon, so instead I claimed my casual attire as being a puppeteer from Avenue Q.

The drinks flowed, much food was consumed, conversation was had with young and old (including musicians I've taught past and present), and a lot of music was enjoyed. The evening commenced with The Globetrotters, an ensemble of musicians in their early stages of learning combining students in the 20s with adults and seniors of the group. For me, it was great to finally hear the ensemble after working with many of the clarinettists at some point in time. The group has a lot of positives to take away from their set, including the encouragement of musicians to improvise in performance.

The surprise of the night had to be from the second group, the all male Bromantics. For all of us sitting at the "tutor table", I don't think we were prepared for the amount of gusto, tone, and ensemble that this group provided. Over 20 men on stage belting out some great renditions, including what I would title the Australian version of Do Re Mi where they sing about beer. Their female counterparts, SoHum, featured ensemble work that was just as strong and understood. Both groups should be proud of the work Jo Pierce has done with them.

Unfortunately I didn't get to hear as much of Stellabella due to instrument preparation and making sure the youth were together. I was hoping to hear more of this group since I work with their director, Phil Simon, at the primary school.

The Bellingen Youth Orchestra were next, and after the applause and tuning there was a hush across the whole hall. There had been nothing like it for the evening, and you could tell that everyone wanted to hear what the ensemble would present. I can only imagine these days that audiences don't know what to expect next from the youth orchestra. Could these kids top their 10th anniversary performance without most of the alumni? A short program comprising of medleys from Jesus Christ Superstar, Chicago, and lastly Wicked stunned the audience. There was no holding back from the orchestra, and the audience did not hold back either in giving a standing ovation. The audience wanted more but conductor, Ann Phelan, directed attention to the rest of the groups that would be performing that evening.

High school students Rosie and Finn performed a short bracket combining vocals, guitar, and double bass. It was a brief glance at some of the students looking to go further into performance as part of the music industry. Their music had a folk vibe to it, but a strong exhibition of independence.

Akabella came out, under the direction of Louise Gore, and straight away you were taken back to the 60s with the psychadelic outfits of the group. And it was no surprise when a bracket of music from Hair was performed, including the numbers Aquarius, and Let the Sunshine In.

The Bellingen Big Band concluded the evening with numbers from various shows, including featuring many members of the band and their lead singer. The dance floor opened up, and many people took advantage of it. The music had people moving so much that even Gillian Helfgott got up from her table and joined in with everyone else.

It's not just a credit to the groups that they all perform for one another and the public in one evening, but also to the BMA who lend their assistance in many ways. Who knows what will be in store for the 2019 gathering? I don't know, but everyone will be there to have a great time again.

The Wind Workshops

The start to 2018 has been very interesting as I travel up and down the coast. My first post was going to be in regards to the issue of transitioning from primary to secondary school, but I've decided to share about the workshops that we ran at a couple of schools in the Bellinger region.

What was the objective?

To introduce students, mainly in Stage 2 (Yrs 3-4), and encourage participation in learning woodwind and brass instruments. For one school, their band program has been on the rise for several years. For another school, it was an opportunity to introduce these instruments to help increase participation in their band program while also complimenting a very strong strings program.

How did the workshops work?

Each workshop would be approximately 30 minutes per classroom. Our first school brought through three classes, and the second school brought through five classes! Class sizes were roughly 20-25 students.

Multiple stations are set up for students to be able to try different instruments, with an instrumental teacher at each one (and any student helpers that were available). One station was specifically for brass instruments (i.e. trumpet, trombone, french horn, euphonium), another for reed instruments (i.e. clarinet, alto saxophone, oboe), and a third for flutes.

A brief explanation is given in regards to techniques used to play these instruments, being similar to other activities or actions the students could readily test after demonstration. After this, students could move around and try the assorted instruments at the different stations. There would be at least four instruments of a kind at a station.

It's important to note that not all of these instruments were attempted by students at these workshops. At the reed station, students only attempted clarinets due to the hassle of the process of setting a student up with a saxophone and also dealing with the size of the student. Similarly, not all brass instruments were attempted but were still displayed or demonstrated by a tutor.

Photos from one of the workshops displayed in the school newsletter

What about sanitisation?

This is always of concern when running these events, especially for reed and brass instruments. For flutes it wasn't of greater concern due to blowing across the surface, as opposed to pressing your lips against the mouthpiece, or putting the instrument in your mouth.

