Who's in this collage?!
Top left: two clarinetists we admire who just climbed to the top of a mountain to test out their theories of air support: Stephanie Zelnick and Lauren Jacobson!
(Oh and guess what?! Lauren is coming to present about this in Thrive next March!)
Top right: you know us! This was TIffany & Ixi in Tahoe a couple of months ago.
Bottom: cellist Nick Photinos and violinist Daniel Ching. They recently climbed Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in the lower 48 states. Nick is co-hosting cello Thrive with us now, and he's extraordinary. He's a Grammy-award winner and a founding member of Eighth Blackbird. Now he records and teaches and plays and does all sorts of cool stuff.
On Nick's way down the mountain, it struck him how much
preparing for and especially doing the hike was like prepping for any big musical achievement. We'll let you
read the whole full, death-defying story, but a couple of quick takeaways:
🔵 Especially if you only have a short amount of time to practice, have a clear goal and make it ONLY about practicing that, nothing else.
🔵 It’s worth considering every time you practice: did you get to a flow state? Did you give it your all? Could you give five more minutes? Could you do that passage one more time? To grow, we all have to push past these boundaries on a regular basis.
// We need to talk about Ixi! //
This is Tiffany and I need to talk to you about Ixi. She is one of the most thoughtful musicians and clarinetists (and humans) I've met. She has seen and heard A LOT of great clarinet playing. She's an unbelievable player herself. Her approach is whole and she's helped so many students find not only the life in their playing but their courage and why they want it. She's also a really good friend and I ❤️ her.
Sunday's masterclass will cover some of her favorite topics: approaching the instrument naturally, finding freedom and resonance in your sound and, as many of you have auditions coming up, how you can create that “something special” in your playing that captivates the listener. It will be worth every penny of $15. That's like, 2 frappuccinos. ☕️
