Happy First Anniversary!

The Clarinet Cache blog is turning one year old this month, and to celebrate, we have created a Flickr photostream (at left) of our favorite clarinet photos! To see more, head over to the Clarinet Cache Flickr group and join if you'd like to submit a photo.

In just one exciting year, we have published four articles in The Clarinet and over 50 blog posts, we "live" blogged ClarinetFest in Kansas City, we've been profiled in Clarinet & Saxophone (quarterly journal of CASS), mentioned on the Clarinet BBoard, and linked up with fellow bloggers at Clariperu, Sherman Friedland's Clarinet Corner, and The Buzzing Reed. All of this while continuing to work on our doctorates at the University of North Texas!

We'd like to thank everyone for reading and encourage you to continue sending us your favorite clarinet links and videos. No two people can keep track of all the clarinet resources out there, so we depend on you to help keep us informed. As always, send any suggestions to us at clarinetcache@gmail.com.

Sincerely,
Kellie and Rachel

HowardKlug.com

For those of you interested in message boards, take time to peruse the clarinet forum hosted by Howard Klug on his personal website. Klug, professor of clarinet at Indiana University, offers expert advice and answers questions on topics such as repertoire, reeds, embouchure, motivating students, and teaching clarinet. With his constructive responses, Klug effectively creates open dialogues where professionals and students alike can exchange thoughts and ideas. A good example of this is in the lengthy thread on tension. Klug introduces the topic, explains the visible symptoms of tension and offers solutions on how to combat playing with tension. Others respond with their own experiences and dilemmas, adding to the discussion. Put this forum under your radar, Klug's ideas are definitely worthy of taking a look at.

Kyle Coughlin's Clarinet Space

Kyle Coughlin's Clarinet Space is a new website geared toward younger clarinetists that could be a very useful tool for teachers. This well-designed site includes kid-friendly, interactive fingering charts with sound, and a progressive series of games for learning to read notes on the staff. In a time when kids are surrounded by interactive media of all types, these Flash-based games are a great way to challenge them and hold their attention while teaching them to read pitches quickly.

The site also includes printable PDF versions of scales in many different forms, from five-note scales in the lower register to extended scales over the entire range of the clarinet. Teachers might be interested to look over Coughlin's variety of forms of major, minor, and chromatic scales to find scales to use for their students; these PDFs could be a cheap alternative to requiring students to purchase the Baermann or Kroepsch book just to work on their major scales.

Clarinet Space also includes materials related to Coughlin's book Beginning Jazz Clarinet Studies, reviewed by John Cipolla in the March 2008 issue of The Clarinet. Coughlin, a clarinetist, saxophonist, composer, and jazz musician, earned his Masters and Doctorate degrees from the Peabody Conservatory as a student of Loren Kitt, and is currently on faculty at Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland. For more information about Kyle Coughlin (and a great Flash animation involving the clarinet) check out kylecoughlin.com.