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Denise Gainey is President Elect of the International Clarinet Association and is is Professor of Clarinet and Instrumental Music Education and Associate Chair of the Department of Music at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
- Up at 5am to exercise and walk my dog.
- Get to school at 7am to set up for Class Woodwinds and get a good warm-up in (and answer a few of the scary amount of emails that come because I’m Associate Chair of the Department of Music and for ICA).
- Practice and emails after my 8am class, then a lesson or Staff Meeting from 10-11am.
- Lunch with my husband (which I try to keep sacred – we live two minutes from the music building!).
- Masterclass or Convocation/ Student Recital from 12:20-1:10, then a practice session before more lessons. Sometimes there are faculty meetings or committee meetings thrown into the mix – or symphony rehearsals if I’m asked to play with the Alabama Symphony.
- At 4pm I begin private teaching, then more practice before heading home. Often there is a recital or concert to attend. Early to bed, early to rise has always been the way for me. And….”when you do what you love, you never work a day in your life”…no matter how hectic it gets.
