What kind of cane do you use?

In general, whatever vibrates consistently! Right now, I’m currently using Lavoro and Tchankaya tube cane. These both come from Turkey, and I feel that the fibers are dense but not too dense, not too brittle and responds really well to all of the work I do.

What bassoon do you play on?

I play on a Puchner 5000 (model 23) antique finish that was made in 2011. I’ve paired it with a beautiful Heckel CE2 bocal.

What machines do you use?

Everything with the exception of my profiler (which is an unidentifiable brand), are Reeds n’ Stuff machines.

Do you make different shapes?

Currently no, I only make reeds with a Herzberg shaper that was purchased from Nexus woodwinds. I find that this is a very versatile shape that suits many different players and set-ups very well!

Do you make student reeds?

Yes and no! I’m a firm believer that a good reed is a good reed no matter what. My main focus is every reed that I send out is that it has enough resistance to play in all registers beautifully and comfortably, yet collapses in the rails enough for all different players to be able to get a handle on and not tire you out too quickly. I make reeds for my students in my private teaching studio and generally do not make different reeds for them.

How long have you been making reeds and who was your main influence?

I have been making reeds closing in on 10 years now. I started in high school without a private instructor (which I don’t recommend, more on that later!), and really honed my skills throughout my undergrad and graduate degrees. I don’t fall into a particular school of reed making, but do agree with almost everything in Eric Arbiter’s book, The Way of Cane.