Commencement approaches

On Thursday, I'm having the honor to serve as one of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Commencement Marshals during the 360th Harvard Commencement.

Last year, I played clarinet during a 6 a.m. procession to the Tercentenary Theater. For sure, this year will be different!

Commencement 2010, playing an early gig with my friend Alan, and others.

Megumi Tabuchi's Ballade

My friend clarinetist Megumi Tabuchi just e-mailed me the youtube link to her version of my Ballade for dancing clarinetist.

Thank you Megumi for taking the time & energy to learn this piece! Congratulations on your performance!

I made the score available online in 2009: Ballade's score.

Multiphonic series & glissando : the fingerings

Following up on last week's clarinet multiphonic sound video, here are the fingerings for the multiphonic series:

And for the combined multiphonic sound and glissando:

Sonograms of Clarinet Multiphonics

Last summer, I posted a few pictures of clarinet multiphonic sound sonograms (sometimes called spectrograms).

I just posted a new short video: Sonograms of Clarinet Multiphonics.

It includes four sounds:

• Bb clarinet multiphonic series
• Bb clarinet multiphonic with glissando on part of the sound
• Bb clarinet split tone showing formants
• Contrabass clarinet from subtone to full sound (not a multiphonic, but such a rich spectrum)

I'm indebted to Pr. Eric Heller, professor of the Harvard General Education course The Physics of Music and Sound, and to my clarinet teacher, Armand Angster, a specialist of all things clarinet.