New Year, New Start?

January 10th, 2025

The turn of a new year is always a good time to take stock, looking backwards and forwards: did I meet my bassoon goals in the old year, and what goals would it be good to set for the new year?

We have put together a few ideas to help you plan the next stage of your bassoon journey.

Learn to…

What bassoon playing techniques would it be good to hone this year? Are there any which you often get wrong, or which you struggle to carry out quickly enough? Are there any shortcuts you could do with learning to make life easier? Is there any repertoire you would like to tackle/need to tackle this year for which you feel ill-prepared? 

You may even feel like a new venture in your bassoon playing journey – perhaps into early music, or jazz or some other area taking you beyond where you are at now. 

Why not compile a list of things which have been bugging you in the last year or worrying you for the forthcoming? Then prioritise them and focus this year on your top priorities.

Next, think about how you can succeed – can you achieve your priorities on your own?  What would you need in order to do so? Do you need to think about a new practice regime, for example, to give you time and space to tackle new things?

Alternatively, would involving your teacher be helpful, if you have one? If you don’t, would it be good to have a few lessons to get you up to speed with your challenges? Or, if you are stuck in a rut and not making progress, would a change of teacher help? 

Have you thought about attending masterclasses this year, or a residential course? There are lots of opportunities for help, support and inspiration available through the year outside of normal teaching.

You could also consider joining new ensembles covering different repertoire, or bringing different playing challenges, if you are looking for a new venture to tackle.

If you are looking for a fresh challenge, have you thought about the possibility of learning to play another type of bassoon? A contrabassoon perhaps, or a baroque or classical bassoon?

Learn about…

Although for most of us our focus is on the ‘Learn to’ practical side, there are lots of topics it would be great to learn about, to enhance our understanding of how playing our instrument fits into a broader context. And better understanding is likely to support your practical playing endeavours as well. 

Whatever your level of educational attainment musically, there is always more to learn about music theory and music history and how it impacts on the bassoon. More narrowly, there is the history of the bassoon through the last several centuries and the repertoire written for it to explore. 

There are also the technical aspects of bassoon construction and acoustics, and more practically there are lots of useful things to learn about the care and maintenance of your bassoon. 

Whether you approach learning about the world of music and the bassoon through formal tuition, reading books or following relevant YouTube content creators, there are plenty of ways all of us can learn more about our chosen instrument and how it fits into the musical landscape. 

Enjoy…

If this all sounds rather like hard work, maybe your focus should be on enjoying your playing more this year. If this is the case, then you could compile a list of things which would increase your enjoyment and a list of things which are stopping you from enjoying playing as much as you would like. 

Things which could increase your enjoyment could include better/different playing opportunities – anything from informal duets and small ensembles with friends to more formal orchestras perhaps - to give a fresh impetus to your playing. And maybe a different bassoon/different type of bassoon to go with it?

Barriers to enjoying playing which you could consider removing include anything from finally finding a reed which suits you and your bassoon, to having your bassoon serviced, to up-grading your bassoon to better fit your acquired skills and performance level. 

Or a bit of each?

Or you could pick one thing you wish to prioritise in 2025 from each of ‘Learn to…’, ‘Learn about…’ and ‘Enjoy..’ and really focus on them. 

We wish you well in your endeavours in 2025!