Trumpet Matters

Be Distinctive!

2012-01-17T18:01:00.031-05:00

MIDNIGHT RHYTHM by Leonid Afremov

This could be your deal-breaker at the next audition! Our hidden microphone reveals the committee's exuberant reactions to your playing: "This candidate is amazing! A rock star, a monster! Nobody else even comes close! How soon is this person available?"

That's the response we strive for. Don't just try to survive a performance ordeal with minimal wounds. Grab their attention. Go for it. Be distinctive!

One of the easiest ways to win votes is arguably more impressive than sound, style, dynamics or articulation. Even a flawless showing will not be effective without this fundamental element of music. The good news is that it can be practiced endlessly with no pain and all gain. You can improve this skill without ever picking up your instrument. It can be practiced while behind the wheel, bored in class, shoveling snow, or when lounging in a sauna. It's RHYTHM, that sturdy framework without which boredom sets in like gangrene.

Rhythm is the last thing you want to be conjuring up just before you play. It must become automatic and consistent. A good sense of rhythm provides stability, energy, and order. Rock-solid rhythm makes great ensembles great. It is also contagious, giving the feeble strength, the insecure confidence, and the hesitant boldness. It shares generously, but it also greatly benefits the one possessing it. Who needs a metronome!

Where the Audition Starts

2012-01-05T14:26:00.011-05:00

Your audition doesn't just take place when you play it. It was happening every day for months in the practice room whether you knew it or not. What goes on from day to day is pretty much what will happen in front of an audience. Traces of excellence should be frequent and obvious.

Firstly, you probably don't want to listen to this guy, unless you're his dog. Most likely the young blaster sounds like he looks. Posture and possibly attitude adjustments are needed. Conductor and potential colleagues just might have some serious reservations about his stage presence let alone his trumpet playing. This issue can be fixed instantly. Be careful. The visual matters.

Secondly, his daily approach should be organized for consistency. No shocking new insights here, just reviewing the time-tested steps to success that have always worked, but tend to get neglected. Make these a way of life. There will be no time on the big day to begin thinking about these. They must be habitual:

Use an adequate air supply for each passage.
Be able to sing the music accurately.
Divide practice into many brief sessions for control of clarity, sound, and ease.
Practicing slowly gives the brain and ears a chance to keep up. Help them out.
Pause frequently to reset and refocus.
Dynamics should be clearly discernible.
Musical interest and style should be obvious.
Incredible rhythm must be automatic.
Intonation must be unobjectionable.
Run-throughs ought to happen regularly.
Be able to play faster than needed.
Do even more run-throughs!
Gain experience in different locations.
Learn to "play cold".

Travel and audition days are never normal. Anticipate distractions. Focus on your music just as you have been doing for months. After all, this will be just another performance opportunity. Just do it. You've been there.

No Speed Limits!

2012-01-04T17:33:00.009-05:00

Rushing is forbidden, but speeding is encouraged. Rushing disqualifies, but being able to play the trumpet at high speeds is a skill worth training for.

We've all been lectured to take it slow, break it down, and even play at half tempo. Fine and necessary. But how about also learning to handle the horn at great-neck speeds? Set the speedometer at way-fast and give it a go. Let's fly in the fast lane and bypass all of those poky old ladies and Sunday drivers.

Speed is a requirement in so many pieces. Why not put pedal to the floor and still see how much scenery you can observe? We're talking hyper-alertness, awesome facility, amazing sight-reading chops with the agility of a wild cheetah. Fill up for your trip at Starbucks, open wide those eyes, clean your windshield, scan the road ahead, and GO!

When it's time for the performance, you can easily slow down to normal speeds which will seem like a walk in the park by contrast. Push your speed ceiling in the practice room, and avoid the likelihood of crashing in concert.

Piccolo Trumpet Studies - Collinsnotes Publications

2011-12-20T15:56:00.031-05:00

(New) Piccolo Trumpet Studies - 106 short etudes from easy to moderate difficulty, each with the purpose of gradually building range. Goal: ease of playing, clarity of sound, and accuracy of intonation. Every study focuses on character and style. Price: $20. Free shipping

100 Trumpetudes - moderately difficult studies, great for sight-reading. Goal: non-boring practice material. Price: $20. Free shipping.

Trumpet 1, Studies in the Style of the Pops Orchestra Repertoire - 138 short glimpses of generic pops book requirements. Each piece offers a challenge to be on stage and to participate in the music of the moment. Studies range from easy to moderately difficult, and like the other books attempt to draw out character and beauty of playing. Price: $20. Free shipping.

To order via PayPal, enter collinsnotes@earthlink.net

One book: $20.
Two books: $35.
Three books: $50. (If all three, please add $4. shipping)

Building Skyscrapers One Floor at a Time

2011-12-18T16:01:00.010-05:00

A TIMELESS ONE-SENTENCE LESSON:

"Do not attempt to play the following line until the preceding line sounds pure and free." - Ernest S. Williams, from his Modern Method for Trumpet

If Mr. Williams were with us today, we might well hear him advising his students as they begin to practice on the piccolo trumpet:

"Do not attempt to play a higher note until the preceding notes sound pure and free."

This is the foundation for building a secure high range in Piccolo Trumpet Studies. I like Mr. Williams' patient reminder, as he points upwards out the window saying, "Skyscrapers are built one floor at a time."

Piccolo Trumpet Studies, 106 of them, available for $18. plus $2. mailing at: collinsnotes@earthlink.net

Piccolo Trumpet Studies - samples

2011-12-12T19:26:00.003-05:00

A few sample etudes from Piccolo Trumpet Studies book:

New book - Piccolo Trumpet Studies

2011-12-03T08:49:00.009-05:00

Piccolo Trumpet Studies was written to provide easy-to-moderately difficult practice material for piccolo trumpet players of all levels. While it is tempting to plunge right into Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto, the Magnificat, or the B Minor Mass, this book attempts to build range and high note control gradually, one short study at a time.

The goal in this book is to focus on control, tone, ease of playing, and intonation with the same security expected on the larger trumpets. Improvement requires consistent practice with adequate rest. Several organized practice sessions can be more beneficial than one mighty slugfest, and short etudes are more conquerable than those that are lengthy and too difficult.

Release date: December 12, 2011

Price: $18. plus $2. shipping

Contact: collinsnotes@earthlink.net

What to Pack for the Audition

2011-10-05T23:22:00.018-04:00

Job hunters need to have in their portfolio five qualifications that will make the employers' selection process easy. Unfortunately these skills cannot be jammed into your suitcase at the last minute. All-night cram sessions just prior to the interview/audition will not work. These winning qualities will best be evidenced when they have been carefully ingrained over time. They must become automatic.

Not only will you win points at your audition, but you will also have great confidence under pressure. No need to be overwhelmed. All five are quite doable. The good news is that you have daily opportunities to be building these attention-grabbers as much as you like. Keep all five on the front burner, well-prepared, simmering, and ready to serve.

A BEAUTIFUL SOUND

CLEAR AND CORRECT ARTICULATION

PERFECT RHYTHM

GREAT INTONATION

DIRECTION OF THE PHRASE

Audition committees are looking for these, so pay attention and don't disappoint. Guaranteed - if you impress listeners with each of these, your job hunt is over.

Charles Saenz at CCM

2011-10-04T07:04:00.016-04:00

Pictured are Trumpet Professor Charles Saenz and pianist/accompanist extraordinaire Solungga Fang-Tzu Lui, both from THE Bowling Green State University in Ohio. They visited CCM last week for a master class and recital. What a perfect kick start for the fall quarter on the very first week of classes! Beautiful playing and first rate coaching.

Charles plays with confidence, accuracy and wonderful musicianship. What a treat to sit and listen. Mr. Saenz's program began with Shchedrin's In the Style of Albeniz played with perfect agility and character. Their performance made you think "seductive subtlety". Wouldn't be surprised to see this work programed on a number of this year's recitals. It's a fun piece with nifty challenges.

Torelli's Sonata G1 in D major was next without the customary piccolo trumpet tuning difficulties!! It was gracefully played and nicely controlled. Trills and details had clarity, and phrasings were graceful.

Martinu's Sonatine was next. This work is not on many top 10 lists to my knowledge, but definitely worth studying and performing, especially for those looking for some interesting non-standard rep. This Sonatine definitely merits a closer look.

Mr. Saenz continued with the Karl Pilss Sonata. His approach which focused on refinement and style made this work more appealing and worth putting on the front practice burner. He demonstrated a nice flow over those rough angular lines. It sounded well sung.

Ravel's Habanera concluded the recital. This little piece likewise seems to be getting more fame of late. It's a nice classy filler for a recital, but not as easy as it may first appear. Great recital program and performance!

Things learned and general bullet points taken from the master class in no particular order:

Breathe bigger and in time.

Be bold.

Begin phrases well.

Control vibrato.

Intensity should match the musical line.

There can be a slight space between quarter notes for energy and clarity. Be able to use variety of articulations by design, not convenience.

Chains of sixteenth notes need direction.

All lines must have purpose.

Problem spots are usually preceded by a lack of total control just ahead of a danger zone. Be secure before the scary moments come upon you.

Legato matters. Smooth and well shaped lines are impressive.

Play listening games. Pick an issue and listen for it. For example: Monday - starts day; Tuesday - releases day; Wednesday - dynamics day; Thursday - shape, phrasing and intensity day; Friday - accuracy day. Saturday - football and change of pace day; Sunday - take a break day! Be creative but be productive. Every day - keep it fun and challenging.

An Event Like None Other

2011-09-16T17:49:00.019-04:00

Welcome to new and returning CCM trumpet students! One might expect some stress-free social or any instrument-free event to ease the transition from beach to books, and from travel to toil. But no, your unglamorous first assignment even before day one? Take an audition. The sheer shock of it! Congratulations to all of you for shaking off summer and tackling Berlioz, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, de Falla, as well as your solo/etude of choice. Some thoughts on days like this:

An audition can be like having to swallow bitter medicine. Or, like being rudely searched at airport security, or being forced to endure a root canal without Novocain, or being required to play the Buckeyes with no helmets on. If not a physical pummeling, audition-playing can definitely be a mental one. The contest can be embarrassing, humiliating, and even discouraging. That's the bad truth.

