Clarinet, Crisis, and Change: How a Blood Clot Reshaped My Playing—and My Life

We often think progress on the clarinet comes from focused effort—hours of practice, carefully chosen reeds, and targeted exercises. But sometimes, the biggest breakthroughs begin somewhere completely unexpected. On June 11, 2003, I had blood clots in my brain. I didn’t know it at the time, but that medical emergency would become one of the most defining moments of both my life and my clarinet playing. In this episode, I share how surviving that event forced me to rethink everything—from how I approached my career to how I understood discomfort, identity, and growth. And I draw direct lines between those lessons and the clarinet: how real improvement often starts with disruption. When you change your voicing, your tonguing reacts. When you focus on articulation, your tone may fall apart—at first. But within that mess is the seed of real transformation. Whether you’re navigating a personal challenge or just wrestling with your air support or articulation, this episode reframes discomfort as a necessary—and powerful—tool for musical growth. Sometimes the biggest changes in your playing start with the things you never asked for.

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