Dr. Levana Cohen walks you through the process of how she breaks in her reeds, rotates to ensure longevity, and provides storage tips. Walk through the entire process from start to finish with instructional videos.

Break-In

5 Steps to Break-In Your Reeds:

1. Take the reed out of its packaging.

2. Dip in water and massage the cane to seal and close the pores.

3. Do this for 3 days.

4. On the 4th day, play for only a few minutes.

5. Gradually increase the time playing the reed by a few minutes each day until a week has passed.

Rotation

Reeds to Keep in a Rotation

• Dr. Cohen has 8 reeds in her reed box at a time. It depends on your reed case and your playing schedule.
• Mark your reeds and come up with your own system!
• Use systems like days of the week, colors, or pencil markings if you're new to rotation.

Storage

How to Maintain Humidity

The key to keeping your reeds playing their best is to maintain humidity in their storage environment.

For a temporary case:

1. Grab a Ziploc bag and a paper towel.

2. Place reeds in their original cases.

3. Wet your paper towel so that it's just damp, not dripping.

4. Place towel inside of the bag in addition to your reeds in their plastic holders.

*Check daily for dampness and mold. Discard moldy reeds immediately.

Additional Tips

Limited Resources

• All you need is one thing: more than one reed to start your rotation process.
• Prolong the life of your reeds by rotating your reeds constantly.
• If you only have two reeds, try playing one reed for the first half of your practice session and then the second reed for the second half. This will prolong the life of your reeds.

About Dr. Levana Cohen

Seattle born clarinetist, Levana Cohen is an avid performer and music educator. Her performances have taken her to some of the most prestigious concert halls including, Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center's Rose hall, the Koussevitzky Music Shed and Ozawa hall of Tanglewood, Benaroya Hall, Symphony Space, The DiMenna Center, Flushing Town Hall and the 92ndY sharing the stage and performing with such artists as Frank Morelli, William Purvis, Steven Taylor, Shlomo Mintz and the Emerson String Quartet to name a few. Levana's life as a NY based freelance musician has made her into an extremely versatile musician performing and teaching in a multitude of different genres.

As a committed and devoted music educator, Dr. Cohen enjoys teaching students of all ages. She is the clarinet professor and teaches the Woodwind Method class at Long Island University, Post campus. She also serves as the Clarinet Instructor at Suffolk County Community College, and at the Diller Quaile School of Music as well as operating her own private teaching studio in Port Washington NY. Apart from helping her students find their true, unique voice on their instrument, one of her highest priorities at the college level is to prepare her students for successful careers in music. Dr. Cohen is a Vandoren Artist- Clinician and through this program gives free clinics to music programs across Long Island. Additionally, Levana is a Woodwind Specialist and coach with the Metropolitan Youth Orchestras of New York, a chamber music coach for Stony Brook University, and is the director of the Port Washington Clarinet Choir.

Levana holds both a Master of Music degree and a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University under the tutelage of Daniel Gilbert.