Paula Brusky, PhD

Magic Reeds

Paula Brusky — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:07:22 +0000

I have discovered the secret to bassoon reeds! Age the blank!!!!!!!! I talk about this on the reed making section of this site, but this past weekend it became apparent to me how much it really has changed my reeds. I played a concert on Saturday, solo with a band accompanying. The reed I used? The same reed that I used in some of the BCMCC recordings done in January 2011! I’ve probably played 70 concerts on this reed. It is a real gem. And it is still playing fantastic even though by most reed knowledge it should have died 6-10 months ago!

Is this reed magical? No. Not really. I didn’t make it with a blessing of a fairy or sprinkle it was special water. I just made my reeds like I always do. I formed the tube, then I let it sit, unwrapped for at least 6 months. Only after 6 months did I wrap the reed, had it sit another week, then cut the tip. Then shaved it down and did my finishing work. Then I just played on it.

Other “magical” tips: I rotate my reeds so I always allow them to dry out fully before the next time they are used. I also always brush my teeth before playing. Otherwise, I don’t do anything interesting. But doing these three things, especially allowing them a long time to age, has provided me with stable consistent reeds. In my reed box I have only concert quality reeds. 3 reeds are over a year old, 2 that are over 6 months old, 2 that are under six months old, and 1 that is less than a month old.

I feel very fortunate to have experimented with aging reeds. I’m grateful I have planned far enough ahead to allow my reeds time to age so now I have “magical reeds” most of the time. Try it! You’ll be amazed at how long a great reed can live!

Don’t Panic! Problem Solve!!!

Paula Brusky — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:38:34 +0000

As a young bassoonist about a week before any big concert I’d loose sleep over “will I have a reed.” As I became proficient as a reed maker and felt I had control, these sleepless nights diminished. A few months ago I noticed that I no longer lost sleep at 2am over reed fears, I figured this meant I am now a reed genius. But last night at 2am I found myself once again awake, panicked.

On Saturday I’m playing a solo with the St Norbert College Wind Ensemble. I’m really looking forward to it. I have enjoyed watching the students grow in rehearsals and am excited to perform with them. Yesterday was my dress rehearsal. The band sounded the best they have to date. But I did not. I kept cracking notes. !!!! What? I don’t crack! But here I am playing a mini-cadenza and the E above the staff cracks. WT? An E, cracked??!?!?!!? Any time I took a finger off a vent key the tenor note of choice would crack. So my dress rehearsal turned into a dexterity etude with over concerned venting.

I was perplexed by this cracking. But knew the reed I was playing on was old-ish so figured it was dying and letting me know. Last night at 2am I was awake with the “OMG what am I going to do if my reeds keep cracking. What if it isn’t the reeds but my bassoon is broken? I can’t possibly drive to Toronto tomorrow to get it fixed and be back in time for the concert. OMG” Panic 101. Totally crazy thoughts about bassoon breaking in 1/2 while playing. Trying to play bassoon on a reed splinter. Really, my mind can be totally crazy and creative at 2am!

So in the practice room I go this morning. I MUST FIND A MAGIC REED. First reed I play on, cracks in the tenor register. I can’t even play a C without the vent key down. OMG. PANIC. Second reed does the same thing. OMG WORSE PANIC. Have I forgotten how to support the tenor register over night? Then I hear this little voice of reason way in the back of my brain. “Paula, how likely is it that ALL of your 9 current reeds all are afflicted with the same cracking illness at the exact same time?” Wait a second, there is something to that question. That does seem very unlikely. So I start to think about ways my bassoon can be broken. I’m wondering which tone holes could be a problem. Again, PANIC because I can’t make it Toronto to Shane and Frank (Marcus Wheeler Bassoon Repair) in the next 36 hours. And again, voice of reason, “what is the easiest solution.” Hmmm, well the notes that are cracking are all vented notes (well, and that random E that is truly unhappy at the moment) and the thing they have in common is the whisper key not being on, so maybe I should start there.

I look at the whisper key hole. It kinda looks like there is something in there. I grab a piece of reed wire and poke around. I use my bocal swab and clean out the bocal. I repeat this process twice more. I then put on the bocal and play. What do you know. My reed now works! And so does the other one! And the one from the dress rehearsal works too.

Moral of the story. Don’t panic. Look for the easiest solution. It is probably correct. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need a nap!

Injury Prevention Workshop

Paula Brusky — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:16:13 +0000

As part of the Music In Motion event at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh I presented an Injury Prevention Workshop on Friday February 3. This 1.5 hour workshop began at 3pm. Students were from the local high schools; most played guitar or piano.

