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The Clarinet Ninja Podcast: Clarinet Lessons & Practice Tips

The Clarinet Ninja Podcast: Clarinet Lessons & Practice Tips

Written by: Jay Hassler
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About this listen

 The Clarinet Ninja Podcast teaches adult clarinet players how to learn faster and play better using science-based practice methods. Host Jay Hassler brings you interviews with world-class clarinetists like Ricardo Morales (Philadelphia Orchestra), Dr. Molly Gebrian (neuroscientist and author), and master craftsmen like Brad Behn. Whether you're just starting clarinet, returning after years away, or looking to refine your skills, you'll get proven practice techniques, equipment advice, and inspiration from the pros. Perfect for adult learners who want to improve their clarinet playing efficiently. Art Music Self-Help Success
Episodes
  • Support vs. Volume: The Key to Better Clarinet Playing with David Sapadin

    Support vs. Volume: The Key to Better Clarinet Playing with David Sapadin
    Jan 20 2026

    Welcome to the Clarinet Ninja Podcast!

    In this episode, Jay sits down with longtime friend and accomplished clarinetist Dave Sapadin for a deep dive into the journey of becoming your own player. Dave shares his equipment evolution - from Buffet R13 to LeBlanc Opus, Backun MOBAs, and finally to Uebel clarinets - and what he learned about compromise and personal sound along the way.

    But this conversation goes far beyond gear. As a highly successful teacher with students earning top honors (including first chair in New York State), Dave reveals his teaching philosophy: creating an open, judgment-free environment where students learn to identify and solve problems independently.

    He discusses the crucial difference between support and volume, why embouchure is often blamed incorrectly, and how to help students hear themselves objectively.

    Key topics include:

    The evolution of clarinet manufacturing and intonation

    Learning habits vs. unlearning them

    Teaching students to "not accept" mediocrity

    How sound changes with distance from the player

    The role of air, throat, and fingers (not just embouchure)

    Lessons learned from studying with Ricardo Morales and Yehuda Gilad

    Why dynamics are about color, not just volume

    The impact of the pandemic on student playing Whether you're a student, teacher, or adult amateur, this conversation offers valuable insights into developing as a complete musician.

    Clarinet Ninja Dojo: https://www.clarinetninja.com/dojo-landing

    Clarinet Ninja Forum (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/groups/6777812678921667

    Calendly Link - talk to me free: https://calendly.com/theclarinetninja/30min

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    53 mins
  • Stuck in Your Clarinet Playing? Here's What's Really Holding You Back

    Stuck in Your Clarinet Playing? Here's What's Really Holding You Back
    Jan 5 2026

    If you've been frustrated with your clarinet progress, this episode will change everything.

    The problem isn't that you're not talented enough. The problem isn't that you don't practice enough. The problem is your environment.

    In this episode, I break down the exact framework for designing an internal environment where improvement becomes inevitable, not aspirational.

    You'll discover: - Why discipline and willpower-based practice always fails (and what actually works) - The Three Rooms Strategy for strategic musical growth - How your confidence shifts based on proximity (and how to stabilize it) - The exact four areas that determine your progress - How to protect your mental environment from comparison traps - Why you're the same musician in every room This isn't about practicing more hours. It's about designing the right environment where drive flourishes naturally.

    FREE DOWNLOADS:

    📥 Internal Environment Workbook: https://www.clarinetninja.com/internal-environment-workbook

    📥 Clarinet Practice Guide: https://www.clarinetninja.com/2026-clarinet-practice-guide

    This year, don't just set goals. Design an environment where improvement is inevitable.

    CONNECT WITH CLARINET NINJA:

    🌐 Website: www.clarinetninja.com 📧 Email: TheClarinetNinja@gmail.com

    📱 Instagram: @clarinetninja

    🎵 Join the Dojo: https://www.clarinetninja.com/dojo-landing

    If this episode helped you, please leave a review! It helps other clarinetists find the show.
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    24 mins
  • Playing Clarinet with My 11-Year-Old Self: A Story About Music, Memory, and Loss

    Playing Clarinet with My 11-Year-Old Self: A Story About Music, Memory, and Loss
    Dec 22 2025
    This is my first holiday season without my mom. While going through old recordings after her passing, I found something that stopped me in my tracks: a recording of me at 11 years old playing "The Christmas Song" on clarinet, with my mom accompanying on piano. It was a fifth grade band holiday concert. Fifth-grade me squeaking through phrases, my mom patiently at the piano, both of us creating something we didn't know would matter like this decades later. So I decided to do something: I played a duet with my younger self. Current me, meeting fifth-grade me, both of us held together by my mom's piano. This episode is different from my usual format. It's personal. It's emotional. But I think it might be exactly what some of you need to hear right now. WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE: The story behind the recording and why my mom captured that moment What grandparents (and parents and teachers) are really doing when they show up The "long game" of creating meaning that compounds across decades Why you should record yourself NOW, even if you're not ready What you're actually building when you practice your instrument The full duet performance: three generations in one musical moment How music collapses time and creates conversations across decades What it means to become "someone's archive" THIS EPISODE EXPLORES: Finding meaning during difficult seasons The role of music in processing grief and loss Legacy and what we pass down to future generations Why your practice matters more than you realize Creating archives that reveal their meaning later The compounding effect of showing up consistently How adult learners demonstrate possibility to those watching them Whether you've lost someone recently, you're thinking about legacy, or you're wondering if your practice time really matters, this episode is for you. ABOUT THE CLARINET NINJA PODCAST: The Clarinet Ninja Podcast helps adult clarinet players reclaim their musical dreams through evidence-based practice methods, systematic skill development, and the mindset of lifelong learning. Whether you're returning after decades away or just getting started later in life, this show proves it's never too late to become the musician you've always wanted to be. Hosted by Jay Hassler, who combines performance experience from Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Opera, and Broadway with adult learning science to create methods that actually work for real people with real lives. LEAVE A REVIEW: If this episode resonated with you, the best way to support this work is to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps other adult learners find the show and join this community of people who believe music is a lifelong conversation with yourself. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. Sometimes the people who need these messages most don't even know they're looking for them. Keep practicing. Keep showing up. Keep building something that compounds. EPISODE CREDITS: Host: Jay Hassler Production: Clarinet Ninja Original Recording (1985): Jay Hassler (clarinet), Betty Hassler (piano) Music: "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" © 2024 Clarinet Ninja. All rights reserved.
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    10 mins
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