Looking for the hidden clarinet: connection with music performance through practice with many instruments

Abstract

Research in music performance and investigations in performance pedagogy aim to prepare musicians for public presentations. Music performance could be done live or recorded. The pandemic ceased public performances and recording sessions in studios were canceled. The only option for music performance was self-production projects to be streamed through the internet and social media. This article is an experience report based on the process of data collection about clarinet performance. The isolation due to COVID imposed a reality in which I need to be with my clarinets and myself. It create an opportunity to research the voice inside different set-ups of instruments, mouthpieces and reeds. The objective was to record Hommage à R. Strauss by Béla Kovács with 15 combinations of clarinets. The proposed consisted of three different projects: 1) Music performance project, 2) Video production project and 3) Social media project. The report shows what was necessary to organize and execute each project and how the combination of projects needed to work in order to promote music performance during the pandemic.