       |
In the Fall of 2007, I was accepted into the
Schreyer Honors College at Penn State.
This gives me some benefits such as scheduling classes earlier, taking more varied
classes, and extended lending from the library. As a Schreyer
Scholar, I am also required to write a thesis. After exploring many
topics, I have begun work on this thesis this semester, entitling it "Woodwind
Doubling: A Practical Approach." It uses APA formatting. This
topic has personal implications because I have spent hours upon hours working on
my flute and clarinet skills. Doubling is a underestimated talent that
needs to be addressed at a higher level. Below is my introduction from
Chapter 1 and a bibliography.
We live in an age where humans are becoming unnecessary. From self-checkouts at the grocery store to doing all your holiday shopping online, manpower is no longer as essential as it was during the 19th and 20th centuries. In the music business, electronic music grows ever more popular. For centuries, live musicians were the exclusive means of creating music and were always a coveted commodity. With the dawn of technology live music is now easily replaced with computers. In order to make a living it is essential that musicians make themselves as marketable as possible. This includes mastering extended techniques, playing well in many styles, playing in tune with accurate tempo, and consistency, all qualities of a good musician. For woodwind players, being marketable means learning multiple instruments, a skill referred to as doubling. Some may claim to play secondary instruments, but a true doubler knows that technique on each instrument must be perfected and polished. Chris Vadala, prominent as a saxophonist and woodwind doubler, says in his book Improving your Doubling, “To be a woodwind artist in this day in age is to be a doubler” (p. 3). It is undeniable that, if a woodwind player seeks steady work, facility on multiple instruments is a must. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to explore the need for and importance of woodwind doubling in many genres and to serve as a guide book for aspiring doublers.
Sources Consulted Adler, S. (1989). The study of orchestration. New York: W. W. Norton and Company. Garcia, A. (2002, October). More than the ‘changes’: The practical side of a college jazz education. Down Beat – Jazz, Blues & Beyond, 69, 6-10. Krell, J. (1997). Kincaidiana: A flute player’s notebook. Santa Clarita, CA: The National Flute Association. Vadala, C. (1997). Tips on doubling. Saxophone Journal, 22, 19-22.
References Baines, A. (1967). Woodwind instruments and their history. New York: Dover Publications. Rossi, M. (2000). Chris Vadala on woodwind doubling. Jazz Educators Journal, 32(5), 90-93. Vadala, C. (1991). Improve your doubling. Medfield, MA: Dorn Publications. Vadala, C. (1997). Tips on doubling. Saxophone Journal, 21, 10-13.
|