How Bassoon & Pole relate

Paula Brusky — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:11:12 +0000

I’m a classical bassoonist. I’m also a pole fitness enthusiast. I’m the founding director of the Bassoon Chamber Music Composition Competition, Inc.; I’m also the owner of Aerial Dance Pole Exercise LLC. Often times people think I must have a split personality, but really these two activities go together in my world. I got into pole while I was researching functional strength training as a away to limit performing injuries. Now the strength and empowerment I’ve gotten from the sport of pole has made me a better bassoon performer. Recently photographer Dan Powers from the Post Crescent was intrigued by my duality and created this video about how my two passions interconnect.

Texas Tour

Paula Brusky — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:03:20 +0000

Texas Tour: January 22-30 2012

University of Texas – Austin on 24 January: Recital at 2pm, Injury Prevention Workshop at 8pm
Texas Lutheran University on 25 January: Recital and Injury Prevention Workshop at 7:30pm
Stephen F. Austin State University 26 and 27 of January: Recital on 26 January at 7:30pm, Injury Prevention Workshop on 27 January at 2pm
Chamber Concert in Houston on 29 January at 2pm

Highlights: World Premiere performances of “Little Sarabande” by Justin Rubin, “Mist” by Kyle Hovatter and “Sonata No. 3, Opus 228″ by Guilherme Schroeter.

University of Texas – Austin on 24 January

Recital at 2pm

Paula Brusky – Bassoon
Eliza Thomason – Viola
Chuck Dillard – Piano

Program

“Movements for Bassoon and Piano” by Stefan Cwik

Cadenzas
Scherzo
Pastorale
Tarantella
Nocturne
Gigue

WORLD PREMIERE: “Mist for Bassoon and Track” by Kyle Hovatter

WORLD PREMIERE: “Little Sarabande for Viola and Bassoon” by Justin Henry Rubin

WORLD PREMIERE: “Sonata Op 229, No. 3″ by Guilherme Schroeter

II – Moderato
III – Scherzando

Following the recital there will be a masterclass.

Injury Prevention Workshop at 8pm

Texas Lutheran University – 25 January

Injury Prevention Workshop at 7:30pm

Recital at 8:30pm

Eliza Thomason – viola

Program

“Mist for Bassoon and Track” by Kyle Hovatter

“Little Sarabande for Viola and Bassoon” by Justin Henry Rubin

Stephen F. Austin State University – 26-27 January

This entire tour was brought about because I was invited to SFA by Susan Nelson. THANKS SUSAN for getting me to Texas!

Masterclass with bassoon studio from 2-4pm

Recital at 7:30pm on January 26

Paula Brusky – Bassoon
Eliza Thomason – Viola
Geneva Fung – Piano

Program

“Movements for Bassoon and Piano” by Stefan Cwik

Cadenzas
Scherzo
Pastorale
Tarantella
Nocturne
Gigue

“Little Sarabande for Viola and Bassoon” by Justin Henry Rubin

“Mist for Bassoon and Track” by Kyle Hovatter

Wild Purple for Solo Viola by Joan Tower

“Sonata Op 229, No. 3″ by Guilherme Schroeter

II – Moderato
III – Scherzando

Injury Prevention Workshop 2-4:30pm

Houston – 29 January

House Concert in Houston Area. (If you’re in the area and wish to attend, contact me.)

Performance at 2pm

Matt Detrick – Violin
Eliza Thomason – Viola
Liz Lee – Cello
Paula Brusky – Bassoon
Charlie Tauber – Piano

Program

“American Nights” for Bassoon, Violin and Piano, movement III, by Art Gottschalk’s (2010 BCMCC winning work)

“Little Sarabande for Viola and Bassoon” by Justin Henry Rubin

Piano Quartet in g minor by Mozart

“Concertino for Bassoon, Three Strings, and Piano” by Jonathan Bartz (2010 BCMCC winning work)

Houston Chamber Music

Paula Brusky — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:17:51 +0000

My Texas Tour concluded with a chamber concert in Houston.

Performance at 2:30pm

Matt Detrick – Violin
Eliza Thomason – Viola
Liz Lee – Cello
Paula Brusky – Bassoon
Charlie Tauber – Piano

Program

“American Nights” for Bassoon, Violin and Piano, movement III, by Art Gottschalk’s (2010 BCMCC winning work)

“Little Sarabande for Viola and Bassoon” by Justin Henry Rubin

Piano Quartet in g minor by Mozart

“Concertino for Bassoon, Three Strings, and Piano” by Jonathan Bartz (2010 BCMCC winning work)

Surviving Tour

Paula Brusky — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:42:30 +0000

Being on tour. To the non-musician it sounds fun, sexy even. It sounds like you are getting paid to travel and see the world. But to the musician it means the inside of hotel rooms, the inside of concert halls, and planes, trains or automobiles. Very rarely on a tour do you have a lot of time to yourself. At least, not in the tours I schedule because my time is limited in the region and I want to cram as many concerts and educational events in as possible. So after a few days, which feel like a month, I always wonder if that was such a good idea.