The good truth is that we must admit that auditions are perhaps the best learning experience available. Learning to get through the negative emotions is a large part of the challenge. In about ten minutes you just showed yourself exactly where you need improvement. You are forced to confront reality straight in the mirror. If we want to like what we see (and what we hear), adjustments must be made. Auditions hand us our agenda for specific practice. The best part of the day should be your assessment of your performance, your very own sheet of will-dos.

One more important item: mastery of the instrument is our goal of course, but our motivation is not just technical ability. Musical expression, drama, energy, style, and story-telling will go a lot further in sustaining your interest than just checklists of technical details. The former approach helps tremendously with nerves. Your mission is more about the musical message than it is about trying to reach note perfection. Effectively communicating music to the committee and the audience is what this business is about. In fact, how about less "business" and more artistry?

The Auditions: an event like none other.

Dumpster Day!

2011-09-02T10:37:00.007-04:00

This is a great time to rent one of those enormous Rumpke dumpsters! Let's call it the Trumpke dumpster. Haul it right up to your practice room door and load it up. In goes junk, garbage and all manner of notes, chipped, cracked, dropped, bumped, banged, flattened, roughed up, broken and smashed. Totally clean out that practice area. From now on it's each note in its place. No clutter, no junk.

You have too few notes to waste, if any. Your daily notes should be destined for eager ears, not the garbage heap. Before sending out your huge quantity of daily notes, consider where they will end up, land fill, or pay dirt! This can be a very fun project each day. You'll be playing less, and listeners (including you) will be enjoying it more.

The Loudest AND the Best!

2011-08-29T15:27:00.016-04:00

Know what? Almost nobody in school plays loud enough! Good is nice, but good and loud is more impressive and memorable. Judicious and generous jolts of power win fame, money and applause. You must be able to play full out on a moment's notice yet be able to segue into a gorgeous pianissimo. Can you do it? Are you practicing for it?

Playing soft enough is the usual goal which none of us ever feel we have reached. But let's not focus so much on the soft dynamics that we forsake the ability to totally fill the hall with savage, fearless, amazing, shocking, voluptuous trumpet playing!!! Almost every major symphonic work calls for you to meet that demand. Are you preparing?

Where is that CCM player this year? Anyone ready? Warning: If it's going to be loud, it had better be very good and well controlled. Caution: You are entering the no-split zone. The mistakes stop here!

Running in Your Own Lane

2011-08-09T11:16:00.018-04:00

"Look at that runner! No way I'm ever going to catch up! I'm not even close. But hey, look how far ahead I am of the runner at the back of the pack." Comparing with others breeds pride and inferiority, and is a distraction from our game plan. Just run.

Looking sideways or behind isn't the best strategy in running your race. Sure, learn from and be motivated by others, but avoid the trap of evaluating your worth by comparing with others. Your most difficult challenges will be with yourself, so don't be worrying about the next guy's strengths and weaknesses. We've got enough stress as it is. Run well in your own lane. Be consistent and diligent. Put on blinders and just go.

Darts, anyone?

2011-07-26T17:06:00.030-04:00

Which best typifies your playing, a game of Pin the Tail on the Donkey, or Darts? Do you tend to stab blindly in the dark when you play, or are you working on the skill of directing each note to its target? Thankfully trumpeters, like dart players, don't wear blindfolds, so there is hope.

Too often instead of a poised, focused approach on the trumpet, we hurriedly grab a few sips of air and then proceed to lunge viciously in the general vicinity of the notes, hoping to fasten them to some target. Valiant attempts? Yes. Bulls-eyes? Not likely.

Here's the game: Your air stream must simply meet the phrase head on, and remain focused for each note. So, take a good appraisal of the phrase, breathe accordingly, and release your air directly onto its targets, not above or below. If the notes were candles, you want lights out with one breath. It's probably not going to happen with a blindfold on. If you're still thinking pinata, you're in the wrong game.

You want to impress your listeners, observers, and yourself with your accuracy and control. Again, your air must meet and support all of the notes. We're not talking over-thinking each entrance or analyzing ourselves into paralysis, just putting enough air on the notes, period.

As you prepare to toss that dart towards the center of your dartboard, observe your natural instincts, and do likewise when you have horn in hand. An unfriendly game of darts anyone?

Using Swan Air

2011-07-23T16:50:00.007-04:00

Every brass player knows instinctively all about Shotgun, Fireworks and Spitfire style air techniques. Those are what we are famous for. But few have perfected the delicate skill of Swan Air. This breathing technique is needed big time in every audition, every slow movement solo, and for keeping day jobs. We're talking very slow and steady air movement. You are to exemplify the graceful, gliding swan. Ducky Duddle splashing and splattering won't get it done.

Want another picture? Consider a single burning candle. Now blow carefully at it without extinguishing the flame. It must flicker steadily for as long as you can keep it moving. Prize for the longest flickering. Can you do 15 seconds? The longer the better, but it has to be steady. No jerks allowed.

After mastering this very therapeutic and relaxing exhale exercise, you are good and ready for those deadly pianissimo excerpts: Schumann 2, Academic, Mahler 3 chorale, etc. Remember: very deep inhale followed by your very slow release. Swim gracefully and don't make waves.

Case Closed!

2011-07-22T17:53:00.005-04:00

Due to the summertime heat advisory, all CCM trumpet cases should look like this until further notice. No practicing permitted. Don't even think about it. Case closed!!

Roller Coastering

2011-07-07T14:48:00.020-04:00

"Step right up. You're next. Take your seat, please fasten your seat belt. Here we go. Hold on!"

You know what to expect. Fright happens on rides. That's part of the deal. Scary goes with the territory. Oh that the ups and downs of trumpet playing could be as much fun as a roller coaster ride, but that depends upon your perspective. The key is knowing what to expect and learning from your experiences.

Ever notice how much more traumatic that very first ride on the racer is? The next one is much easier as you learn to manage the bumps rather than just survive. If you quit at first fright, you never get to enjoy. Hey, next time, hands up, no fear!

Downward plummets happen in life too. Failures, coming in second, third, or not at all, is part of the adventure. Remember that today's winners were yesterdays losers. The wise losers hang around long enough to win the next time. Precious lessons are ready for the taking for those who look to ride again. Don't go home. Get back in line.

Stop Already!

2011-06-16T19:59:00.014-04:00

"Stop or you'll blow your brains out, or worse yet, your chops!" Woodwind players can always buy more reeds, but brass players can't buy a new box of lips. Easy does it with those non-stop workouts.

You've certainly got a metronome, tuner, and maybe even a decibel meter in the practice room, but how about a timer? You need something that regularly signals that it's time to rest and come up for air. The chops need a break and some fresh blood circulation. Muscles are strengthened by resting as well as by exertion.

Mandatory resting might seem like advice for wimps. Hence, you rarely see a timer in a trumpet player's bag of goods. For us obsessive/compulsive types some sort of stopping device should be a must-have.

Andre is reported to practice many times a day in brief sessions. Vacchiano advised us to put the horn down while the embouchure still feels good. Strategic resting preserves chops while impatient blasting tends to destroy them quickly. Try practicing a little a lot rather than a lot a little.

When Soft Speaks Loudly

2011-06-07T14:39:00.026-04:00

Keep this picture in mind as you practice this week. You do not want to be constantly seeing the maestro's shushing gesture or the palm of his left hand. His "softer, trumpets!" indications are not always this kind and gentle. You can keep him off your case and out of your face with a simple strategy.

Your strategy: a daily generous dose of playing softly! Warning: side effects may include lack of breathing and/or boring playing. If so, take a breath and sing normally. Low decibel work should not mean loss of support or interest. The softer you play, the more you must sustain air and line. The goal is not just being quiet, but playing quiet beautifully.

Develop the skill of controlling a quiet product. Train yourself to be comfortable in pianissimo dynamics.The benefits for you are confidence and favor with audition committees. The soft excerpts are often the deal-breakers in finals. Many wield the big stick, but few can also speak softly.

Enough Money in the Bank?

2011-05-31T17:49:00.022-04:00

Your audition is in two days! Ready or not, you're off to the airport. You leave home allowing plenty of extra time only to learn that your travel agenda is going to be adjusted slightly. Your road to the audition/competition will now include all of the following unplanned obstacles:

1. Due to late departure, you will not be able to make your connecting flight in Chicago.
2. Your checked baggage will not be accompanying you.
3. You will be stranded at O'Hare as all remaining flights are now canceled/delayed due to severe weather.
4. You must search for a hotel for the night.
5. Precious funds are evaporating.
6. Congratulations. You're about to be sleepless in Chicago.
7. Jet lag is starting to kick in and you still have one more time zone to go.
8. Junk food normally avoided for auditions is becoming your only option for survival.
9. You're sensing a strong urge to bail. Why bother?
10. Once having landed in Cincinnati, you still have a two hour drive to Louisville!
11. More than a day later you finally arrive at the audition site with less than an hour to warm up!

Is this not the worst audition nightmare scenario imaginable? Probably, but consider this: by the end of the day, this competitor advanced to semis, then finals, and then won third prize in a nationwide guitar competition. Just think if there were no obstacles. He might have won the whole thing, you say, or he might not have even placed at all. Sometimes obstacles keep us from being too consumed, but that is another topic.

The point: He survived heroically because he had enough money in the bank. His reserve was still in tact regardless of the externals. A smaller account might have been overdrawn by any of the above distractions. You can usually plan on one or more of these audition scenarios to present themselves. You will have no control over any of these, but you can protect your musical treasure from robbery. If your message has been properly prepared, it will survive!

Tornadoes Zero. Jeremy Collins Won!!!

Off the Charts Loud!

2011-05-18T10:55:00.004-04:00

Committee Comment:
"That was the loudest and most electrifying trumpet-playing we have ever heard! It was never forced or out of control. We must hire this person!"

Unbelievable Playing!

