Tim Brennan

A Great Day with Chatterton Middle School Band!

We at Central Music had a wonderful opportunity to help the Chatterton MS 8th grade band recently. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, the band would not be attending the District MSBOA band festival this year. Their director, Adam Busuttil was disappointed but he was determined to find a way to reward the students for their awesome work. He reached out to us here at Central music wondering if we had any suggestions for a learning experience that would also be fun for this special group of students.

We threw some ideas against the wall and came up with an idea for a clinic/concert. This would be a way for the students to play their music for another teacher and get some feedback to improve their performance. Much like they would get if they had attended the MSBOA festival.  We called on a friend of ours, Dr. Marty Marks, director of bands at Adrian College and he was able to clear his schedule to come work the band.  

The 8th grade Chatterton band students were excited to be able to show their skills to Dr. Marks and he helped the band with some great tips suggesting that students of their ability should be able to take responsibility for their own pitch and not wait for their director to tell them to adjust.

The concert also honored Mr. Brian Roelandt, the Fitzgerald HS director, by asking him to conduct one of the pieces.  Mr. Roelandt will be retiring at the end of the 2016-2017 school year.

This event left a lot of smiling faces and happy hearts at the end of the evenings performance.

The Band presented Dr. Marks, and Central Music with plaques, suitable for display in office or store.

Caring For A Wooden Clarinet

Caring for a Wooden Clarinet
By Tim Brennan

As a former music educator, and a parent, I would frequently remind my students that the holidays are a perfect time to make requests for additional "cool" band gear to enhance their musical experience. My students would come back after a birthday or a holiday, excited to show me their new gear. This ranged from music stands, to mutes, and sometimes, a new instrument.

A wooden clarinet is a perfect gift for the advanced clarinet student who is looking for a new challenge. Parents take note, this step will be financially significant, and proper care is vitally important.

Step-up and professional clarinets differ from student clarinets in a number of ways, but the body material of the clarinet between beginning and advanced models is the biggest difference and requires attention. Step-up and professional model clarinets are made with a wooden body, whereas student model clarinets are made with a resin/plastic body. What do we know about wood? Wood expands and contracts with changes in temperature and humidity. Below we list a few guidelines to follow if you think you or your student is ready to take this step. These points are important to follow so your new wooden clarinet stays in top condition.

1. Never play your wooden clarinet when the instrument is cold. Let it warm up to room temperature before playing. Our breath is warm, if we play our wooden clarinet without letting the wood come to room temperature, the heat from our breath could potentially cause the wood to crack.

Wooden Clarinet
Shocked Face

2. Never submit your clarinet to extreme temperatures. This includes marching, do not march with your wooden clarinet. (Keep the plastic bodied clarinet you started on, you'll need it for marching band).

3. There will be a break-in period with key steps to follow. Read these steps carefully:

  • Play your new instrument only 15 minutes a day for the first week.

  • During the second week, you can play the clarinet twice a day for 15 minutes each.

  • Gradually increase your playing time until you are at normal practice time.

The longer the break-in time, the less likely your new wooden clarinet will crack.

Cold Temperature

4. During the winter months, if you live in an area with cold weather, the chance of cracking your wooden clarinet is greater due to the drier air. Purchasing a humidifier to keep in the case will help a great deal. We carry a product called a "Dampit," which is a humidifier made for wooden instruments. The Dampit works to maintain the humidity levels in your instrument case. 

Swab

 

5. Be sure to swab your wooden clarinet after each play session, and if you run into a marathon practice session, swab periodically.

 

Following these simple steps will ensure you have success and are able to enjoy your new instrument to the fullest. It only takes a small amount of care to keep your new instrument looking and sounding it's best for years to come. Your friends and family will be amazed and truly excited to hear your wonderful new sound!

Powell Flutes Are Here!

Powell Flutes is a uniquely American brand of flutes. We here at A&G Central Music are now pleased to offer the line of Powell Sonaré Flutes.

Verne Q. Powell founded the company in 1927 in Boston, Massachusetts. The shop was located just down the street from the Boston Symphony Music Hall. In fact, the first ten flutes made by Powell were soon in the hands of some of the finest flute players in America at the time. William Kincaid, Arthur Lora, and John Wummer.

The Powell Sonaré models feature a hand cut head joint and body made at the Boston area shop. The Powell Sonaré flutes are offered in a variety of configurations, all of which allow the player to perform with the renowned, professional Powell sound.

Below is a description of three Powell Sonaré flute configurations Central Music has available for you to audition:

The Powell Sonaré 505 has a signature Powell head-joint, hand made of solid sterling silver, and the body and keys of the flute are silver plated. The features of this model include: pointed key arms, open hole, B foot-joint, stainless steel springs, and an offset G/split E mechanism.

The Powell Sonaré 601 has a signature Powell head-joint, hand made of solid sterling silver, and the body and foot-joint are also solid sterling silver with silver plated keys. The features of this model include: Y-arm keys, open hole, B foot-joint, Elgiloy alloy springs, and an offset G/split E mechanism. The 601 pictured in the gallery below is customized with a 9K Aurumite lip plate. 
Aurumite is created by a patented process that involves fusing together 9K rose gold and silver. The fusion process from which Aurumite is made keeps your lip plate from ever wearing as any standard gold plated lip plate would. The combination of silver and gold provide both projection and warmth.

The Powell Sonaré 705 has a signature Powell head-joint, hand made with solid sterling silver, a sterling Silver body with silver plated keys. The features of this model include: pointed key arms, open hole, B foot-joint, 10K white gold springs, and an offset G.

All head joints are sterling silver Powell head joints made in the Powell workshop in Massachusetts. Bodies are also made in the Powell workshop.

If you are contemplating a new performance flute for yourself or a student, stop by Central Music and give one a test drive. We think you will truly enjoy the experience!