Yes, it is. But only because I’ve learned how to recharge. The first rule is: any time you can take time for yourself, DO IT! You can’t be “on” all the time. So when you have down time, use it to rest. On Wednesday I had the morning “off”. I whole 1/2 day!!! (Before a concert and workshop that evening.) So I went for a swim, got a massage (which is a whole other blog topic as the person was HORRIBLE) and then had the audacity to take an hour nap (which was so delightful). Then my time was done and I went back to work much happier. Had I used this time to do work, blog, practice, or something else productive, I wouldn’t have recharged. You need to be a little selfish on tour and put your rest time as a priority when ever it is available.

Second important thing: FIND the QUIET. When you’re working with students all day or performing, you’re always receiving stimuli. To me this gets overwhelming after multiple days if I don’t have some time when there isn’t commotion. For me, this means a time like now, when I wake up before my tour travel friend and am sitting in a suite in silence. My ears are appreciating this moment to recalibrate! I could turn on the news and learn about what is happening in the world, or I could just sit in silence and enjoy it. Ah, the sounds of silence!

Thirdly: Work out! Your body is off on tour. You’re not sleeping or waking at your normal times. Who knows what you’re eating, when. So take control over the one thing you can, find a gym or pool and get in a workout. Not only will it reduce the stress of tour, improve your playing, and improve your muscle function (cause let’s face it – planes, trains and automobiles are not actually comfortable!) exercising will also improve your mental outlook. Get those extra endorphins flowing to help you stay positive when you’re exhausted.

Finally, stay smart! Get a hotel room that has space when you can (if you’re going to be there for more than just to sleep). I really like suites for this reason. If you’re traveling with someone this gives you a chance at quiet time. Depending on budget, get your own room when possible. When booking a tour, try to stay at the same hotel for 2 or more nights when ever possible. This gives you a little extra stability and comfort. It also makes it slightly easier to live out of a suitcase. I’m crazy excited right now because we’ve made it to the last stop on this tour, Houston. We’ve checked into a suite at the Hilton and are staying here for 3 whole nights! The tour has gone extremely well to this point and I’m looking forward to a little time to rest before the final concert.

Stephen F. Austin State University

Paula Brusky — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:11:36 +0000

On January 26th and 27th I was a guest artist at Stephen F. Austin State University. My entire tour was brought about because I was invited to SFA by Susan Nelson. THANKS SUSAN for getting me to Texas! While at SFA I performed a full recital, taught bassoon lessons, worked with bassoonists in a masterclass, and present an injury prevention workshop.

Masterclass with bassoon studio from 2-4pm

Recital at 7:30pm on January 26

Paula Brusky – Bassoon
Eliza Thomason – Viola
Geneva Fung – Piano

Program

“Movements for Bassoon and Piano” by Stefan Cwik

Cadenzas
Scherzo
Pastorale
Tarantella
Nocturne
Gigue

“Little Sarabande for Viola and Bassoon” by Justin Henry Rubin

“Mist for Bassoon and Track” by Kyle Hovatter

Wild Purple for Solo Viola by Joan Tower

“Sonata Op 229, No. 3″ by Guilherme Schroeter

II – Moderato
III – Scherzando

Injury Prevention Workshop 2-4:30pm

Texas Lutheran University

Paula Brusky — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:05:24 +0000

One January 25th I was a guest artist at Texas Lutheran University. Dr. Eliza Thomason invited me to campus to teach the students about injury prevention and perform.

Injury Prevention Workshop at 7:30pm

Recital at 8:30pm

Eliza Thomason – viola

Program

“Mist for Bassoon and Track” by Kyle Hovatter

“Little Sarabande for Viola and Bassoon” by Justin Henry Rubin

University of Texas

Paula Brusky — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:58:48 +0000

On January 24th I was a guest artist at the University of Texas in Austin.

Recital at 2pm

Paula Brusky – Bassoon
Eliza Thomason – Viola
Chuck Dillard – Piano

Program

WORLD PREMIERE: “Sonata Op 229, No. 3″ by Guilherme Schroeter

II – Moderato
III – Scherzando

WORLD PREMIERE: “Mist for Bassoon and Track” by Kyle Hovatter

WORLD PREMIERE: “Little Sarabande for Viola and Bassoon” by Justin Henry Rubin

“Movements for Bassoon and Piano” by Stefan Cwik

Cadenzas
Scherzo
Pastorale
Tarantella
Nocturne
Gigue