A Clarinetists Guide to "Winterize"

Tenon Rings

During the colder months it is important to keep the tenon rings fitting tightly on your instrument. On most clarinets, the tenon rings are located on the barrel, top of the middle key-joint, and on the bell. The rings should always be kept tight, as they are placed there to help prevent cracking on the tenons, where the wood is thin and constantly exposed to moisture. You can easily check to see if any of the rings are loose by trying to twist them. They should not move at all. Sometimes they will pull right off and this requires immediate attention.

If your rings are loose, take your instrument to a qualified repair technician as soon as possible so the rings may be tightened. For experienced players who dabble in repairs, this is an easy fix to do at home (the techniques are beyond the scope of this article), but if you are inexperienced, get to a technician before any cracking problems might arise. Please note that the ring at the bottom of the bell is not as critical and can only be tightened with a special machine that not all technicians have in their shop.

Maintaining Humidity

One way to help the rings to stay tight and to help your instrument in general during the colder months is to maintain humidity in your case. Dry heat and lower humidity that are omnipresent in colder temperatures will diminish the humidity that is a friend to your clarinet.

You can easily surround your instruments with humidity by acquiring and placing a small humidifier(s) in your case. There are many varieties of small humidifiers, from top of the line devices that come complete with hygrometer, to simple fixes from Mother Nature.

Dampits

Dampits designed for string instruments work well and are quite popular with clarinetists. For soprano clarinets, the violin or viola sizes are perfect – for bass clarinet, the cello size works well.

Cigar Humidifiers

Another option is to use small cigar humidifiers. Many inexpensive varieties can be found online. All of these humidifiers will require regular dampening with water to keep them working effectively. You can also utilize a small piece of sponge, cut to size, moistened with water, and placed in your case in a small plastic container (such as a toothbrush cap holder or one for an orthodontic retainer) that has many small vent holes.

Orange Peels

Hans Moennig, the great woodwind technician, recommended keeping orange peels in your case as a natural humidifier. Orange peels work very well, but will need to be replaced regularly, as they will eventually dry out. Pro tips: You should like the smell of oranges, as it will be noticeable in your case. Keep the orange peels in a small well-vented plastic bag to avoid getting any residue from the peels on your instrument or case material. Also, as oranges are a great source of vitamin C, if you eat the orange before utilizing the peels, this will help support your immune system in the winter time!

Case Insulation

A lined case cover that zippers closed will also help keep to your instrument warm. When I lived in cold climates, in the winter I carried my instruments in a shoulder bag in a clarinet case with a lined case cover and wrapped in a small towel or blanket for extra warmth.

Reed Care in Winter

A word about caring for your reeds in winter: having lived in Chicago for a number of very cold winters and in Florida for many mild winters, I can say from experience that reeds fare better with steady humidity. There are several commercial reed cases that are specially designed to help keep reeds at a steady humidity level. I have found the Vandoren Hygro Reed Case particularly useful for maintaining consistent conditions for reeds:

Body Maintenance

Taking care of your body is also a key to musical success in cold weather. Nourish your lips with a good natural lip balm after playing and before going to sleep. Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water, as our bodies and muscles need sufficient hydration to function properly.

Speaking of muscles – see a qualified medical professional to get some light stretching exercises for your upper extremities to warmup your muscles before playing. This is especially important during the colder months, as a well-conceived stretching routine can be helpful in preventing repetitive strain injuries.

Holiday Fun

Lastly, it is time to begin planning some fun holiday repertoire for school concerts, church gigs, and various holiday celebrations. Here is a link to get you in the holiday spirit:

I hope these winterizing tips will help you to have a wonderful and warm musical season!

About Mitchell Estrin

Mitchell Estrin is Professor of Music Emeritus at the University of Florida where he was founder and music director of the University of Florida Clarinet Ensemble and a University of Florida Research Foundation Professor. He served as the Artistic Director of the Vandoren Clarinet Ensemble Festival and was founder of the Buffet Crampon USA Summer Clarinet Academy. Prof. Estrin was the 20th President of the International Clarinet Association (ICA). He is the author of the biography Stanley Drucker, Clarinet Master published by Carl Fischer and Writing the Vandoren WAVE published by CAMco. His critical edition of the Weber Concertino for Clarinet, Op. 26 is published by Jeanné.

Prof. Estrin is a 2023 recipient of Honorary Membership in the International Clarinet Association. This accolade, marking the highest honor in the clarinet world, is said to acknowledge individuals with a distinguished background in the areas of professional service, teaching, performance, and lifetime achievements.

Mitchell Estrin studied clarinet with Stanley Drucker at The Juilliard School where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. His other influential teachers include Jerome Stowell, Walter Wollwage, Leon Russianoff, Larry Combs, Robert Bloom, and John Moses.