2011-05-17T20:50:00.009-04:00

The Winner played
EXTREMELY SOFT
and BEAUTIFULLY

We Have a Winner!

2011-05-16T21:14:00.012-04:00

Plays with:

RHYTHMIC FIRE &
AMAZING BEAUTY

'Tisn't the Season

2011-05-11T17:43:00.024-04:00

"What, me work?!" That's the mindset that tends to accompany these warm weather months. Oh to have a conservatory in Iceland where the grass is browner, the snow is deeper, and the outdoor distractions aren't!

Productive practice should be unaffected by weather, moods, or environment. We function well when we can put aside the many external and internal issues that discourage daily work. Consider yourself a year-round practice robot who consistently does what is needed regardless of obstacles.

It would help if we were as dumb as the trumpet! (No comments needed). The trumpet scolds us: "Would you please just play without all of the drama! Blow, slur and tongue. How hard is that?"

Of course this is ideal and not real. A variety of interferences are daily in attack mode and seek to prevent us from performing our basic chores. It is encouraging to remind ourselves that basic maintenance is not dependent on feeling like it. Quality playing can still happen even when you're uninspired, tired, angry, depressed, or distracted. Consider each of these intrusions to be perfect training for life on the job. Conquer them now, or they will conquer you later.

Music Sets Your Agenda

2011-05-10T21:49:00.012-04:00

Connecting practice to performance is the challenge. Knowing how to make very nice use of the precious time we have so as to yield great shows, that is the task! Some learn this early, some late, and most never get it. (I think I fell somewhere in the latter two groups.) Don't you love it when you see and hear someone who has grasped how to practice and play? Look around. They exist. Observe, listen and learn.

I doubt there are very many players who have not had to be painstaking learners of practice discipline. The naturals still need training and maturity, so be encouraged. They were where you are, but they have moved on.

The "never get it" group spins their wheels at great speeds while all the time basically stuck in the same ditch. They sometimes experience bursts of inspiration, but only to be followed by fits of frustration. Zeal-mustering eventually looses the battle. Hate when that happens, but learn from it.

Learning to organize your work comes after trial and error. In that sense, error can be a great teacher! Failings can be our greatest wake up call. Congratulations, you have just given yourself your personalized practice agenda! As a colleague once commented, "it should be obvious what to practice next."

Let the demands of the music set your practice agenda. Take Ravel's Piano Concerto in G for instance. What's needed? A thousand repetitions, maybe two thousand? No. You'll soon loathe the piece. How about first practicing clean single, double and triple tongue patterns on shortish Clarke-like etudes? Start with diatonic patterns and proceed to include gradually greater jumps. Be able to bust in with dead on accuracy. Don't play a lot sloppy. Play a little cleanly. Daily work is not as good as daily wise work. Pretend the greats are watching and listening as you are slugging away. Will they be impressed with your approach, or will they shake their heads and proceed to the next person?

Consider the Brahms Academic Festival Overture. We don't need loud bursts of bumps and bangs. Obviously required are smooth soft lines, in tune with pure tone and chorale-like direction. Got it? Now practice accordingly. Use slower than needed speeds for control, softer than needed dynamics for control, and higher than needed range for extra control. Set your own strategy, and play with impressive musicianship. It's not brain surgery, but it requires some modest daily brain work.

The Trumpet Shall Sound from Handel's Messiah presents different but similar challenges. Before attempting to scale the heights, you must first master the low range. What does the audience expect? Givens are a pure sound, unobjectionable intonation, clean starts to all notes, and a sense that you are in control of 100% of your product. Begin to build that kind of comfort range and grow it gradually. Only go as high as you are satisfied with your results. The piccolo trumpet cannot be tamed instantly, but must be carefully trained over time. Beware and approach with care. (Paste that on your pic case.)

Don't shove "the music" aside until you've mastered all technique. Instead use the demands of the music to motivate you to master a wise daily strategy. You can go from teacher to teacher with hat in hand, or you can come up with your own brilliant approach to each piece. Get guidance, but you must ultimately figure out your own way.

If you are not the "thinking" and "organizing" type of player, just think of this. Your very own Great-Note-Monitor has just now been attached to your bell, and it is activated. It is recording and processing all of the notes you are playing. Will you be proud of the readout?

Hanging With the Doctor

2011-04-18T19:44:00.017-04:00

Seen the Doctor lately? Sounds like not! If your pulse is unstable, fluctuating, erratic, you are past due for a visit. Just as we don't ignore heart irregularities, so why allow bad rhythm, unsteady tempos, rushing and dragging to threaten our musical lives? Needed badly: a steady ticker!

Prescription: one Dr. Beat. His subdividing options were not available years ago. Remember having to balance that large wooden tic-toc triangle thing on a flat surface? The beat was never perfect, always sounding slightly peg-legged. Even the nifty plastic jobs were frustrating. Drop it once, and it forever limped.

Now with a simple click you can have the perfect Dr. Beat on your case and in your face right next to your ears as loud as you can stand him! The more obnoxious the better. That way the medicine might work and the beat might stick.

Another problem with elderly metronomes was that they could easily be drowned out by exuberant brass belting. In fact, considering the high decibel level required for so much of our demands today, it might be good if someone came out with a DR. BANG! Each click would sound like an empty garbage can being pummeled by a baseball bat! Hey, put it on a dotted quarter note = 120 in 12/8 with subdivided eighth notes and enjoy!

More Spikes!

2011-03-23T15:01:00.020-04:00

Whatever jolts you to double down on improvement, go there and go often! Spikes in your playing need to happen regularly. Life is depressing when motivation disappears. What is it that produces in you an on-fire mindset? Is it attending a brass conference, hearing a great concert, an amazing recital, or listening to Strauss, Mahler, Gabrielli? Certainly you can't walk away empty after hearing great solo playing. Whatever works, do it. Your assignment is to search out greatness and camp out there.

Nothing particularly motivating you today? Take charge. In between spikes, why don't you get to work on bolstering up those dreadful downward spikes? Bring up your low levels so that nobody ever knows you're having a bad day. Daily lighten your load of guilt by chipping away at your nemeses. Then treat yourself with some challenging musical entertainment.

There will always be spikes, but you want them to be more frequent and less deep! Your output depends upon your input. Feed yourself.

Sirens and Songs

2011-03-13T15:24:00.019-04:00

Imagine that you are a great artist stranded on a remote island with no horn, just your mouthpiece. Not to stress. You have all you need to get a whole lot accomplished before the next boat arrives with your trumpet. Wait till they hear what has happened to your sound! Here's a free and easy remedy for that grainy fuzzy tone. Who knows? After they hear the results of your having no trumpet, some remote island might become the site for the next worldwide brass convention!

Sorry, nothing profound here, just hopefully a couple of useful and helpful reminders for sound improvement. No need for the horn yet. Let's go first for sirens and songs.

Gently buzz siren-like glissandi, holding the mouthpiece with maximum of three fingers and very little pressure. Produce absolutely clear tones in a very soft dynamic without any fuzz whatsoever. Start in an easy register for comfortable ups and downs while always maintaining purity of tone. Fuzzy lack of center and ghost areas in your register mean you simply need to get better at this.

Increase your range only if you earn an all-clear to proceed. Carelessness with your buzzing guarantees notes without ring or focus, but a pure buzz will produce a pure trumpet tone every time.

When you get to the highest note of your siren, freeze briefly to make sure there is no straining or embouchure collapsing before you slide back down. Avoid pinching and squeezing for the upper sounds. Air speed ought to increase as you ascend. Rest frequently. Reenter on pitch and increase range gradually. Your goal is embouchure comfort and tone center. Keep adding higher and lower notes to your siren range insisting on quality and ease. Don't neglect full breaths.

Remember, less pressure, more tone. Just place mouthpiece and blow. Note response should resemble the piano which speaks as soon as it is touched.

Next you're ready for songs. Still using just the mouthpiece, minimal pressure, and a conservative dynamic, you may pick your tunes of the day. The simpler and the shorter the better. No modulating and no jamming mouthpiece into the embouchure permitted. Pure artistry and amazing effortlessness. Enjoy this. The next boat arrives shortly. Bummer.

Mr. Smoothy

2011-03-06T12:36:00.016-05:00

It's the fifties in New Jersey and I knew what I was in for, another drive to visit my Uncle Bill! I'm like only 9 or 10 years old and just starting trumpet lessons, but I knew I'd have to sit in front of those enormous Fischer speakers and listen to ancient scratchy recordings of Charlie Spivak and His Orchestra! "Now Philip, I want you to sit here and listen to this!"

My brother and I badly wanted to go outside and play in the huge back yard that had a homemade wooden double bench swing that my grandfather built himself to occupy his mind while my dad was in the army during the War. We loved that old swing! But no. We sat obediently in my uncle's den as he played cut after cut of his beloved trumpet hero. He loved that smooth romantic playing, and he would watch me in vain hoping that he might ignite some spark of interest on my part. I'm certain he concluded that his trumpet-appreciation efforts were wasted. How's a kid that age going to appreciate record playing? All we wanted was to play space ship on Papa's swing, but he tried.

My great grandfather, I was told many times, played first trombone in Sousa'a band. With every visit to uncle Bill I would hear stories of his fabulous playing. Spivak and my great grandfather had similar styles so they said. He was quite the eccentric, my great grandfather, but his amazing playing excused his behavior, but that's another story. (See Spivak's "Hop, Skip and Jump.")

Anyway, here is a nice sample of what my brother and I failed to appreciate at the time. This one is entitled "Stardreams" by Charlie Spivak and His Orchestra. The music is from another era for sure, but his approach and expressive legato are still to be admired. I like his comfort in the upper register. Those weren't high notes. That was home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrZzBHyTGLw

What Rests Are For

2011-03-02T21:23:00.019-05:00

Why are there rests in trumpet solos? Anybody know? They actually just make us uncomfortable as we stand there anticipating our entrance. Incidentally, the worst piece for this scenario has got to be the first movement of the Hummel Trumpet Concerto. It must be 25 minutes before we do anything, just standing there on display trying to look impressive! Sounding good is hard enough. Anyway, here are a bunch of possible purposes for rests. Any of these sound familiar?

