The verdict is in. I have officially put in all I am willing to input for a blank to become a functioning, stage ready reed. We all have our breaking point, and sometimes the product just isn't worth the resources. For your reference, here are a few examples of ones that are "worth it" in my mind - asymmetry that responds to a single scrape (image one) - and ones that aren't - persistent sideslipping (image two) and separated blades (image three). After another one or two sessions on each reed, adjusting according to my priorities: 1. RESPONSE 2. INTONATION 3. FLEXIBILITY 4 ..read more

Did you skip Parts One and Two? Don't do that! After an exceptionally long covid-driven "curing period," nine* of the original blanks made to compare seam aligned wires with traditional top-bottom wire placement have made it to my practice box, and the results are fascinating. *RIP bright blue seam aligned, a hapless victim of knocking my phone off the filing cabinet. A truly senseless crime. In the interest of full disclosure, I opened all of these reeds early in the Pandemic Blankapalooza, played all of them for 30-45 minutes, then stuffed them in a box and moved them a mile into the air ..read more

After much ado, I have returned to the blogosphere to document a recent reed making experiment inspired by my friends in Blankapalooza 2020 and a series of photographs by my former sectionmate and bassoon whiz, Jacob Darrow. If successful, a very minor change in blank formation could greatly reduce or (*gasp?*) potentially eliminate the need for blade imbalance corrections after the initial scrape. Too good to be true?  Let's see. The Hypothesis: Uneven blade pressure, even slight, causes one blade to be more peaked than the other, which can lead to a host of issues -  side slippi ..read more

Thoughtful holiday gifts for bassoonists can be tricky!  How do you best support your bassoon-crazed loved one and give them a gift they actually want?  As much as I have a soft spot in my heart for gifts such as these... ... here is a quick shopping guide for items that your favorite bassoonist would be truly excited to receive.  Happy shopping! On a budget? Searching for stocking stuffers? Secret Santa got you stumped? ​Check out these options for under $15. Cleaning and Maintenance Silk Swab Bocal Brush Polishing Cloth Precision Screwdriver Set Key Oil Ree ..read more

An observer in a wind ensemble rehearsal of mine recently asked why I spent so much valuable rehearsal time (upwards of 30 minutes from a two hour block, less than a week before the concert) leading the group through breathing exercises and chord building. Why do we do this? Particularly at the beginning of each academic year, musician after musician returns wholeheartedly to fundamentals routines, which inevitably wane as the stress piles.  Ensemble rehearsals begin, recitals are scheduled, juries loom... why do we "waste" this time and energy when we need to learn our "actual music ..read more

With many hours of training runs and races this season, I had plenty of endurance zen time to contemplate my hours of practicing and performing music.  So many things feel the same between running and the disciplined study and presentation of music - both require a huge sacrifice of finances, time, and energy; both consolidate months of training into minutes or hours of performance; and, if you do them right, both are intense labors of love. As I sat enjoying my post-race chocolate milk after a blistering hot half marathon last weekend, I realized how powerf ..read more

Happy new year! Tis the season for fresh starts, new goals, and the grand promise of resolutions.  But why do we set resolutions?  Tradition tells us to, certainly, but most of us have a genuine interest in bettering ourselves.  In fact, many of us feel the need to do so in the same ways: With such great goals, why do we fail? Typically, I fall into the resolution death trap trifecta - too many, too big, too vague.  "Be kind to yourself."  "Actually practice scales."  "Get in shape."  In an effort to create a reachable, improved version of myself in 2016 ..read more

The following post is dedicated to delayed reactions, repeated efforts, and times of percolation. After a concentrated experiment to kick off the new semester, this return from my blog hiatus also marks a confident return to a practice routine.  I was first introduced to the Pomodoro Technique by my colleague Dr. Brent Weber during our time together at the University of Georgia, and since then I have wrestled with an approach that made logical sense but never seemed to work for me. In summary, the Pomodoro Technique works as follows: Video and more information avail ..read more

"I could never do that." *blink* We have all said this at some point, but I'm not convinced we know how much.  In only the last 24 hours (and only in the arts), I have heard the following: "I could never double tongue like that." "We just can't make that kind of sound." "I had the heart of a dancer, but never the feet." "Even if I practiced for 80 years, I'd never be able to play that." These grow and branch out, one by one, to become a tree of impossibilities looming over our careers. I call this one "Boy and Beethoven 4" Fairly recently, I've become more specific with what I call ..read more

Do you remember the first time you thought your instrument was awesome? I was a freshman at the University of Georgia, and a doctoral student performed Andre Previn's Sonata for Bassoon and Piano, and I am pretty sure my mouth actually dropped open.  I was so nerdishly giggly and head over heels in love.  I swore that I would play it "when I was ready" (whatever that meant to 18-year-old Cayla). I didn't even listen to it again for a long time, purely out of fear that in the harsh light of a second listening I would fall out of love. I did in fact play it later (see a clip from my ..read more