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We are together in Cincinnati right now! šŸ˜ 
 
Weā€™re balancing work and fallow time ā€” something the NYTimes describes beautifully: 
 
"Fallow time is necessary to grow everything from actual crops to figurative ones"ā€”like writing, like any work, says writer Bonnie Tsui. "We need to rest, to read, to reconnect. It is the invisible labor that makes creative life possible." A great reminder that downtime is a part of creative life - not apart from it. 
 
The other thing that has felt so restorative this week is talking to each other about our ideas, no matter how outlandish, in a space that is supportive and full of excitement. Yes, of course we also talk on the phone and on Zoom, but itā€™s different in person! Thereā€™s less of a time crunch and itā€™s easier to pick the conversation up and down and iterate on ideas.
 
Then thereā€™s food. Bonding over the making and eating of food is the most glorious of activities!! It feels so nice to share a meal, a conversation, andā€¦ dessert!!! šŸØ  We made 2 types of homemade ice cream this weekend and oh MY - if you like chocolate ice cream, may we recommend this recipe?! We skipped the mint and the cookie additions and just made the chocolate base. So. Delicious. 
 
And while it has been special for the two of us to hang outā€¦ guess who else we got to see?! Some of our Digital Clarinet Academy/Music360 family that weā€™ve only known through little boxes on Zoom. It was SO awesome to meet these humans in person and hug them!
 
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The community that is possible to create online continues to astound us, but get ready, because we are committed to also providing an in-person experience for all of you where we do all the things: eat amazing food, move, practice, make websites, and explore how you want to contribute to the world. 
 
The point of all of this? Find your tribe! 
 
Find a friend or a group of friends, mentors or peers that will listen to your ideas, dreams, your wants and your worries. It makes the hugest difference to be surrounded by people that you trust to be honest and supportive. And, it feels so hopeful to know youā€™re working towards contributing to the world with people by your side. 
 
 
// UPCOMING EVENTS //
 
We have a lot of exciting things coming up soon, including an event every Saturday in July! 
 
TOMORROW and Friday, July 7ā€“8 
  • 12-1pm ET: Kickstart your Excerpt Practice Workshop - Join us to go over strategies for practicing and studying 10 of our most popular excerpts! // $40
  • 2-3pm ET: Articulation & Flexibility Workshop - Let's demystify articulation and get a plan for your improvement! // $40
Bach Workshop: Cellist Ted Nelson on approaching Bach on the clarinet
Sat, July 9, 11am ET // $15 (Free for Thrive members + BCMC participants) 
 
Repair & Maintenence Workshop: Understanding basic repair and maintenance on clarinet and bass clarinet with master instrument technician Melanie Wong! 
Sat, July 16, 11am ET // $15 (Free for Thrive members + BCMC participants)
 
Finding Your Passions with Sam Rothstein: Sam is a clarinetist, bass clarinetist, has started a successful Podcast (The Candid Clarinetist), a YouTube channel and more. He's going to talk to us about finding your passions! 
Tues, July 19, 7:30pm ET // FREE with registration
 
Eb Clarinet Workshop: Learn how to approach Eb clarinet playing and practice with Joe Morris, the Associate / Eb clarinetist of the Cincinnati Symphony. 
Sat, July 23, 11am ET // $15 (Free for Thrive members) 
 
Clarinet Masterclass: Traditional masterclass with Joe Morris! 
Sat, July 30, 11am ET // $15 (Free for Thrive members) 
 
 
Jump in and learn with us! If you have any questions, you know you can always hit reply. 
 
Keep soaking in the summer and remember: find people to walk with! ā˜€ļø 
 
Tiffany & Ixi 
 
 
ps: One of our other favorite recipes of the week!? Chia seed pudding! 1 cup almond milk, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, 4 tablespoons of chia seeds. Put it all in a jar and shake it vigorously, and then shake off and on for another about 5 minutes whenever you walk past the jar again. Put in the fridge overnight. So good! Tempting to turn this into a food blogā€¦ šŸ˜‰ 
 
 
 

EXPLORE MORE
 
We recently updated our resources page and have a few new things for purchase!
Mendelssohn Scherzo Practice Guide
Practice Guide to Orchestral Excerpts, V.1 
It's all about voicing
Guide to Practice Design + Articulation Plan!
 
 

 
 
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