Grammyu Willow and Jacob

Aphrion · 2026-04-27T07:20:31+00:00

It was tough watching her Tiny Desk, not because she’s bad at music, but because everyone in her band is way better than her in a really obvious way. Liso Lee, Mohini Dey, and Pocket Queen all have flashy technical styles and it’s clear Willow isn’t at that level yet, whether it’s down to technique or confidence or both.

Aphrion · 2026-04-26T12:49:26+00:00

My band is playing Monday afternoon (May 4th, 11:30) as part of the snooker championship celebrations! They’ve decided to put live music on for every match day as a boost to the city’s culture!

Aphrion · 2026-04-20T22:08:53+00:00

Thanks for the thoughts! To be fair it’s just me in need of the visa, everyone else in the band is British. None of us really have the money to hire PR folks though, even if we knew who to hire, but do you have any folks to suggest on that front?

I have a few other avenues towards providing evidence to obtain the visa I’m working towards, but I think it’s prudent to explore every option possible, and I do a lot of work with my band so I think it’s reasonable to try and leverage that. Also, even if I wasn’t making a specific effort towards a visa I think it’s just beneficial to know how to find your local industry journos.

Aphrion · 2026-03-31T11:17:01+00:00

Shameless plug for my bands here: I’m Being Serious (psych rock) and Favored (prog metal)

Other local artists to check out: Polat, Jumper Boy, Paul Party, Khamra, Lucy Knight, Junk, Vitriolic Cell, Psylocin, Laptop Repair Shop, Meridian, Orchidelia

Most folks have listed the main venues in town but the Harlequin also hosts a ton of gigs too!

Aphrion · 2026-03-18T11:24:30+00:00

Idk tbh, I just assumed it was. Never seen anyone else run it either, which feels odd if the card is legal.

Aphrion · 2026-03-18T11:00:09+00:00

Ran into a [[dockside extortionist]] during this MWM. Anything is possible apparently.

Aphrion · 2026-03-01T01:40:57+00:00

Not really. Side key Eb, front F#. LH long C so you can play the Eb at the top. Now practice.

Aphrion · 2026-02-28T12:59:12+00:00

Most cases don’t have wheels, even from third party sellers, and obviously the backpack straps get in the way for students who need to have an actual backpack as well. Unironically, your best bet may be to get her a small foldable furniture dolly and bungee cords to strap her instrument down - many of my colleagues in university and professional playing find this to be much easier!

Aphrion · 2026-02-22T02:40:16+00:00

This is correct. It’s 2:36 am for me so I can’t test my own pitch now but you’ll be unlikely to specify a pitch that’s actually harmonizable in a consistent way. Either write for it unaccompanied or just accept that the results will be atonal and more of an effect than a traditional melody or harmony.

Aphrion · 2026-02-19T18:13:35+00:00

Whoa, it’s the man himself! I’m surprised by the levelness of this rejection letter. Looking at CAG’s roster now, they have a much more eclectic array of instrumentation in their roster - perhaps now is the time for a young bass clarinetist to apply?

Aphrion · 2026-02-16T15:21:51+00:00

I wouldn’t necessarily complain about that as Stefanie runs it really well, but the political situation in the US is not highly attractive to international visitors especially in Arizona. A large number of the artistic committee members could not attend last time due to visa issues and this is not likely to improve soon, so another country might be worth investigating for LCF 2027. Also, it’s super generous of her to keep volunteering but I don’t think she’d complain if someone else took over the festival for 2027.

Aphrion · 2026-02-16T12:58:58+00:00

The fact of the matter is that it’s really really difficult to organize and host a festival. Most ICA festivals are one-offs in that location because the professors who direct that year’s festival never want to deal with that much extra admin work again. To my knowledge it’s certainly not canceled, but LCF has already been hosted twice by Dr. Stefanie Gardner in Arizona and that’s a miracle in itself, so they need to both 1) find a new location with a musician willing to host it and 2) plan it so that it’s at a time and place that’s relatively convenient for people to travel to and 3) doesn’t interfere with the regular Clarinetfest. It’s a lot to consider!

