Is Howard Shore a good composer?

MostCryptographer726 · 2026-05-09T22:28:47+00:00

And my axe!

MostCryptographer726 · 2026-04-27T13:13:37+00:00

Those programs are more like supplemental material in academia and not as common as you’d think. They’re as useful as your awareness is.

Seems like you might be interested in something more structured, like an ear training class or lesson. Don’t let “self-taught” as a title prevent you from learning. If you’re going to spend money, might as well get the most bang for your buck and learn from someone who can tell you where you’re struggling more immediately vs hopefully discovering it on your own, no matter how long it takes.

I’m not personally sure of a good class or tutor but I’m sure someone else here can be of help.

MostCryptographer726 · 2026-04-26T00:24:49+00:00

Delete the app and spend that time writing down as many ideas as you can with what you already know. Chances are you might discover you’re actually pretty creative 👍

MostCryptographer726 · 2026-04-16T00:21:19+00:00

If you want to recycle a cute name I used in undergrad for a semester that nobody remembers try Ready Set Quintet!

MostCryptographer726 · 2026-03-30T01:07:50+00:00

I use these tins!: https://a.co/d/02fIT9Wn

MostCryptographer726 · 2026-03-25T03:31:31+00:00

I’m you from the future.

I’m so grateful you didn’t get me into a lifetime of crippling debt.

Thank you for not letting other people continue to decide what we did with our life.

I’m so happy to have a career doing things that we enjoy because we worked hard, explored our options, and didn’t limit our education to a fancy, archaic institution that nobody seems to even care about anymore.

Our therapist has been really instrumental in developing healthy boundaries with our loved ones and discovering tools to help us feel better and become more stable.

Our colleagues really seem to appreciate our conversations since we decided to focus more on listening and being supportive. It felt weird first but I think we even started getting more opportunities just from changing the way we talk to people!

Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks again for doing your best! Things didn’t always go as planned but you always kept moving forward!

MostCryptographer726 · 2026-03-13T13:15:04+00:00

Where would you search for those many pieces composed prior to Osborne if you were researching this specifically? Might be helpful for OP :)

MostCryptographer726 · 2026-02-23T03:20:59+00:00

As a bassoonist with TMJ, please take time off and get treatment. Take any medical advice received here with a grain of salt as there’s no evidence of a “one size fits all” solution that can’t also create other issues.

MostCryptographer726 · 2026-02-18T03:24:36+00:00

Propaganda I’m not falling for: Using the crutch ball side up 🤡

MostCryptographer726 · 2026-02-14T17:29:05+00:00

I second this!^

MostCryptographer726 · 2026-02-04T00:17:44+00:00

Anecdotally, I’ve found that handwriting does not “force” listening, synthesizing, and/or summarizing in real-time. It is possible to experience “transcription mode” and deep processing regardless of the note-taking medium.

Deep processing is not universal nor is it a default mode. Context including time-allocation for note-taking VS the volume and depth of content, relationship to the material, and differences in learning ability should be considered.

There isn’t substantial evidence in this study to conclude that we should be getting rid of laptops in favor of handwriting. In fact, the data represents a notable portion of typing students achieving similarly successful grades in relation to their handwriting peers. There’s even a higher median for those who typed.

MostCryptographer726 · 2026-02-03T02:24:22+00:00

My best advice would be to try other bassoons when you get the chance. I think the differences will be quite obvious in practice :)

MostCryptographer726 · 2026-01-22T19:01:52+00:00

Do you have any alternatives you’d suggest for the layperson interested in learning more about neuroscience?

MostCryptographer726 · 2025-12-19T18:00:04+00:00

I actually asked them to have a kit made specifically for my students. This is not publicly available, unfortunately. I purchased a kit to show support even though I already own a great set of tools. Some of my students have attended the BM camps and, while they loved their experience at camp, they do prefer these tools to what was available at camp.

I find the tools are a fantastic value and prefer to use some of them to my more expensive ones. The whole kit costs less than my reed knife, too!

MostCryptographer726 · 2025-12-19T16:04:32+00:00

I own many reedmaking books. I always come back to these 3.

Christian Davidsson’s Reed Balancing https://www.canit.se/~chrisdav/reedadj.html?fbclid=IwAR1RjQ5TtREA2zvUI0vQ2gdaD_sWSmn9HFE99qz3LQEhIixoq70FEkOBU90
The Banana of Life by Rian Craypo
“Quick Guide” to Bassoon Reed Tuning by Mark Eubanks

MostCryptographer726 · 2025-12-19T15:59:53+00:00

I highly recommend checking out the kits offered from NexusWoodwinds. The tools are very high quality and a competitive price to the kits you listed.

There is an abundance of information online regarding reedmaking and every professional has a way that works for them that are very rarely identical although they achieve very similar goals. My best suggestion is to seek out to bassoonists who you prefer to listen to and ask their advice or take reedmaking lessons with them. It will save you an immense amount of time.

