Frequently Asked Questions
/Q: What type of mouthpiece do you use?
A: I play on a mouthpiece made by Kalmen Opperman.
Q: What type of clarinet do you play?
A: My clarinets are Buffet R-13 clarinets (both A and B-flat). They have gold-plated keys and are worked on by Mr. Opperman.
Q: What reeds do you use?
A: Vandoren White Master reeds, size 3.
Q: What type of ligature do you use?
A: I play on a Buffet ligature, which was reworked for me by my teacher, Kalmen Opperman. I also use an M. Martin ligature which is very similar. When I'm testing out reeds, I use a Ratterree to save time.
Q: How much do you practice every day?
A: It would be difficult to know the exact number of hours every day, but I take the clarinet out when I wake up and come back to it all throughout the day.
Q: Where can we find your concert information?
In addition to my web site, check out my Facebook page and Duo For Love on Facebook.
Q: When and why did you start using double lip embouchure? I switched to double lip after hearing a recording of Schubert's Der Hirt Auf Dem Felsen for soprano, clarinet, and piano with Benita Valente, Harold Wright, and Rudolph Serkin. Wright's gorgeous legato and sublime homogeneous sound was so inspiring. I discovered that he used double lip embouchure. He suggested I work with Kalmen Opperman. Mr. Opperman basically tore my playing apart and rebuilt it again based on his philosophy of sound and understanding of technique.
I find double lip feels organic and natural for me. It allows for subtle variations in the amount of mouthpiece and reed inside of my mouth. It also seems to allow for greater variety in tone color.