Alcohol wipes were our best friend and incredibly effective. Clarinet mouthpieces are always an interesting case, but wiping down the top (where the teeth rest), sides, and even the reed ensured no spreading of any sickness. The only other precaution was to make sure the alcohol wipe dried on the surface before the next student attempted the instrument. I remember when disinfectant mixtures were used in high school and a funny aftertaste would be left on the mouthpiece.

After a session, instruments would be cleaned out. They would get a good amount of moisture, but nothing a pull-through cloth couldn't handle. You could never be too careful having a second cloth on hand.

What were the reactions?

For me, this is probably the best part of the whole experience from a teaching perspective. The curiosity starts to set in for the students during the introductions. The early attempts at instruments create interesting responses. Frustration at not blowing at the correct angle for flutes, trepidation as clarinet mouthpieces go into mouths similar to one wishing to play the recorder (i.e. a very tiny amount), and the discovery of what the lips have to do to get a sound out of a trumpet or trombone.

Some students immediately got a sound out of the top sections, and some struggled but were given instruction as to what they needed to do. Students usually needed to roll the flute head-joint to the correct angle, or simply put a lot more mouthpiece in while pushing the air firmer and faster. Even though I didn't see the brass as much as the other instruments, I assume air pressure and buzz would have been a feature of correction.

Brass and reeds were the noisiest, probably most notable when students were trying to get an open tone out of the clarinet as opposed to just "squeaking" through the instrument. A few of the classroom teachers had the equivalent reaction below...

A lot of satisfied reactions to getting the correct type of sound out of instruments left students keen to jump from one instrument to the next. Some students enjoyed particular instruments and struck up conversation with tutors or fellow peers that shared a similar interest.

When I ran a demonstration similar to this as part of a prac class in 2006, I remember student stating they enjoyed the experience because "they actually did something by being involved". This reaction still rang true for every workshop.

The experience didn't stop there as everyone reassembled, and demonstrations were given by students who were in at least their second year of learning an instrument. Flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, and trombone demonstrations were given across both schools.

Why didn't the tutors demonstrate?

All of the students experienced the first step of creating sound, but it's great to make the link to the next step of what happens when you can start to change the sound and create tunes. While we might be able to immediately dazzle with a flurry of notes, I feel it's even better when a fellow student can demonstrate and relate closer to the students to make the next possible step more achievable.

What happens now?

Students listed their names in regards to interest and also took home notes. For the first school we worked with, we had a small amount of students register before the next week. We're currently waiting to see the response from the second school, but early signs of increased interest are very positive.

The tolerance levels need to be there, especially if you're working with wind instruments. It could be the shared frustration of getting a sound out of the flute, settling the volume levels of brass, or even trying to get someone playing the clarinet to settle into the lower range instead of "squawking".

The whole process of setting up and then running the workshops is an exhausting process, but well worth the effort. After the second school completed their five workshops, I then had to take their school band in the afternoon, another student for private tuition, then assistance with the region's youth orchestra. By the time it came to the youth orchestra, my concentration was fatigued as simple mistakes were made every now and then (not to mention my misplaced "ligature", or shoelace as other musicians commonly know I use).

My first introduction to learning an instrument was to go along to a workshop and attempting to get a sound, or control the sound, from the instrument. Not to have it played for me by someone else at a much higher level, but to get stuck into it immediately and experience an early foundation towards success. Hopefully a similar profound effect can be left for a lot more students as we continue to provide and share these opportunities for this emerging generation.

How's your instrument?

I enjoy asking students this question when they return to school. The response is always mixed, ranging from "I've kept up my practice" through to "I didn't get my instrument out at all".

The frequency of playing is great, because your a lot of different things remain quite fresh. Your memory, your fingers, your breath and control of it, embouchure, the instrument, and even your instrument case. This post is going to focus more on the last couple of items I just mentioned, and hopefully you can take some of these pointers on board as you get back into playing and learning for 2018.

Above is my clarinet in its current condition. No, I haven't gone into a fit of madness and ripped apart my whole instrument. This is something I get the chance to do during the holidays when I can strip the instrument right down, oil screws, oil and rejuvenate the wood of the instrument, and reconstruct for the next year of playing.

No, I'm not advocating that all students should complete deconstruct their instruments in order to maintain them. It's a great practice to learn and understand with your instrument if you're really involved with it, but we're going to look at a lot of simpler things to do to keep your instrument and case as fresh and healthy as possible.