Rests in trumpet solos are for . . .

emptying your spit valve as many times as possible before you have to play again.

tensing up and not moving a muscle.

letting the audience know you are scared.

trying to impress the audience that you are not scared.

concentrating like mad.

adjusting your glasses.

rubbing your lips as if in great pain.

loudly blubbering your lips as you try to get blood back into the embouchure.

seeing if you can oil your sticky third valve before the next entrance.

moving the tuning slide a thousandth of an inch with great concern.

frowning with disapproval.

turning away from the audience to violently empty the spit.

Probably none of these were intended by composers, so, any other suggestions, class? Sammy? "It's so we can like rest our chops, man!" Very good, Sammy. You are close. Jermaine? "They are so that we can sort of like feel the moods of the music?" Good, Jermaine, but there could be an even better reason. Sally Sue? "So I can look at my boy friend in the audience?" Well, I'm sure he's a good motivation for you. Any other ideas? Horace? "The resting portions of concertos function as further opportunities for the composer to use thematic material with varying instrumental colors, range contrasts and/or harmonic shifts, modulations, and transitions." Yes, yes, thank you, Horace. "You're welcome, professor."

All of these are right, class. But have you considered the rests as a chance to quickly refocus, to take a breath, and to restart with enough support to get through the next passage with no damage done to you or to the music? Think of the rests as service stations along the highway. You'll be more alert and rested if you make full use of them. Your ideas are all good, boys and girls, but the most important is to prepare yourself for what lies ahead.

Fueling Up

2011-03-01T20:38:00.017-05:00

Imagine filling your car up with gas for a long road trip. You're off and running smoothly. Eventually your gas gauge approaches E, and you must pull over to refuel. For some unknown reason you hurriedly fill the tank only half way before continuing on your long drive.

In less than an hour you must stop again. This time you quickly pump only a couple of gallons. In mere miles you frantically pull off the road, this time adding a measly two pints of gas. At the next station it's just a few dribbles of precious fuel before plunging back into traffic. Soon your long journey is no longer any fun for you or for your engine which is now straining to run on the fumes.

My dad always warned not to let the gas gauge go below half. " Keep the tank full", he said. I took that as a breathing lesson. "The car does not run as well on the bottom of the tank", he would lecture. "It strains the engine." Likewise the brass player has to work much harder when only a small supply of air is used.

Say your long road trip is the off stage Post Horn Solo from the Mahler 3rd Symphony. After a very large intake of air you pull into traffic ever so stealthily, joining the onstage C in perfect harmony. Your good air supply is serving you very nicely, and you are in control and loving it. At the end of the very first phrase however you get a bit rattled as there is so little time to refuel. A hint of panic flashes across your mind as you know you did not get enough air for the next passage. That high A is approaching up ahead, and you only took a sip when you needed to guzzle!

This bad dream has only just begun, for the notes are coming at you faster than you can keep them filled with air. You've got another page and a half to go and already you are gasping! You look around, but there is no assistant in sight! You must learn to survive.

Arnold Jacobs maintained that brass playing is less about chops and more about wind. We don't have chop problems, we have air deficiencies. "Your embouchure is starved for air", he would say. A full intake of air must be followed by an efficient release of the air. There seemed to be nothing that couldn't be remedied by a good dose of wind and song. His first suggestion for my running-out-of-gas dilemma: "Phil, make sure all of your breaths are as full as the first one."

The trick is to learn to be comfortable taking full breaths even if they must be very fast. We will not always have the luxury of a full service rest stop. Mel Broiles used to remind us that the best players can take in the most amount of air in the least amount of time. It is about fuel and efficiency. The greater the fuel supply, the better will be the efficiency.

Focus, Please!

2011-02-23T19:22:00.022-05:00

Almost a great picture. We wouldn't want to show out-of-focus prints to our friends, so why do we expect them to buy a bunch of fuzzy notes? With just a little extra attention we can produce a marketable crystal clear product.

Simply focus. Expect clarity and insist upon it. Adopt a no-junk mindset. A carefully centered mouthpiece buzz one note at a time does wonders. Start slowly and listen. The ear must be as critical as the eye. A free-flowing air stream must hit the center of each pitch. The sharper and flatter edges of the notes are not acceptable. Improvement happens better at slow speeds, so hold the camera still. Take aim, focus, and shoot.

Avoiding Speeding and Crashing

2011-02-08T20:37:00.015-05:00

Remember the Charlie Chaplin movie where he is assembling widgets on a moving assembly line? All is fine until someone turns up the pace of the conveyor belt. As more and more widgets are advancing he inevitably looses control as widgets begin to fly everywhere. An hilarious moment for the audience, but desperation and panic time for him. We know the feeling, unfortunately.

Faster is rarely better, especially when control is vital. Details simply become a blur as the brain is unable to keep up with the excessive speed. Sightseeing while driving is a nice springtime activity. Ever notice how an attractive passerby can quickly bring traffic to a near stand still as brakes screech and heads turn? There you have it. Details are caught best at slow speeds.

Picture yourself behind your mouthpiece cruising down the page at a respectable speed. Suddenly the line of notes takes some rough turns with a few very awkward leaps. Next you wonder if you observed correctly those accidentals as you raced by. Not to worry, without skipping a beat you plow onward hoping to salvage something of the general idea of the piece. The notes are beginning to come at you faster than your brain can convert them to sounds. Soon like poor Charlie, you begin to crash into the trash.

A wise guitar instructor was a big help to me months before we were to record Stravinsky's Petroushka. He was disciplining his guitar student to play at half speed to develop security and control. I didn't think it was possible to play the Ballerina's Dance that slow, nor that there would be any value in it. Then I tried it. Sure enough, even at half tempo I was missing notes! Seemed impossible to do, but true! My new goal was to play only as fast as I could guarantee 100% of the notes in tune with clear tone.

Then began the long process of gradually picking up the pace, but only if all notes were securely on board. Eventually this process will pay off for you. In fact, no need to stop. Keep accelerating. Play beyond the required tempo. Too slow and too fast are great technique builders. Try it. You'll be amazed at the things you had been missing, and at the things you'll notice yourself able to control. Give your brain a chance to catch up.

Practicing for the Marathon

2011-01-25T07:41:00.006-05:00

William Wilberforce gave some good advice which can be very useful for those facing the audition season. "I daily become more sensible that my work must be affected by constant and regular exertions rather than by sudden and violent ones." I don't think he had trumpet players in mind, but certainly his philosophy brings a balanced perspective and encouragement to all of us given so easily to the frantic, furious, and frenzied approach to life. Last minute cramming of excerpts rarely works.

John Piper in Roots of Endurance writes that a "coronary" Christian is better than an "adrenal" Christian. Too many bursts of adrenaline produce let downs. Great surges of energy are usually followed by great downward spikes. The "coronary" life style on the other hand, is marked by consistency. Regular dependable behavior is the heart beat of the latter, and he definitely has the endurance advantage. And that is one of the must-haves for trumpet players.

Thinking about marathons: A music career is indeed a marathon and requires enormous discipline. Remember the childhood story of the tortoise and the hare? Nothing wrong with talent, speed, and great instincts, but both runners require disciplined training in order to survive the long haul. Daily distractions are not likely to deter the runner who consistently focuses on his game.

Be patient and not weary in daily well-doing. Rewards of persistence are down the road. Skills are not perfected in one or two lessons. A regular agenda of doing what is required will pay off. I might add that it demands more than a mere punching the time clock. The goal is learning to enjoy working towards the mastery of the skills of our profession.

Disappointments, struggles, and even failures are part of the journey. Expect days that are cold and prickly. The goal is not just about your check list. Remember your passion for making great music. Isn't that where your race began? That drive not only empowers your practice of disciplines, but gives you the benefit of enjoying your run.

Just Gimme Five!

2011-01-23T19:25:00.001-05:00

How reliable are you at starting? Are you like a sluggish lawn mower requiring several sputtering chugs to get going? Or are you like a prize race horse at the start of the Kentucky Derby chomping at the bit and ready to bolt? ("They're off!)

Most of us feel that we can compete with the great ones once we get going, when we are good and ready. "Wait. Give me half a dozen false starts, and then I'm good." Wrong.

Unfortunately, the audition committee doesn't have that kind of time, and the audience didn't pay big bucks to hear us eventually get it right by the tenth try. So the bar suddenly is raised a bunch. Nail it now, or don't bother! The reality is that all of our bullets count. There are no practice rounds allowed! That's why your first notes matter. The Cleveland guys years ago would aim at picking up the horn cold and being able to play the week's hardest lick perfectly.

Look at your trumpet, resting there in your left hand. In the course of your music demands, it must morph into a high powered rifle, or even an AK47. Cool! Keep watching though and before your very eyes it becomes a sharp needle deftly inserting itself into a mosaic of percussion and screaming woodwinds. Next it camouflages itself to blend back into the winds (our least favorite assignment!). Whether it's a blunder bust belch, or a soft wispy moment, we must be on it. Our conductor is Jack Bauer yelling at us "DO IT NOW!"

Target practice, anyone? How about playing only the first five seconds of each passage? For audition preparation, just start the very beginning of each excerpt, capturing immediately the correct mood, articulation, intonation, rhythm, dynamics, etc. Nail it from the get go.

A weary audition committee might only listen to your first few notes before returning to their magazines. You can win with great entrances! Remember, don't finish anything for now, just start it! You're not running the mile, just getting a good jump off the starting blocks. How many times can you nail it with almost no prep time? You will soon become a quick-draw musical machine!

More Valuable Than a Chair

2011-01-21T07:26:00.003-05:00

It was August at Interlochen in 1965 at the National Music Camp. I had managed to maintain my first chair status in the Band and Orchestra in spite of weekly tryouts and challenges to my reign. Week after week the defiant challengers had been successfully beaten back only to slink back to their lowly ranks at the bottom of the section. Competition was intense and our emotions were definitely very much involved. After all, this was war, dog-eat-dog, survival of the best, etc. Such was our mindset for better and for worse.

