Clarinet Lessons in New Hampshire

How clarinet learning works in New Hampshire

How does clarinet fit school music in New Hampshire?

Clarinet usually enters school music through beginning band, with the start depending on the district. Nashua School District offers band in grades 4 and 5 at Amherst Street Elementary, while Portsmouth School District begins beginning band in grade 5 and Dover Middle School lists band for grades 5 through 8. Portsmouth Middle School continues band in grades 6 through 8. In Nashua, school-owned instruments are loaned when available, though students are responsible for loss or damage, so ask your school how instrument access works as you plan a first clarinet.

Who runs what for New Hampshire clarinetists?

New Hampshire's student music opportunities are led by two organizations with different roles. The New Hampshire Music Educators Association (NHMEA) runs All-State, solo and ensemble, district middle-school festivals, and other school music events, while the New Hampshire Music Teachers Association (NHMTA) offers the Granite State Solo Competitions for woodwind students. The New Hampshire Band Directors Association (NHBDA) coordinates All-State Chamber and Middle Level Honors festivals for school band students. For a clarinet family, NHMEA is the direct route to Classical All-State and a solo rating; NHMTA provides a separate competition path.

Auditions and events in New Hampshire

How does a clarinetist reach New Hampshire's top student honors?

New Hampshire clarinetists can audition directly for Classical All-State, without a district round. The audition is held in November, followed by the festival in April in Concord. The separate NHMEA Solo and Ensemble Festival offers a rating on an individual performance, with registration usually closing in early January for the February event. Jazz All-State is another route for clarinetists interested in jazz, with auditions in October and a February festival. These opportunities serve different aims: playing with a state ensemble, receiving feedback on a solo, or performing in a jazz setting.

What do auditions ask you to prepare?

For an NHMEA Solo and Ensemble clarinet rating, choose a solo from an accepted state music list; when list grade levels conflict, the NYSSMA Manual takes precedence. The student also performs three major scales from memory, ascending and descending at a moderate tempo. The solo itself does not have to be memorized, and an accompanist is not required, but original music is required rather than a photocopy. The performance slot includes music, scales, and adjudicator comments, with no more than six minutes recommended for playing. In weekly lessons, allow three to six months to prepare an event piece well, including reliable tone, clean finger changes, and confident scales.

What else is there to enter?

The NHMEA Solo and Ensemble Festival is a focused option for clarinetists seeking a rating on an individual performance rather than a place in an ensemble. It welcomes students of different ages and ability levels who meet its student eligibility rules. Students who enjoy a more competitive setting can also enter the Granite State Solo Competitions through the New Hampshire Music Teachers Association; the woodwind category makes clarinet a fit. These events suit students who want a clear performance goal and feedback on their playing.

Homeschool and private school students

New Hampshire homeschool and private school students can take part in curricular courses and cocurricular programs, including performing groups, in their resident district. Under New Hampshire RSA 193:1-c, a district's participation policy cannot be more restrictive for them than for resident district students, so ask the district how its policy applies to band and student music events. Granite State Home Educators supports homeschooling families statewide, and Catholics United for Home Education–New Hampshire connects Catholic homeschool groups across the state.

Starting at any age

Starting a child on clarinet

A child who can manage two-handed fingering and steady breath is often ready to begin clarinet around age eight or nine. Starting before school band gives you or your child time to build a clear tone and read notes without the pressure of keeping up with a full ensemble. A private teacher can shape those first habits, then help with the school music as it becomes more demanding; Nashua School District also loans school-owned instruments when available, with students responsible for loss or damage.

A teen in New Hampshire

A teen can join band through school and build toward New Hampshire's student honors on a clear calendar. Classical All-State auditions take place in November, with the festival in April, while the Solo and Ensemble Festival is in February; school music students must meet the eligibility rules for All-State. Weekly lessons fit alongside rehearsals by giving a student regular individual attention on tone, finger technique, and the music they are working on, so school ensemble playing and solo preparation reinforce each other.

Starting or coming back as an adult

Adults in New Hampshire have welcoming concert-band options for clarinet. The New Horizons Musical Organization of the Lakes Region in Belmont welcomes adults returning to an instrument or starting one for the first time; The Temple Band in Temple asks for two years of concert-band instrument experience and holds no-audition rehearsals. Upper Valley Community Band in Hanover and Kearsarge Community Band in New London are additional places to explore. It is not too late to learn or return: a dedicated teacher meets you at your current level and builds the skills that make playing with others comfortable.