Play your instrument

It seems really obvious, but it is a basic form of neglect that I have encountered with different students over the years. Keeping the instrument trapped in its case and not allowing the air to circulate is a great breeding ground to create mould. All it takes is for a little bit of moisture inside of your case or living in a humid climate, and if the instrument hasn't seen daylight for a few weeks the science begins. If it isn't obvious on sight, you may get a whiff of the smell!

For reed players, your reeds may develop a furry or a blackened mould if air circulation is really poor. I'm normally an advocate for throwing your reeds if this is the case, but there are some cases of using alcoholic wipes and very fine sandpaper if you can intervene soon enough and improve air circulation.

Clean your instrument immediately!

Again it should be obvious, but it is very easily missed if a student is forgetful or a bit lazy. I've had a couple of lazy moments with my saxophones where I haven't been motivated to clean them, and a little bit of deterioration has occurred. It's something I regret, but not as much as what I have seen with other students' instruments.

A pull-through cloth is all that is required to clean out the moisture/water afterwards, but make sure to take that extra little bit of time while cleaning. No moisture should be left on the interior walls. Clarinettists should always wipe out the tenon joints that connect the parts together.

For the musician that wants to keep up the shine of their instrument or keys attached, use a silver-polishing cloth or old rag/shirt to clean the finger oil after playing. That's my biggest regret with the clarinet over the years of playing.

With these first couple of basics established, we can look at further ways of keeping your instrument and case fresh.

Pull-through cloth

Above is my pull-through cloth after a year of playing. Long gone are the days when it was initially fresh white with the distinct red and blue Buffet Crampon markings, but now the permanent stain of wood grain in the cloth. After a year of hard work, a pull-through cloth deserves a bath or cycle in the washing machine to commend it for its service.

Some students use pull-throughs made of a chamois material that local shops often sell. I'm not the biggest fan of these since they can get stuck inside instruments a lot more easily, and over time can deteriorate into a fine powder or sponge that can get messy. Cloth materials that can be washed are a lot more desirable in my opinion.

If you have a silver-polishing cloth, do not put this in the washing machine. You will wash out the polishing material within the cloth, rendering it ineffective.

Instrument case

This tip I found was rather simple from my local serviceman, Geoff Speed. While the lemon disinfectant fragrance of your instrument case is quite refreshing, we don't need to wait until then to have the interior of the case freshened up or rid of potential mould growth.

Remove everything from your instrument case. The instrument, mouthpiece, reeds, pencils, pull-through cloth (that's in the washing machine, remember?), and any other little accessories. Then simply leave your instrument case open for 2-3 hours to get a zap from the sun and a fresh breeze. Just don't leave it out there if it rains. If you noticed the musty fragrance from your case beforehand, you'll notice the difference after it's had some time in the sun.

In the event of water getting into your case some way or another, drying up the excess water and leaving the case in the sun is a great way to halt any mould growth in its tracks.

Mouthpiece

This is where the sound starts, and where a lot of moisture sits when we play. Before going into the cleaning method, this is an opportunity to remind reed students that you always take your reed off after you've finished playing! Leaving the reed on is an easy way to develop a science experiment underneath the reed or in the chamber and bore of the mouthpiece. And whatever breeds inside of that mouthpiece will always go inside of your mouth when you play!

A simple mixture of warm water and chloroxylenol (Dettol) and letting the majority of the mouthpiece sit in this (tip down) is very effective. Don't get the cork at the bottom of the mouthpiece wet, and use a soft cloth material to wipe out the chamber and bore.

Don't use boiling water, since this could potentially warp the shape of the chamber of the mouthpiece. It's also a safe precaution to avoid burning yourself.

Tone holes

I've worked with some students privately or at camps who sometimes produced muffled notes as part of playing the clarinet. Upon inspecting their instrument, I would notice a brown-grime build-up inside the area of the tone hole. You could physically pick out the grime gently with a narrow screwdriver, and the difference it made on the sound produced was incredible.

All that the grime build-up is is the oil off our fingers. This can happen if it's been a hot day, or we've been active and haven't cleaned our hands before playing.

The easiest method to clean out tone holes is to have a mixture of soapy warm water, get some cotton buds to dip into this mixture and clean out those tone holes. You probably won't go through as many cotton buds as I did in the picture above, but you may notice how much grime you can collect in the process.

These basics should be sufficient to help give you a fresh start to your playing for the new year. Enjoy!