Well the day eventually arrived. Perhaps a little over-confident and under-prepared, I was dethroned by a better-prepared and fired-up challenger. With eyes closed and a show of hands, the verdict was announced: "MOVE HIM DOWN TO THE SECOND CHAIR." Surely, the voting had been rigged! What could they have been thinking or hearing? Such humiliation! How could life go from so very good to horrible in a single moment? Just like that there was no joy in Mudville. I had struck out and life might as well have been over forever.

As I had apparently been unable to conceal my pouting bitter attitude, one wise conductor on the staff took me aside to give some advice that was far more important than sitting first chair that week. "Phil, no matter where you sit, it doesn't change how you play. Give someone else a chance and don't worry about it." The lesson was one that helped my return to some stability that week, and also would echo as a reminder for similar struggles in the future.

A seating change perhaps showed me a lot about who I really was. Emotional stability and self worth does not depend on the position we occupy, for we are more valuable than a chair. Our identities are so easily linked to our achievement. In fact, humility and teamwork are probably learned better by playing second fiddle. I have observed that often the real heroes are the section players.

Life is full of bitter defeats, but they can provide the very lessons we must learn and could learn no other way. Someone said, "If mountains were smooth, no one could climb them."

Nachos or Machos?

2011-01-19T10:01:00.004-05:00

What do Clark Kent and Fred Flintstone have in common? They both are rumored to have been very fine trumpet players. No one knows for sure. It can be confusing, but which one would you bet on? One's physical conditioning may or may not determine the quality of his or her trumpeting. In fact, it is not hard to name any number of larger-than-life heroes of heralding. Conventional wisdom suggests that more and bigger is better. In fact, some would brag that the success of machos just might be in all those unhealthy doses of cheese nachos!

With that said, an honest look at the demands of trumpet playing might lead us to another conclusion. Considering the almost athletic nature of our profession, it makes sense that our training includes attention to the physical as well as the musical. Yes, musical determination can trump physical obstacles, but why make it harder on ourselves?

We'll spend big bucks for instruments and equipment, but do little to strengthen the player. Why not pay attention to more than lips and tongues? How about posture, upper body strength, flexibility, and the overall conditioning that can only aid us in daily playing? Strengthen the messenger. Musical talents vary, but the physical components to our playing can be improved and should be maintained in top condition. That part should be a given.

Let's keep doing all the necessary basic stuff that trumpet players do, but let's begin to shed the baggage that holds us back, and prepare to run the race in top shape. SUPERMAN RULES!

Energize your Playing

2011-01-19T08:23:00.006-05:00

Looking for something to freshen up your playing? Here is something that is sure to help. It's not about better articulation, better intonation, or better dynamics. Have you tried energizing the rhythms? When you insist on accurate rhythmic spirit, you will likely notice all the above will improve. Rhythmic character also makes your playing a lot more fun for your listeners. If they have to listen to you, they might as well enjoy themselves. If you aren't enthusiastic about your playing, they won't be either.

Take the first movement of the Halsey Stevens Sonata for example. Better than being satisfied by offering an impressive display of notes, you could seek to grab listeners' attention with snazzy, snappy rhythmic character. Even with all systems operating perfectly, your performance will only be average if your rhythm does not have some sparkle to it. You can deliver an accurate deadpan, low energy rendition, or you can command attention and win prizes. Improved rhythm always makes a better product. Whatever you notice in the music, fast or slow, reflect it with good rhythm.

The Kennan Sonata is another one that gives you a chance to capture the audience from the very first note. With no long extraneous intros to wait through, it's just breathe and blow up a storm, but keep it steady. Obeying all the speed change signs is tricky but worth your extra attention.

Another obvious opportunity for instant rhythmic involvement is the Tomasi Concerto. Immediately, you are thrown right into some flashy whimsical fanfares. It's like the uncorking of a wine bottle, or a sudden burst of firecrackers. How about the The Hindemith Sonata, famous for that steady unrelenting pulse. Establish the pace, breathe deeply, release the tongue and enjoy the ride.

Great rhythm should be automatic and contagious. The audience is there to catch it.

Release the Artist!

2011-01-17T22:22:00.035-05:00

(ramblings of a fellow frustrated trumpet player fraternity member)

Do you ever feel like your trumpet seems to get in the way of what you're trying to do? You know how the music is supposed to sound, but your trumpet always has other ideas. Why is it that the great artist-performer in us is so easily silenced by technical demands? At the first sign of trouble we forget about our mission. Our trumpet wins while our artistry never even gets to make an appearance.

The trumpet loves to play with your mind. It looks up at you sarcastically and threatens, "Don't even think about enjoying this music, or about injecting any drama. Oh no! You must first conquer that long list of technical issues that you carry around every day. I suggest that you wax eloquently at some more convenient time." And we buy it!!

You look down and grumble back with clenched teeth, "I'd be a fabulous trumpet player if it weren't for having to deal with you and your many flaws. You cost me a fortune and all you do is squelch my tone, pinch my chops, and thwart my marvelous music-making abilities! If it weren't for you I'd be an awesome player! If I still have any semblance of a creative artist remaining in me, it's certainly no thanks to you. And by now any instincts of musicianship must have been permanently dwarfed!" By day's end the artist lies bound and gagged while alas, our trumpet has won again!

Ironically our greatest challenge does not lie with the instrument but in learning to let the music out of the instrument. Music should motivate mastery. Technique is merely a servant. Somewhere deep inside you resides a great singer impatiently waiting to be released. Just start giving the commands, and out will flow stunning, crowd-pleasing performances. This must be our battle plan each day. Good luck with that!

(Speaking of singers - Oh to have been a voice major! The vocalist doesn't have to clean his instrument, oil it, shine it, grease it, repair it, ship it, or stow it. In fact, no one can even see it, and it costs a singer nothing to get one! What a deal!)

Trumping the Nerve Giant

2011-01-17T07:47:00.004-05:00

Lurking behind the curtains or perched high on the catwalks, our old nemesis the Nerve Giant resides. Sneering silently, he watches for each contestant to make his and her way to the front of the stage. Today is audition day, and he is having himself a good old time. At just the right moment, he begins to make his moves on each unsuspecting victim. Quickly he pounces and inflicts his debilitating tactics on as many as he can. Strangely, he is never seen, but surely felt.

His first task is to suck up all of the oxygen from the stage, rendering normal breathing nearly impossible. Next he instills crippling fear as evidenced by those nasty involuntary lip, finger and knee tremors. The right hand then begins to clutch the valves, causing them to stick uncharacteristically. No matter how many times the spit valve is nervously emptied, nothing comes out! We have no air, no condensation, and no sound.

He effectively renders the confident, disconsolate. Our snarling excerpt enemy then retreats to the darkest corner, preparing to eliminate his next victim. His goal is to hear this verdict from the personnel manager at the end of the day: "Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like we do not have a winner. We will have to hold more auditions sometime in the future." The phantom of the auditions howls from on high.

Fortunately, this all-to-familiar scenario has a very potent remedy. The Nerve Giant can definitely be defeated. He is vulnerable. It takes some time and resolve, but it can be done. In fact, he can be made to work for the contestant, not against him.

Many have suggested that the antidote is AIR. But no, this is only a tool. AIR by itself isn't enough to kill the beast. The best weapon against the Nerve Giant is PURPOSE. That is, an unshakable confidence in the message about to be delivered. If PURPOSE has become strong enough, and has been time-tested, it makes the contestant virtually invincible. Nerves only intensify the resolve. And when accompanied by a sufficient supply of AIR, there is no giant too scary, no part too high, no valley too low. Strong PURPOSE marshals all body parts to function in harmony, summoning enough adrenaline, concentration, and artistic instincts to get the job done regardless of nerve pressures. PURPOSE RULES!

Music of The Great One

2011-01-12T15:51:00.037-05:00

Every Saturday night in the mid 50's and 60's our family would turn on the television for The Honeymooners/The Jackie Gleason Show. Some honeymoon! Ralph and Alice would be having their Saturday night fights as Ed Norton easily had the audience in stitches just by bumbling into the room. The Great One himself, Jackie Gleason, was always in top form (for a guy in his condition.) It was always show time.

"A little traveling music" with Sammy Spear (or Ray Bloch) and the orchestra, and "away we went!" The show was funny, live and exciting, but I would watch especially to get my weekly trumpet lesson. I remember thinking that being the first trumpet on the Gleason show must have been the swellest job ever! Most of the trumpet work was played by Bobby Hackett, and "how sweet it was!"

I did not know that Jackie Gleason was a song writer, nor that he could not read or write music. Somehow his heartfelt songs found their way onto the printed page and into the hearts of millions. He produced the album Music for Lovers Only which holds the record for being on the Billboard Top Ten Charts for 153 weeks! It contains a collection of romantic ballads recorded with that luscious velvety Jackie Gleason Orchestra sound. Some pretty nifty trumpet work:

Melancholy Serenade (Gleason)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBYDFO995Ek&feature=related

September Song (Weill)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=t77h2VROnCY&feature=related

The Last Dance
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLooV26OvOc

The Man I Love (Gershwin)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7nIX-AhmUs

Ryan Anthony Master Class

2011-01-07T17:51:00.016-05:00

Ryan Anthony, Principal Trumpet with the Dallas Symphony, generously shared for almost two hours today at CCM. He answered questions about preparation, concertizing, and some of his experiences while touring with the Canadian Brass. He patiently worked with three students on solo and orchestral repertoire asking questions and offering excellent advice. This weekend he solos with the Dayton Philharmonic in the Liebermann Trumpet Concerto.

Mr. Anthony suggested becoming so comfortable with your range that you can consider it "your personal keyboard." That is, all notes should be on call and ready to be played as easily as on the piano, rather than using the tongue as a weapon to stab and jab. This concept should help to eliminate excessive stress about that upcoming high note. Just reach out and play it! Warm up should include all parts of the range, making sure that all notes have been touched.

