My husband has a habit of going to wirecutter.com whenever he needs something new. If you're unfamiliar with the site, it's a hub of unbiased product reviews that have been through rigorous testing. Think of it like a modern-day "Good Housekeeping" stamp of approval.

I decided to create my own "ER stamp of approval" with products that have made my life easier as a saxophonist. Without further ado, here are a few of my favorite things :D

Neck-strap: Breathtaking Lithe Strap

Developed by a Japanese saxophonist with the goal of creating an ergonomically correct saxophone strap, the Breathtaking eliminates stress on the neck, eases tension in the chest, and divides the weight of the instrument between shoulders. The result is a ridiculously comfortable, well-made strap that makes hours of playing effortless. (And all the baritone players rejoice...)

Reeds: D'Addario Reserve Alto Saxophone Reeds, 3.0+

I know, someone who's a D'Addario clinician probably recommends their products. But here's...

A fantastic article on the power and practice of deep learning.

How to Harness the Power of Deep Practice to Master Any Discipline

If you haven't tried these out yet, you NEED to! Here's why I use them and recommend them for my students.

Check them out for yourself at keyleaves.com

As we near Thanksgiving break and look at fall competition results in the rear view mirror, I want to take a minute to address something I do in my teaching: implementing a growth mindset.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with this terminology, here's a quick explanation:

Fixed mindset = the belief that our intelligence is set; we are either talented or we are not, our potential is predetermined

Growth mindset = the belief that our intelligence can be improved; we can train our brain to learn and problem-solve, failure is an opportunity to LEARN and GROW

Check out this video on how to adopt and teach a Growth Mindset.

My lecture on Overcoming Performance Anxiety is up on YouTube! Excuse my shoes (I forgot to change out of my walking shoes :/) and enjoy the info :)