Timothy Phillips is Associate Professor of Clarinet at the John M.

Long School of Music at Troy University

in Troy, Alabama. Since joining the Troy University faculty in 2006, he founded Troy University Clarinet
Day, which brings high school, college, and professional clarinetists together at the John M. Long School
of Music for performances and master classes each spring. Timothy is also creator and host of a weekly
program on Troy University Public Radio WTSU called Clarinet Corner, Social Media Editor of the
International Clarinet Association, and a Buffet Group USA Performing Artist.
Timothy has served as President of the Higher Education Division of the Alabama Music Educators
Association and he has performed at previous AMEA Conferences. He performed at ClarinetFest 2011 in
Los Angeles, California, ClarinetFest 2010 in Austin, Texas, and ClarinetFest 2008 in Kansas City,
Missouri. He presented his paper, The Longing Voice: Schuberts Der Hirt auf dem Felsen at
ClarinetFest 2004 in College Park, Maryland. He also performed at the National Association of College
Wind and Percussion Instructors National Conference in Gainesville, Florida in 2011 and the College
Music Society National Conference in Atlanta, Georgia in 2008. As soloist, he has performed with
Concerto Avenna in Warsaw, Poland and with the Troy University Symphony Band, Troy University
Concert Chorale, Troy University Percussion Ensemble, University of Illinois Symphonic Band, and
University of Illinois Summer Band. In 2011, he premiered works as soloist with the International Clarinet
Choir, organized by the Trumerei Clarinet Ensemble in New York City and with the Troy University
Symphony Band on their first-ever international tour in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada. Timothy is former
principal clarinetist of the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra and he has performed with Sinfonia da
Camera in Illinois. An active proponent of music by living composers, he has commissioned works from
Jorge Montilla, Jeff Brooks, James David, Scott McAllister, and Bill Douglas, and he has premiered works
by Alain Mayrand, Traci Mendel, Don Bowyer, and Carl Vollrath.
In 2011 and 2009, he performed and taught at Clarimania, a bi-annual event held at the Karol Lipinski
Academy of Music in Wrocaw, Poland. In 2013, he will return to this event to teach a master class and to
present a lecture-recital entitled American Works for Clarinet and Percussion with his colleague T. Adam
Blackstock. In 2010, Timothy served on the jury for the International Woodwind Instruments Clarinet
Competition in Warsaw, Poland with clarinetists Florent Hau, Ludmila Peterkova, and Nicolas Fargeix.
Timothy has also served as a judge for the University of Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium Young Artists
Competition in 2010 and the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra Guild Concerto Competition in 2008
and 2006.

Timothy completed the Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in clarinet performance at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He holds the Bachelor of Music Education degree from the
University of Colorado at Boulder. His principal teachers included: J. David Harris, Daniel Silver, Bil
Jackson, and Philip Aaholm. Timothy received the Phi Kappa Phi Artist Award from the Troy University
chapter of Phi Kappa Phi and the Albert Austin Harding Award from the University of Illinois Bands.

Timothy lives in Troy, Alabama with his wife Katrina, daughter Violet, white fluffy dog Kaspar, and fat cat
Benny.

KM: How do you balance your life when you have varied responsibilities and goals?

TP: Good question. It has never been easy. And Id say Ive done it differently in different stages of my life.
When I was an undergraduate, a very wise clarinet professor told me that if I dont make clarinet practicing
a top priority, academic paperwork could easily take over my life. He suggested setting time aside for
practicing everyday, no matter what. This was brilliant advice because its true: academic paperwork can
really consume your life if you let it.

When I was a graduate student, and at the very start of my career, I think my life was somewhat
unbalanced in that I let work be my top priority, always. Luckily for me, I have a wife who is also a
clarinetist, so she was very understanding during those times. And she was always there for me when it
was time for the work to stop. It helped that she was inside her own tornado of work too.

Now that we have a child, family time has become totally nonnegotiable. I take care of my school/teaching
work during the day as much as possible, and Im not nearly as available in the early evenings. And I have
cut back on some playing gigs. For example, my wife and I left our positions as co-principal clarinetists of
the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra during her pregnancy. (You must understand, to play in that
orchestra required a two-hour drive, one-way just to get to rehearsal. That was an eight-hour commitment
after school ended on weekdays. After a day of teaching, it could be very taxing. And now with a child at
home, theres no way we can do it.) So, now all my performing focus is on my recitals and other periodic
concerts. I wouldnt trade the time with my daughter for anything, so this was definitely the right decision
for us.

But, now as it has always been, I have to make time to maintain and improve my own playing. Usually I
can work that into my schedule in the morning or during the day. And occasionally I can practice after the
little one has gone to sleep in the evening. I know it will only get more challenging to maintain this balance.
KM: How do you prioritize "marketing yourself" with practice time, performing, and your full time job as a
professor of clarinet?