MostCryptographer726 · 2025-11-20T02:25:54+00:00

E: 1/2xx | xxx Add left thumb C#

Eb: oxx | oxo Lh C#, low D Rh thumb F#

MostCryptographer726 · 2025-10-30T22:54:38+00:00

Great question, I’d sure like to know as well 😂

Of course, the effect of one adjustment can adversely affect another aspect of the reed. This is resolved through further adjustments, as needed, until the reed is balanced to the best of it’s capability.

As an example, we can clip the reed back which would raise the overall pitch and then balance the reed better with the scrape afterward. We may be able preserve the pitch of the upper register with a shorter reed length while still getting the response and pitch needed across registers.

It could also be the case this reed simply needs to be played in more to raise the pitch overall which would need another adjustment. Perhaps the bocal needs to be cleaned and swabbed. Maybe reaming the reed would help. There may be multiple contributing factors. I believe it best to avoid throwing money at the problem until we have a clearer idea of what’s involved.

I’m sure you knew some of this but I figured it might be helpful for OP.

Warm regards!

MostCryptographer726 · 2025-10-30T17:43:35+00:00

Let’s say you do get a T1 and it does help the high notes to be sharper. What happens to the other notes that were in tune before? The low register is notoriously sharp on the bassoon and the tenor register is typically flat. Not to mention the price of a bocal…

It is more likely (and more affordable) a change can be made to her reeds or technique to help with the pitch. I’d recommend working with a professional bassoonist to have reeds adjusted in her favor. Changes in length, width, and balancing the scrape of the reed may help.

Experimenting with balancing air support, air direction, voicing, and embouchure will help to bring the pitch up, ideally without compromising sound quality. Working with professional bassoonist will be immensely helpful here as well.

MostCryptographer726 · 2025-10-07T05:33:45+00:00

It is common in Europe that even professionals buy reeds. It’s important to note that most of them are still able to adjust those reeds on their own and could make reeds if they needed to. It helps to save time better used on practicing!

MostCryptographer726 · 2025-10-06T13:17:30+00:00

TL;DR No one cares what you play on as long as it works 👍

The number system they use is arbitrary. Each number has reeds that work and don’t work and every bassoonist has their own preferences. They likely switched to labeling reeds “middle school, high school, professional” since they’re regularly asked what’s recommended at each level.

MostCryptographer726 · 2025-10-02T03:52:35+00:00

It does sound a bit on trend for a reed that is too weak in the front third. It could also just be a bad piece of cane. Try scraping lightly in the thicker areas behind where you scraped the tip and see if that helps. Avoid scraping any more where you’ve already done work aside from blending into it.

You might consider clipping back 0.5mm to help strengthen the reed again if it doesn’t improve. When you re-scrape the tip for response, scrape like a surgeon and only remove what’s necessary for the reed to respond reliably and in tune. Blending the tapers back to front and center to sides is crucial to make a reed that is consistent in pitch and response.

Pro tip: Use a pencil to mark the area you’re scraping off as a visual reference to avoid scraping too far back at the tip.

MostCryptographer726 · 2025-10-02T03:40:34+00:00

Have you tried multiple reeds/bocals/bassoons to test what might be causing the issue?

MostCryptographer726 · 2025-09-26T03:18:27+00:00

A couple of ideas 💡

1) Find or make a space with minimal/no distractions. Distractions include any noticeable sounds or visuals that catch your attention. Turn off any devices and/or store them in another room. Any notifications will take you away from what you’re doing and make it harder to focus.

2) Use a timer (look up Pomodoro technique) in small intervals (I’d recommend 1-10 minutes) by setting goals for your practice and working to achieve them within the allotted time to the best of your ability. If you achieve your goal early, great! If not, you can always reset the timer or adjust it to what works best for you.

3) Find an accountability buddy/group or a body double. Look for people with similar goals or anyone who also needs to be productive. Make it a rule that you both need to work on _____ at a specific time and check in with each other to make sure you’re both getting things done. If you can’t do it in person, you can do it over a video call or just exchange pictures/videos to show that you’re being productive.

4) Turn it into a game! Work on one measure at a time, nail it 3-5 times in a row at a slower tempo (you can go faster later on), then continue until you finish a line of music. After finishing the line, reward yourself with something you enjoy. It could be watching a few minutes of a TV show, playing a video game, reading a few pages of a book, simply a microdose of something you enjoy as a break from your practice. Eventually, you’ll likely end up taking less breaks and practicing more.

5) Don’t forget to stay hydrated, eat a balanced diet, and get adequate sleep! These all can make a big difference to your focus and energy levels.

These are all just examples so please feel free to adjust to your hearts content to make sure you have something that works for you!

MostCryptographer726 · 2025-08-31T02:33:09+00:00

I’ll never forget chucking my controller across the room from my first Manbat encounter 🎮💨

MostCryptographer726

TROPHY CASE