Sustaining the intensity of a line is more difficult when wide leaps and rests are involved. Air flow through the whole phrase makes musical sense and helps with endurance. The music should continue to flow even when rests interrupt the overall line. Avoid chopped up and isolated line fragments.

Selecting your own adjectives describing the music is a great way to involve both player and listeners. There was noticeable improvement at this suggestion. Visualizing a storyline helps with character and style, enabling the performer to be in "a comfortable place." (Oh, to be able to stay there!)

Flutter-tonguing a nasty passage is a helpful first step for focusing. Likewise, slurring for tonguing.

Forte doesn't always mean a loud volume. Intensity can be independent of dynamic level. The quality of sound can be more important than dynamic focus.

Speaking of that comfort zone, Ryan reminded us of our mission. The audience expects to leave the concert remembering more than just a pretty good performance. Our job is to give them special things. Special things is what Ryan does so well! Just check out his recordings. Our thanks to him for being with us today.

The Demands of Mahler's 6th Symphony

2011-01-03T20:12:00.029-05:00

(This posting is in light of the upcoming concert of the CCM Philharmonia on March 11, 2011 honoring the 100th anniversary of Mahler's death.)

The 6th Symphony of Mahler (the Tragic) provides for trumpeters the ideal forum to display the full range of skills. The work is a four-act drama of extremes. Your playing will be bold, joyful and triumphant only to be followed by strains of throbbing melancholy. One teacher speaking of the Mahler temperament said that "his moods ranged from the depths of Dante's Inferno all the way up the the Third Heaven and back again." Such is the Mahler journey with lots of louds, softs, highs, lows and all points in between. Rather than getting spooked, eager trumpeters salivate at this kind of challenge. Consider the 6th symphony a colossal marathon or better yet, one of the trumpeter's triathlons!

Movement 1:

You get only one warm up note followed by that bold in-your-face entrance that tests both your diminished seventh skills and your fearlessness. Your part demands repeated sweeps of intense passion emerging beautifully out of nowhere. Sing, dominate, and then disappear gracefully into the winds. A prominent feature throughout the symphony is the use of low to mid-range notes. You must sound like a fine third trumpet player shooting out the low stuff with no loss of presence. If you need to, brush up on F and B flat transpositions, and be alert to the frequent changes.

Are you secure with strong high note diminuendos to pp? And how about those muted spiky militant march snippets that must penetrate through the entire orchestra regardless of dynamic markings?

Another fun item for practice - massive slurs of more than an octave. No cheating allowed on the articulation. Pound the valves and jerk the air slightly right in time. Very cool and impressive! Keep in mind your purpose: giving the audience many magic moments to take home.

Don't forget to prepare for those chorale-style soaring, sumptuous and expressive lines both soft and loud. They must be able to happen at any time.

Observe the large amount of dynamic and articulation instructions. They are not printed for the beauty of the score. They are there by design. Make sure they are evident. Obey the print. Don't soil the picture with bland colorless playing.

Movement 2:

Find related etude material to prepare for what is required in this movement: slow, long, smooth, sustained lines, both loud and not. Here's a good movement to really focus on well-centered intonation and sound quality. All the great playing you can do is useless if it is out of tune.

Movement 3:

In this Scherzo movement you will be busting in all over, with and without your sword. Have an attitude! Don't try to be pretty. Our roll here is largely percussive. Show snappy accurate rhythms. This is about focused sordino control. Prepare for this by sticking in the mute and practicing articulation studies. Lead the brass with your very steady and precise playing. Scherzo is the character. Short and clear is the technique. Volume, clarity, and accuracy rule the night.

Movement 4:

You get to announce your presence with a Zarathustra-like muted explosion landing on a high C sharp! Hold it until you turn purple. Be careful, it's a long one.

Again we have great interval leaps to command and control. With Mahler no interval is safe. Prepare! Three slow poignant trumpet calls linger in the upper range. Control the notes and the intonation and you will have partially earned your solo bow.

Again, rhythm is king. Give your utmost attention to this! Bad rhythm ruins everything.

The finale is a race to the finish. Stay strong throughout. Keep in mind what's ahead. Be ready, get set. Now bring it on. You live for this, so practice accordingly!

Spanish Christmas

2010-12-29T15:34:00.022-05:00

Looking for something new and exciting for your next recital? Check out Matthias Hofs playing A Spanish Christmas by Wolf Kerschek. Fabulous playing. It must be nice not to have to wrestle with fast mute changes!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpsxWtx-jHw

Controlling the Bludgeon Instinct

2010-12-28T19:18:00.007-05:00

If this is you, don't change, just stay in control. Killer instinct, yes, but know how and when to unleash it. Learn to wield that trumpet skillfully. Power with precision pays nicely.

Playing Your Part

2010-12-24T20:33:00.022-05:00

There's a time to lead and a time to follow; a time to be seen and a time to be part of the scenery; a time to be heard and a time to be part of the herd; a time to take charge, and a time to support the charge; a time to blast and a time to blend. Music-making is about leadership and teamwork.

Scalpel or Jackhammer?

2010-12-23T20:40:00.022-05:00

Imagine looking up from the operating table as a patient awaiting your heart surgery only to see what appears to be an annoyed jackhammer guy in hard hat fast approaching you all irritated! This will not likely be pretty, you're thinking, as it's pretty much the wrong approach!

Some music demands especially skilled and patient precision, not impulsive brutal stabbings. It's gotta be finesse over force, bulls eyes rather than javelins. You can pound the pavement another day.

Oh, the tools and mindsets of the business! Sometimes it's Haydn, Johann Strauss and Waldteufel. Another time it's Richard Strauss, Mahler and Star Wars. Stay handy with both jackhammer and scalpel!

What if it Ain't Broke?

2010-12-14T23:05:00.034-05:00

Your embouchure - if it's not broken, why worry? One need not worry, but with only one square inch of valuable flesh serving as the foundation of your career, one ought to be careful. With so much focus on breathing, support and all the good mechanics required for solid playing, we can easily neglect proper care for that exact point where the music meets the horn.

Suggested reading on the subject of embouchure care is a book entitled Broken Embouchures by Lucinda Lewis. That title makes any brass player cringe, but better for you to cringe now than for your chops to cringe later. It comes in two volumes full of spot-on advice about lip injury prevention and rehab. Should be a must-have for all brass players with lips.

Just as young orchestra players are rarely too concerned about the pension provisions in the master contract, so too the young and mighty tend to dis any advice on embouchure care and maintenance until the unthinkable happens. "Hey, I always just pick up the horn and blow. Got the killer instinct, man! I'm no wimp!" Sound familiar?

Beating the lips into submission is one of the mindsets I was raised with unfortunately. Mind-over-lips has its place but also has its consequences. Denial of our limitations is not the strategy for improvement. When your lips scream at you, you need to listen. A wise approach to playing is not a warrior approach nor is it a wuss approach. Finding your balance is critical for long term lip life. Chop-protection is as valuable as chop-building.

Speaking of building, why not research some exercises that strengthen the lips? Your goal is to bulk up the chops and to increase the distance between the mouthpiece and the teeth. The Lewis book has some excellent exercises for this. They can be done apart from the horn. You can work on your firmer embouchure while driving, walking and even talking.

One teacher recommended his students walk between classes with corners anchored, lips tensed tightly as if holding a straw, while saying "I AM a trumpet player, I AM a trumpet player." Pucker and point the lips, freeze, relax and repeat. You could start with a straw, then a pencil, and for serious weight-lifters, a screw driver! More is better, right?

Another exercise to strengthen the "smile muscles": hold a straw (or pencil) only with the teeth while smiling widely for as long as those around you can stand it.

Remember that your lips must be at least as strong as your left hand. Remind your hands to lighten up. Give your chops a break and allow them do their work. At the end of the day, your chops should still be in tact. Don't squelch your lips, strengthen them.

This Must be You!

2010-12-03T12:00:00.019-05:00

This could be you with perhaps nothing outwardly suggesting that a superstar is in the house. The audience almost defies you to move them. Low expectations abound. Fine! It's better that way, you say. You are ready.

With nerves on edge you pace. Doubts scream in your mind, "Who do you think you are! You have no business going out there on that stage. You have nothing to say that has not already been said much better than you'll ever say it!"

But you have none of that. This is why you're here, for moments such as this. These are your working conditions, and you'll be getting used to them very nicely, thank you.

Now, it's your turn. The crowd awaits. Play your part well, connect with the audience, and move the skeptics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMcT84bNkLo

Nice job! Let's see if you can even make more improvement in the next show! What do you think? Even better, yes!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ-dJHNbFPQ&feature=related

Some Healthy Choices

2010-11-27T14:05:00.028-05:00

O.K. the eating frenzy is over. You're thinking, no more sweets, no junk, no more sugar-induced colds. Help! If you are now more convinced than ever to get healthy, you may want to apply that obsession to trumpet practice. Consider good intakes of some items that are sure to improve rather than tear down your playing? Here are a couple of healthy suggestions for your practice menu. Get a head start today on your '11 resolutions.

How about a good helping of daily sweet starts? You need to be able to guarantee a great-sounding first note. Imagine being able to win an audition with just the amazing quality of the first note of every one of your excerpts! Wouldn't that be sweet?

Next, you may partake of some of those very expensive specialty starts, the high and the soft. Don't try to gulp them down. Approach each with calm care. Then let them melt in your mouth. Savor that ability to pick them off slowly, one by one, to the amazement of all who listen and watch!

No slurping at the table. Why are the upward slurs usually played better than the downward, especially in the low register? We tend to slur up and slurp down. Your job is to make legato intervals the clean, the pure, and the in-tune every time. Be sure to keep corners from sagging and relaxing so much that you can't recover your firm setting.

Great players have learned how to be successful with the simplest of tasks. Now open up Arbans and Schossberg (or the like). Confine your work to the beginner section at the front. Simple and boring is what you're looking for. No expressive shoulder-lifting, just precision. Goal: cold-blooded, deadpan control and accuracy - the mindset you'd expect from your heart surgeon!