Prior to his academic appointments, he had a 25-year association with the New York Philharmonic. He performed in hundreds of concerts and on 19 international tours with the Philharmonic as principal, second, and E-flat clarinetist under music directors Alan Gilbert, Lorin Maazel, Kurt Masur, Zubin Mehta, Pierre Boulez, Leonard Bernstein, and many distinguished guest conductors including Erich Leinsdorf, Sir Georg Solti, Claudio Abbado, Klaus Tennstedt, Andre Previn, Sir Colin Davis, and Leonard Slatkin. He performed on dozens of recordings with the Philharmonic and on numerous occasions performed with the orchestra on the PBS award winning series, Live From Lincoln Center.

As an international concert artist, Mitchell Estrin has performed in over 40 countries on 5 continents. He performed and recorded the world premiere of The Shadows of October for clarinet and orchestra by Michael Whalen with the Janacek Philharmonic.
“This beautiful and lushly scored tonal piece…. is performed by clarinetist Mitchell Estrin…. He plays beautifully with a lovely colored tone.”
The Clarinet

As a chamber musician, he has performed with such notable ensembles as The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, New Arts Trio, American Chamber Winds, at the Newport Music Festival, and was a founding member of the Amadeus Ensemble.

Prof. Estrin has an extensive discography of solo and chamber music and recorded hundreds of television commercials and Hollywood motion-picture soundtracks. He has performed and recorded with many leading popular artists including Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Peter, Paul and Mary, Ray Charles, The Fugees, Wynton Marsalis, Benny Golson, Smashing Pumpkins, and Natalie Merchant. His motion picture soundtrack credits include recordings for Columbia, Walt Disney, Paramount, MGM, 20th Century Fox, United Artists, and Warner Brothers on feature films including Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Alamo, Intolerable Cruelty, The Score, You’ve Got Mail, Primary Colors, Fargo, Batman Forever, Interview with the Vampire, Home Alone 2, Pocahontas, Doc Hollywood, Regarding Henry, The Untouchables, Reds, and Dressed to Kill. His television credits include recordings for ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, HBO, TBS, and ESPN. Prof. Estrin was principal clarinetist for the NBC 75th Anniversary Special; broadcast from the famed NBC Studio 8H in New York City. He has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, The Phil Donahue Show, the television series Nurse, and in Kramer vs. Kramer, the 1980 Academy Award Winner for Best Picture. His clarinet playing has also been heard on hundreds of television and radio commercials. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences recognized him as a Most Valuable Player nominee for his outstanding performances in the recording studio.

Prof. Estrin has presented recitals, masterclasses, workshops, and seminars at many prestigious educational conferences and institutions. This list includes the Eastman School of Music, Peabody Conservatory, Arizona State University, Florida State University, University of Maryland, University of Alabama, University of Arizona, University of Illinois, University of Texas, Texas State University, Texas A&M University, Midwest Clinic, New York State School Music Association, Connecticut School Music Association, and Florida Music Educators Association. In 2019, he was a guest clinician in Australia at the University of Melbourne. He has performed in recital with clarinetists Stanley Drucker, Karl Leister, and Mark Nuccio.

Widely acclaimed as a conductor and proponent of the clarinet choir, Prof. Estrin has served as director of the International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest® College, Festival, and Professors Clarinet Choirs, Texas State Clarinet Fiesta Clarinet Choir, Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium Clarinet Choir, Texas Clarinet Colloquium Clarinet Choir, and United States Navy Clarinet Choir. He held a Guinness World Record for conducting the world’s largest clarinet choir (367 members) in 2019. He has conducted the University of Florida Clarinet Ensemble throughout the United States and Europe, including three feature recitals at the International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest®. The ensemble has produced four critically acclaimed CD’s for Mark Masters, Christmas Clarinets (2016), Clarinet Choir Classics (2012), Clarinet Thunder (2009), and Wind in the Reeds (2006). Each of these recordings was selected for the Grammy Nomination eligibility list. Prof. Estrin has authored multiple articles on the history, development, repertoire, and logistics of the clarinet choir.

As a music producer and annotator, he has worked on projects with such renowned artists as trombonist Joseph Alessi, jazz pianist Lynne Arriale, and saxophonist Mike Smith. He has produced five clarinet choir CDs for Mark Recording.

Prof. Estrin’s students have performed with such prestigious ensembles as the Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, New York Pops, United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own”, United States Army Field Band, and West Point Band. His students hold educational positions at several major universities including Indiana University, University of Arizona, University of Florida, and University of South Alabama.

Mitchell Estrin is a Buffet Crampon Legacy Artist and performs exclusively on the Buffet R13 clarinet. As a Vandoren Performing Artist, he endorses and performs exclusively on Vandoren reeds (V.12) and mouthpieces (BD2). Prof. Estrin’s educational articles are published regularly in the Vandoren WAVE and his biography is listed in Who’s Who in Classical Music, Who’s Who in American Music, and Who’s Who in International Music.