TP: Well, luckily the university I work for does a very nice job of marketing for me. We have honor band
festivals where I can teach and perform and I am frequently given the opportunity to travel to do these
things as well. And my part-time responsibility of hosting Clarinet Corner on Troy University Public Radio
helps me to stay connected with the clarinet world. I have also found that Facebook can be a very useful
tool for connecting with colleagues and students. The best part about Facebook is letting others see that
youre a normal person, that you have flaws, and that your entire life isnt about the clarinet. Of course,
they get to hear about my clarinet adventures too. But, I think its nice to be able to show people that at the
end of the day, were all faced with a similar set of human circumstances.

KM: Do you think that more should be done in music schools to prepare students for what their life as a
musician might be like?

TP: That would be a good idea, but I know in actuality, students are already so busy preparing themselves
musically; it could be difficult to add more to the curriculum. Probably a time when I learned most about
what life as a musician would be like was when I was in graduate school. I had some excellent
assistantships and other jobs that helped me to learn about how to survive.

Honestly, I think the biggest problem perhaps is the fact that universities and conservatories are
graduating far more people each year than the job market can handle. So, there are many, many qualified
musicians who never get the jobs they were wanting. Many people hoping to go into academia cant even
get interviews. Therefore, its important for people to be flexible with their goals, willing to teach, and
creative when it comes to making performance opportunities for themselves.

KM: Do you have any advice for clarinetists searching for faculty positions?

TP: For tenure track faculty positions, most schools are looking for someone who has completed their
doctorate. And they want candidates who have received good grades in school. Beyond that, theyre
looking for excellent players who have made the most of their surroundings. As a music faculty member
who plays the clarinet, there are so many things one might be asked to do: teaching a theory class maybe,
going into schools to recruit, serving on committees, organizing events, maybe even reorganizing
curriculums. Universities are looking for smart, optimistic people who have lots to offer outside the clarinet
studio.

KM: How did you become a Buffet Artist?

TP: I think for me, becoming a Buffet Artist had a lot to do with Troy University Clarinet Day. I began this
event six years ago and it has grown steadily every year. It has been common for me to invite Buffet
Artists as my guest artists. Because of this artist connection, the fact that I play Buffet clarinets, and the
fact that Ive often asked Buffet to bring clarinets to my event for people to try, many Buffet Artists
suggested to both me and Buffet that I should be a Buffet Artist. Luckily, the Buffet Group USA agreed.

KM: Do you have any projects coming up?

TP: Always! This spring, I will be rehearsing for my recital (American Works for Clarinet and Percussion) at
Clarimania 2013 in Wrocaw, Poland. This is an excellent bi-annual clarinet festival that features many of
the worlds finest clarinetists and clarinet teachers. This year, I will be there with Florent Hau, his great
French clarinet quartet Les Bons Becs, Isralei clarinetist Shirley Brill, festival coordinator, conductor, and
clarinetist Jan Jakub Bokun, and many others. Im also hoping to do a few other concerts in Europe while
Im there, but Im still working on those plans. Also, this spring I will be a guest artist for Tennessee Techs
Clarinet Day and I will host Troy University Clarinet Day. And Im in the initial planning stages for my recital
at ClarinetFest 2013 in Assisi, Italy this summer. Additionally, I have many guests and shows planned for
upcoming episodes of Clarinet Corner including Wenzel Fuchs, Joe Eller, Julian Bliss, and Rachel Yoder,
just to name a few.

KM: What kind of reeds do you like to play?

TP: I find that different reeds tend to work best with different mouthpiece/ligature combinations. In the past,
I have played Vandoren V12 reeds. For a while I played Gonzalez reeds. At the moment, I play Rico
Reserve Classic reeds. They seem to work best with my current set-up.

KM: What is your favorite color of plastic clarinet?

TP: Definitely red, because variations of red and black are the colors for both Troy University and my high
school. But Ive always liked a clear clarinet. Its a special kind of exotic mixed with disgusting.

KM: What are you listening to now?

TP: At this moment, Im listening to film scores on Pandora. Dont you just love internet radio? My office is
conveniently located near the practice rooms at Troy University, so I often use my Bose QuietComfort
Noise Cancelling headphones and calm, yet inspiring film scores from Pandora to help me to focus on
non-clarinet playing tasks. Outside of this moment, lately Ive been listening to Robert Springs new CD
Dry Heat (which Ill feature on the radio just before Troy Universitys Clarinet Day this spring), Evan
Christophers most recent Clarinet Road CD I think its Volume 3, and when Im driving my car, I listen
to everything from country music, to Kelly Clarkson, to Snoop Dogg, to oldies.

KM: If you could wake up and play any kind of music at the highest level, what would you play?

TP: I think Id play jazz on the piano. Wouldnt that be cool?