See earlier posts on this subject:

Playing the 10-Second Game, 4/18/09
What a Way to Start, 4/11/08
Garbage-Free Zone!, 4/21/07
Playing the Dim Game, 2/6/07
Five Seconds Only!, 5/13/06
The Tip of the Brush, 5/1/06

Trumpeter's Table

2010-11-21T20:12:00.020-05:00

As you approach that smorgasbord, your attention is instinctively drawn to the stacks of luscious chocolaty desserts, the crispy fried chicken, endless turkey helpings, piles of buttery rolls, gobs of seasoned stuffing with savory gravy. What do you say we just skip the salads, the fruit dishes, and the artistic vegetable trays. A balanced meal? Well, some more convenient day perhaps.

The table of brass goodies likewise invites us to plunge headlong into the high, the loud and the flashy. That's where the fun, the fame, and the glamor is. After all, who wants to rehearse the low, the soft, and the boring while there's so much excitement to be had?

What do you consistently avoid? That which you neglect is probably the very thing you need the most. Does focusing on intonation taste like broccoli? Is working on soft control no different than a mouthful of cold cauliflower? Are scales and arpeggios unappetizing? Does transposition make you gag at the very thought of it?

Go ahead and enjoy the sweets and the glamor, but don't neglect to take in all the daily must-haves that will make you successful. As your mom used to say, "Eat it anyway. You just might learn to like it! And you'll thank me some day."

Thanks, Mom. I still don't like it, but I eat it anyway.

"That's my boy!"

A Clean Machine

2010-11-12T22:48:00.015-05:00

Look at you - dressed sharply, well-groomed, appearing friendly and outgoing with pleasant disposition, and likely to make a positive impression even before that first excerpt or solo is played. Surely they will have your contract in hand, except for one thing.

Your observers must look at that grungy tarnished war-torn instrument of yours. Rubber bands are holding broken spit valve springs and have corroded the plating badly. Your moldy valve guard protector has long since failed to protect anything. Dents dating back to marching band days are still visible dulling both your sound and your reputation. Those sticky valves from those inadvertent drops (that someone else did) continue to cause havoc with fast licks. Aren't you tired of glaring angrily at your horn while you pound the valves with your fist so they won't stick? For some reason you continue to struggle with all of these annoyances.

Slides tend to stay put while the bore of your horn has now likely shrunk from a Large to a Mighty Small. Several years of meal fragments line the lead pipe, and the mouthpiece bore once gleaming brightly now is full of craggy lumps. Who knows what has been lurking secretly inside your trumpet for months or even years?

If you play like an angel you are allowed to have a horn that looks like hell. But since most of us are fallen players of various degrees, we cannot afford the luxury of a cool-looking civil war relic for an ax. We need all equipment in top condition and ready for scrutiny.

Hey, clean the horn! Chem flushes work wonders. Your trumpet will play better and look better. Keep it that way. Its maintenance is a reflection of its owner. Impressions matter.

A Nicely-Toned Machine

2010-10-16T20:36:00.024-04:00

Yup. That's you, looking good but sounding even better! Just as with a job interview where that first impression speaks volumes, so does your sound. Those first notes out of the bell matter.

Pop the cork and out sizzles your rich and amazing tone. Just as the fashion model presents a striking visual impression, so too your sound must grab instant attention. Listeners must do a double take as soon as they hear you.

Is your playing distinctive? Is it recognizably you? What distinguishes you from your competition? Sure, go for accuracy, but don't forget that people are listening. You want to be offering generous treats of expensive ear candy every time you play!

Pretend that your every note is being monitored even from those first sounds of the day. You have no notes to waste. Your warm up is careful and systematic, but not without plenty of attention on well-focused tone. Show your listeners the results of your summer tone-up.

Buzz it

2010-10-12T17:08:00.025-04:00

A great buzz makes for a great tone. An unfocused airy buzz makes good tone-production harder. Simply place the mouthpiece so that the center of the lips can freely vibrate. Anchor your corners, and direct the air straight into the hole in the mouthpiece. Focus the best buzz possible. Your goal is purity on your mouthpiece first. Then just add large doses of artistry.

Now using as little pressure as possible, buzz one note at a time, eliminating extraneous fuzz from your buzz. Go for the core of the pitch, the most resonant sound you can muster, always with minimal embouchure effort. Hold mouthpiece with only two fingers and one thumb, no fists. Air pressure must be greater than arm pressure.

Begin with sirens, slowly glissing up and down, pausing briefly on the lower and upper pitches. Remember, no junk, no stuffy questionable notes, just well-centered pitches, nothing less. Developing a soft response will be more helpful to your embouchure than just belting and blasting. Learn finesse and control in soft first.

Next, buzz short simple tunes, college fight songs, Christmas carols, etc. Keep the whole song well supported with a steady air stream. Each note must be clear and exactly in tune. Modulating cannot happen. Check with the piano often to ensure stable pitches. Notice how clean the tone is on the piano, starting instantly and not wavering? Copy that.

Determine that any eavesdroppers will be mightily impressed by your buzzings. Your listeners must admire the clarity of tone you are able to produce with just a four-inch piece of metal!

Daily conscientious buzzing will greatly improve your ear and your sound. Check with your mouthpiece often during the day. Whatever the passage, you will be able to control it when you can buzz it.

Sweep it!

2010-10-04T19:20:00.022-04:00

Sweep it! Not your room, but your notes. One word is often better than a lecture. Make your progress simple and fast. How many one-word instructions can you recall that trigger immediate playing improvements, both for yourself and for your teaching? Studio flash cards, anyone?

The word "sweep" works nicely, not as into the trash, but into the audience. A good conductor's sweeping gestures are effective in drawing out broad expansive phrases from the orchestra. No conductor to look at? Visualize a yard full of dry leaves being cleared away by a power blower. Jump start that thing, and let it do what it's designed for. Our playing needs to be wind-swept, avoiding pokes and jabs. Just breathe and blow.

Our goal is fluid air no matter how angular the phrase. Nasty clusters of awkward gnarly notes can easily cause your air to get stuck somewhere behind the mouthpiece. Keeping a forward direction with a steady supply of free-flowing air always brings improvement. Tone opens up and embouchure tension is reduced.

Inhale, then release without holding back. The phrase must start before it is played. Intake and outgo must be free and in time. Your product must be musical, but your air must be dumb. Jerks, hiccups, and bumps will happen in the music, but not in the air stream.

Remember: Air rules.

Accepting the Ratio

2010-09-15T10:44:00.019-04:00

Recently I was a fly on the wall as I overheard some basic advice being shared for someone facing an upcoming audition. It's so simple that it seems not worth mentioning, but being simple, it caught my attention. The student was feeling overwhelmed by his huge scary excerpt list, yet felt a certain weight lifted as he considered: "You don't have to feel good, you just have to work!"

We expect the trumpet to behave itself every day, and that each practice session must be joyful and triumphant. And then as soon as reality hits we think that something must be terribly wrong with us. One famous orchestral trumpeter revealed that he actually felt like playing maybe 10% of the time! He must have learned early that success on stage and in the practice room is not dependent upon feeling good. (Imagine the announcement just before the the concert: "Ladies and gentlemen, we are sorry to announce that the trumpet section will not be present tonight because they are not feeling well.")

The number of warm 'n' fuzzy days are going to be far less than the cold 'n' prickly ones. The ratio is just not in our favor. We must get used to it. Good practicing does not require that we feel good. We simply have to be organized, efficient and productive. Just do it.

Note: the better organized, efficient and productive we are, the better we will feel.

Colorado '10

2010-09-08T20:44:00.024-04:00

Things You Love To Hear

2010-08-31T16:39:00.016-04:00

What would you like audition committee members to be jotting down as they listen to you play? We want to keep their job easy. No need to make them write a lot, only a few superlative adjectives and you're hired. How quickly can you impress them?

Let's start at the end. Picture the mob of players on the infield at the end of the World Series, or the massive celebrating at the finish of the Super Bowl. How about those trophies proudly held high? Whatever plasters an inspiring picture in your mind, go for that every day.

For us music geeks, motivation could be as simple as anticipating that instant foot shuffling of orchestra colleagues after you finish an impressive solo. Or a bunch of "nice job, man!" comments after the concert. Or, getting that solo bow that is a must after Mahler. You want to hear more than just "Wow, you got all of the notes! Good job!"

Anyway, back to audition prep. Can you control what they will write about your playing? How about earning comments something like:

nice playing!
great sound
perfect rhythm
awesome energy and style
amazing control!!
very accurate
really clean articulation
fearless!
no problem with soft stuff
endurance will not be a problem with this person
YES!

Grab a few passersby and invite them to listen to you. Ask that they write down a few adjectives describing your work.

How well did you do? Do you like what you heard?

Fingers

2010-08-03T16:29:00.020-04:00

Driving somewhere this summer? Or maybe just vegging out on your deck, or lingering way too long at Starbucks? Here's a way to ease your guilt for getting less accomplished on your horn than you'd planned. You can actually make some progress without ever lifting a mouthpiece. All you need is your steering wheel if driving, or your knuckles if vegging, and your three valve fingers.

Some of you can remember when car steering wheels had grooves for a nice sure grip. (Those were also the days when drivers grasped the wheel with both hands at about 10 and 2 o'clock and adjusted the wheel every few seconds, but I digress.) The steering grips may have since disappeared, but fortunately knuckles have not, so we are without excuse.

We always get graded on tone, style, and endurance, but we rarely get points for amazing finger technique. It's a pity. Fingers should get more respect. Let's make August National Fingering Month. Actually, they need more time than that. What do you say to the International Year of Fingers! We had better also be training the fourth finger to avoid being crippled on pic repertoire.

So we are out to nail and pound with amazing skill. Right hand fingers should fit perfectly into left hand knuckles causing an audible slapping sound. Likewise, secure, loud strikes on steering wheel is the goal. If you're greatly annoying the family, you're getting somewhere. Remember that your fingers must have an attitude too! Fingers matter.