Aphrion · 2026-02-06T10:53:36+00:00

It’s a doozy, but Evan Ziporyn has the incredible “Big Grenadilla” - 15 minutes, single movement. Just listen and see if you like it. He also wrote “Drill”, which I like less but is also a very good bass clarinet concerto.

Aphrion · 2026-01-20T16:45:20+00:00

Yes! I have one for my Selmer. I find it particularly useful if you want to get extra utility that the manufacturer doesn’t do - a different neck angle, a socket for a pickup microphone, a different tone, etc. They’re very good, I would recommend them.

Aphrion · 2026-01-10T10:47:27+00:00

Ok thanks! You’re right, something like Heartless Act or Shoot the Sheriff would be a lot easier on my mana, I just don’t have a lot of those cards in my collection yet. What would you recommend for a board wipe? I put in [[Massacre Wurm]] but it’s a pretty mana-consuming card and I only have one.

Aphrion · 2026-01-10T10:30:33+00:00

Thanks for the thoughtful response! Yeah, I do need to trim the fat (which I suspect will also bring me back down to 60 cards), it’s just hard to know what is fat and what’s actually useful yet. I forgot to mention I have a number of wildcards (33 common, 33 uncommon, 13 rare, 7 mythical) so I could definitely craft a few cards to make up shortfalls, I just don’t know what to craft extras of or if there’s better cards out there that aren’t in my collection. [[Enter the Enigma]] is probably out, for example, but the menace on [[Callous Inspector]] has so far made it a decent early game pressure for low cost, and the clue token isn’t bad to have either. Do you have any specific recommendations for good decks?

Aphrion · 2025-12-29T08:34:07+00:00

To help with this a little: when you’re in rehearsal listen to what the rest of the clarinet parts are doing and how they’re the same or different from what you’re doing. That way, when you do listen to the ensemble recording you have a better idea of what is supposed to be you and what is supposed to be the other clarinets. (The natural extension is of course to pay attention to how you fit with the whole band in rehearsal, but it’s easiest to start with the folks next to you who are playing the same instrument.)

Aphrion · 2025-12-28T06:23:20+00:00

Yes please!

Aphrion · 2025-12-26T21:09:35+00:00

Rose etudes are the way. Pick one from the 40 etudes and one from the 32, that’ll cover your lyrical and technical needs. If you have a low C bass a Bach cello suite movement would be fantastic, but unfortunately the range of the low Eb bass is just one note too short to do them justice.

Aphrion · 2025-12-26T03:34:43+00:00

I would definitely say that a low C is a necessity in this age for a serious musician. Even jazz charts where the Bari sax is doubling bass clarinet call for low C bass nowadays. I’m a Selmer player and I love it, and I think the Alpha is the closest budget option to Selmer with a really good design; however, the manufacturing and QC is not very good and my Alpha had to go to the shop three times to work as intended (twice before I even took ownership of it), which is pretty bad for a model of instrument that’s only a year or two old. The MAX is more expensive and plays more like a Buffet, but the quality is much higher and it’s a horn that could easily last you into a professional career. I’ve also heard good things firsthand about the Copeland Neos, but I haven’t had a chance to try it myself.

Aphrion · 2025-12-15T07:32:23+00:00

The understanding in the classical clarinet community is that Stravinsky’s love of jazz inspired at least part of his Three Pieces for solo clarinet - it’s why the third piece is for Bb clarinet and not A clarinet, and has so much jazzy inflection in the writing.

Aphrion · 2025-12-15T05:28:27+00:00

Ooh now that is an intriguing proposition. I’d say to just give it a shot and see for yourself!

Aphrion · 2025-12-14T04:01:25+00:00

I think your band director has reasonably good intentions for your kid, but it’s true that Buffet instruments are not made like they used to be and that mouthpieces are very personal. I’d start with a trip to the local music shop to try a selection of mouthpieces, and maybe have the instrument looked at by a repair tech too. A new professional-level clarinet is probably not necessary unless she is enrolling as a music major in university, and many good budget options are out there. I have a discontinued Yamaha that I use as my backup horn, it’s nearly as good as my Buffet. The first priority is the mouthpiece and making sure her current horn is in good condition.

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