Finding the right teacher

What should a good clarinet teacher do?

A strong clarinet teacher listens closely to tone and breath while helping fingers move cleanly across the instrument, then connects those basics to the student's music. That matters in New Hampshire because a student aiming at NHMEA solo ratings needs secure major scales as well as a polished solo, while a younger beginner may simply need a patient start that builds confidence before school band. Fit also depends on age, goals, and personality; training alone does not tell you whether a teacher's way of explaining works for you or your child. You can choose a teacher yourself or ask us to recommend one. Every Lesson With You teacher holds at least a bachelor's degree in clarinet.

How do live online clarinet lessons work?

A live Zoom lesson lets your teacher hear the clarinet's tone and articulation in real time and see your hands, posture, and music, so feedback can address a specific note or fingering while you play. A quiet room, a stable device positioned to show your face and hands, and a music stand make it easier to work together. Online lessons mean no commute and access to a teacher who fits, rather than only one who is close by; the same weekly routine is easier to keep when travel is out of the way. A student in Nashua and a student in Laconia get the same choice of teacher and the same one-on-one lesson.

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Clarinet in New Hampshire

Where to hear clarinet

In Portsmouth, Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra Main Stage concerts offer individual student tickets for $10 during the 2026–27 season, giving you or your child a chance to hear clarinet in an orchestral setting. Symphony New Hampshire, based in Nashua, presents concerts and educational opportunities throughout the state, so families in different parts of New Hampshire can hear orchestral music without relying on one local venue.

Where to play with others

Community bands give clarinetists a natural way to keep playing beyond school. Windham Community Bands welcomes musicians of any age to its concert band or swing band, and the Merrimack Concert Association Jazz Ensemble welcomes woodwind players of all experience levels. Both offer a setting where clarinet sound and ensemble listening matter. For a player who wants to try a less formal approach, The Word Barn in Exeter hosts an old-time jam on December 1, 2026, open to all levels and instruments.

Clarinet around New Hampshire, area by area

Nashua area

Nashua Chamber Orchestra concerts give young listeners a chance to hear clarinet in orchestral music, and students under 18 attend its 2026–27 regular-season concerts free. In Manchester, the Levitt AMP Manchester Music Series brings free live music to Veteran’s Memorial Park on Thursday evenings throughout the summer. These are listening opportunities rather than clarinet ensembles, so a student can enjoy live performances while continuing to develop through school band.

Concord area

For a family in Concord, the useful local listening option is the concert series itself: free performances include shows suited to children, and its annual NH 39th Army Band Veterans Day Concert takes place in November. A clarinet student can hear the instrument in a concert-band setting there, alongside the other winds and brass, without needing to travel for a formal student event.

Lebanon area

Claremont’s Claremont Youth Symphony Orchestra and Da Capo Strings are string ensembles, so they do not offer clarinet parts. For a clarinet player here, those groups are not a playing route; the useful distinction is that an orchestra built around strings is different from a school or community band, where clarinet belongs.

Keene area

Keene Chamber Orchestra is a non-auditioned option for players who can read music, and interested musicians can try a rehearsal. Keene’s Community Events, including summer concerts, are free and require no registration, giving families another way to include live music in their routine. A clarinetist who can read comfortably can consider whether the orchestra’s repertoire and rehearsal setting match their experience.

Laconia area

In Durham, the New Hampshire Youth Band serves students in grades 7 through 12, while a local music program’s free final concert is open to the public. The Youth Orchestra of New Hampshire is based in Manchester. These are distinct options for the wider Lakes Region: band participation for eligible students and a public performance for families who want to hear young musicians.

A little clarinet history in New Hampshire

Clarinet has a visible place in New Hampshire's orchestral life. Patricia Cunningham has served as principal clarinetist of the New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra since 1985 and has appeared as its soloist three times, giving students a long-standing local example of the instrument's role in orchestral music. In Keene, the New England Philharmonic Chamber Players will perform a score for the silent film Sherlock, Jr. on February 27, 2027, with clarinet alongside bassoon, piano, and strings. For a student, these are reminders that clarinet playing can grow from school band into chamber and orchestral settings.