Now, what to thump? You'll need all twelve major scales, two octaves up and down, in thirds and fourths with varying rhythms. Don't avoid the minor scales with all three forms, natural, harmonic and melodic. Next, all arpeggios - major, minor, augmented, and diminished with the 7th. Be polishing all of your chromatics daily. Can you do them in seconds, that is, up a whole step, down a half step? Octave work is fun. Rushing is permissible, and speeding is encouraged.

Once your fingers are well warmed up, you may begin testing a movement of a solo. With all of this activity you'll notice the tongue wanting to get involved. Fine. Just make sure it is perfectly in sync with finger tips. You are welcome to sing along.

Drive safely.

Health Care

2010-07-22T13:02:00.033-04:00

Two key components to your success are you and your horn. Taking good care of business requires consistent maintenance of both. We often pay more attention to the condition of the trumpet than to the condition of the trumpet player. Being in good physical condition alone won't give us a high A in the Brandenburg, but being in shape definitely helps as we train. We might as well give ourselves an edge.

Here are two simple suggestions for improving the person behind the mouthpiece during these summer months. Considering that we make the music, and the body delivers it, let's hone both. Why not consider this summer as basic training for the fall and winter schedule? We're talking better health and a better message. Let's do a bunch of two-a-days, or more. Get a good head start before the games begin. That freight train of demands arrives just after Labor Day, so get ready.

Think ahead. You've got placement auditions, ensembles, lesson requirements, recital prep, all squeezed between a few too many classes. Oh, and having time and energy for a life also matters. We want to improve the tone of body and soul. Our target: decent athletic shape and great musical intentions, both quite doable but not without some discipline.

Prescribe for yourself your own regimen of daily physical exercise along with generous dosages of inspiring music. Do what is needed for you to function at your best. Control the body, keep the musician inspired, and you're good. Basically, listen and work out. Have a lot to say on your horn, and be organized enough to make it obey. Control of appetites just might help control of trumpet! Ignore your health (physical and musical), and it will go away.

Matching Classics

2010-07-20T20:30:00.027-04:00

Match the song or lyric with the classical work:

1. Ring ringa-linga o.
2. My beer is Rheingold, the dry beer m.
3. Boom, whatcha do to me! n.
4. I'll be seeing you l.
5. Catch a Falling Star i.
6. A Groovy Kind of Love g.
7. Beach Baby d.
8. Good-bye, Cruel World h.
9. Hello, Muddah a.
10. Uptown Girl f.
11. I Can't Help Falling in Love b.
12. Alone at Last c.
13. All by Myself e.
14. Stranger j.
15. Lassie's Theme k.

a. Dance of the Hours - Ponchielli
b. Plaisir d' Amour - Martini
c. Piano Concerto #1 - Tchaikowsky
d. Symphony #5 - Sibelius
e. Piano Concerto #2 - Rachmaninnoff
f. Bolero - Ravel
g. Rondo from Sonatina in G - Clementi
h. Entrance of the Gladiators - Fucik
i. Academic Festival Overture - Brahms
j. Polovtsian Dances - Borodin
k. Faust - Gounod
l. Symphony #3 - Mahler
m. Estudiantina Valse - Waldteufel
n. Espana Rhapsody - Chabrier
o. String Quartet #2 in D - Borodin

Look Outside!

2010-06-23T12:52:00.013-04:00

Look outside. This is a great time to NOT play the trumpet! How about a nice long break? Don't even think about the trumpet, and don't be looking at it! There it sits in its case staring up at you shooting guilt and condemnation. Don't buy it. Shut the case, shove it under the bed, and go away. You will certainly return again someday, so consider this a healthy and deserved fast for your chops and your mind.

If you stay away from the horn long enough you'll be pleasantly surprised that your negatives tend to evaporate. However, when you return, do it slowly and patiently, and don't be looking to rediscover your weak areas. Enjoy the freshness of your clean restart. Play tunes you like rather than those studies you never seem to master. Buzz frequently. Play for fun. Touch all notes and then put it away. Several short sessions will be more productive than a long slug fest. If you get mad and frustrated, your vacation was in vain.

Remind yourself that you are not enslaved to the horn. You won't forget everything by taking a vacation. It will all still be there. Both you and your chops need to be rejuvenated. Don't be afraid to give yourself a break.

Getting Extra Input

2010-06-14T11:03:00.025-04:00

Here's a suggestion for the summer. If no trumpet guru is available or within driving distance, don't put improvement on hold until the fall. Look for some help outside the box. The best advice can come from those who do not play the trumpet. Hard to believe, but true. Singers, woodwind players, string people, guitarists included, and percussion folks share the stage, so you might want to know what they listen for. A yea vote from each of them would be a nice goal. It would also go a long way to improve relations between instrument groups that often tend to feud with each other.

Arnold Jacobs' studio always had a steady stream of non-tuba players visiting in order to receive his expert counsel. Great music-making transcends any one instrument. How tragic to graduate from a school many of whose faculty are never consulted simply because theirs is a different department. It might cost you something to arrange a hearing, but it could be worth it. Money is no object. Take the initiative.

You may opt for a cheaper route. Invite your non-trumpet friends to sit and listen to your audition, solo, etudes, whatever. You want to play for critical ears that won't accept your being sharp on C and G. They don't buy it. Nor are they sympathetic to your chronic fatigue. They expect you to play what's on the page, no excuses. Be hungry for their honest critique, not flattery.

It's American Trumpet Idol! The jury has their checklist: stage presence, intonation, expression and sense of drama, dynamics, phrasing, confidence, etc. In short, should they invite you to return for another round? Does your performance get high marks? Does it communicate? Will the jury stand and applaud, or do you only receive a few courtesy claps. Your mission is to be a crowd pleaser.

A Larger Window

2010-06-09T10:46:00.018-04:00

How big is your window of usable playing? You might be quite capable of some first-class work, but chances are that few listeners will be around by the time you get warmed up and ready. You've got a great product, but an embarrassingly small window for showing it! It's a matter of increasing your efficiency so that any listeners will get an awesome impression of your playing no matter when they hear you.

Some have huge picture windows, but no one wants to look in. It's all mediocre. There's nothing worth listening to. You want to be able to confidently swing open the windows, inviting all to pull up a seat and enjoy. Whatever they'll hear, it's all good. No junk. Everything's in order.

Look! There's your professor hiding in your bushes! He's stopped by unannounced to spy on your practice habits. No problem. Nothing to hide. You respond, "Hey, what do you want to hear? I'm good." He is very pleased to agree.

Imagine that several audition committees from top orchestras are secretly visiting Cincinnati this week looking to invite someone from CCM to play a week in their trumpet section. You learn that your audition already took place via surveillance microphones! Whatever you played yesterday was your audition! Your window of usability had better be huge! It's show time!

Don't be Driven

2010-06-05T16:47:00.015-04:00

It's better to drive than to be driven. There is no need to stress and obsess. No one wants to listen to a flurry of frantic frenzy including you. Your practice sessions should always be purpose-driven and not emotion-driven. Relax, be confident and be in control. Slow down so you can be more productive. You don't have a lot of notes to waste, so try to use all of them wisely.

Stop often so you can stay alert. If you get weary, pull over. Rest, refuel and then continue. Better to stop at rest areas than to do nonstop wheelies and spin yourself into a ditch.

Enjoy driving as much as you can. At the end of the day, what percentage of all of your notes will have been controlled and enjoyable? Your goal is to be fresh and usable tomorrow. Your performance will be a pretty good picture of how well you managed your practice. Remember:

Be in control.

Don't fret.

Stay fresh.

Enjoy the drive.

Practicing for Tomorrow

2010-05-26T11:00:00.009-04:00

Butch: "Hey, man, I'm getting a blistering high C and I want it NOW!" Bart: "Wow, my new picc just arrived! See ya later, man. It's Brandenburg or bust for me!"

Sorry, Butch and Bart, you'll have to be patient, and don't say "bust". You are welcome to go for it like a raging bull in the china shop, but you'll have to pay tomorrow for all the damages. Your practicing is not likely to yield the results you want just in one day, so go at it slowly, methodically, and carefully. No one learns to play like Maynard in one day.

Why don't you map out a strategy for your summer's building project? Be sure not to burn out. You must live to play another day. What you do today is preparation for the next day. Don't expect your finished product yet. No pummeling allowed. Balance blow with rest throughout your sessions. Don't play anything unintentionally.

This should be a welcome relief from undue self-imposed pressure. Simply plan on being able to pick it up and continue working tomorrow, still fresh as a daisy. For now, less brute and more brains.

Smooth Sailing, Please!

2010-05-25T20:37:00.011-04:00

Vacations, summer break and down times are just around the corner. Packing light for your travels? Make sure to stuff in your luggage the Clarke Technical Studies. The book is great for getting into shape and maintaining it. No amount of slugging or blastathons will ever accomplish what a few spoonfuls of this medicine will do for your chops every day. Follow Dr. Clarke's instructions carefully. His book produces great trumpet players.

Test yourself on the etudes. If you need some reconstruction, do the preceding studies. Etudes I, II, III, and IV are favorites for daily testing. Play soft, smooth and clear. Think how easily the clarinet player makes this sound. We want to match that. No bumps, fogged notes, or decibel variance. We must be able to function as a legato machine. Our goal is comfort and a smooth legato slur in and out of all ranges.

After a couple of weeks at this daily work you will find the etudes are memorized. Great. Try to play Etude II up a fourth and then up a fifth and memorize. Use small horns on this material too. Stay in a doable range. Smooth is better than high. Increase range only if smooth and controlled.

Yes, you can certainly blow up a storm this summer, but be sure to compensate with wise easy Clarke work. Need more of a challenge? Try double-tonguing them.

Have a safe and smooth summer break!

Free Lessons

2010-05-18T20:33:00.013-04:00

Why pay for that which you can get for free? Avoid writing that pricey lesson check and the hassles of traveling to the big city. There is also no need to obsess about playing well for the big lesson which only lasts an hour anyway. Your window of receiving valuable information should last longer than sixty minutes, don't you think? Consider seeing your progress skyrocket right in the comfort of your own home, and without taking a big financial hit?

First assignment for those serious about sounding professional - get a library card! