After completing the Baermann Bootcamp, I found myself still motivated to keep working on fundamentals, but I was very “scaled out”. I was recently re-introduced to the Jeanjean Vade-Mecum during the Virtual Clarinet Warmups, and decided it would be a good option for another challenge. Vade-Mecum (noun): a handbook or guide that is kept constantly […]
Author: sandyclarinet
After achieving my dream of graduating from Eastman with my MM degree in 2009, I chose to not to go back to school for a doctorate (which is what many musicians do after their masters degree) and decided to go for it and pursue a full time performance job. After over a year of working an office "day job" and auditioning like crazy, I have won a job with the U.S. Navy fleet bands and will be shipping out in May 2011. But my auditioning adventures are not over, there is a position open in the premiere Navy Band in Washington D.C.! I will be auditioning for that position in January 2011.
Here I document my successes, my failures, and my overall thoughts on life.

I did it! I completed all 31 days of the Baermann Bootcamp! I’ll be honest, it turned out to be a long, and at times, annoying challenge, but in general I’m happy I did it and proud of the accomplishment. So here’s some background on why I decided to subject myself to this torture…by mid-April, […]
A Learning Experience
This coming week is the fourth week of this madness of social distancing where I am at. I’m sure many of you can agree, this time in our lives and society is unlike any other that we’ve ever encountered. The world has basically stopped, with the exception of essential things (food, medical, etc.). I’ve been […]
My Social Distancing
Hi guys, I hope everyone is doing well during this weird time. I’m sure I’m not alone in finding that I all of the sudden have way more time than we had anticipated in the next few weeks. So before this virus thing happened and completely shut down the world, my plate was rather […]
So here we are again at the end of one year and the start of another. I can’t help looking back at 2019 and reflecting on what I accomplished this year. 2019 was a year of transition for me and my family and trying to adjust to a new home thousands of miles away from […]
30 Day Practice Challenge: An Update
The practice challenge is going…ok. I’m not always motivated to put in time, and I’ll be honest I haven’t stuck to the plan of doing something clarinetty everyday. But I’m trying to stick with it by journaling as much as I can – even if its reasons why I didn’t touch the horn. So here […]
Post Audition Thoughts (Again…)
Another audition, another first round cut. I always have a hard time organizing my thoughts after an audition is over. The worst part for me is having to recount how it went every time someone asks, “So, how’d it go?” Not that I think people shouldn’t ask that (and I definitely don’t blame them for […]
I think today is day 48, actually. And I didn’t practice today because I was scheduled to get a filling at dental, and I didn’t want to try to play after having local anesthetic. So I’m not doing so great at this challenge, but… …its official, I’m taking the D.C. audition in November (uh, next […]
#100daypracticechallenge day 24
Today is Sunday. Under normal circumstances, I don’t like to practice at home or on the weekends. Weekends are supposed to be time off from work, and practicing clarinet is part of my “work”. Well, today I did practice. At home. On a weekend. My goal is 6 days a week, at least during these […]
Oh hello. I’m back. No, I did not drop off the face of the earth for two years, but I did get insanely busy and I kind of forgot that I had this blog. In fact, I let my domain expire, and someone else picked it up for a year…weird. Well it ended up being […]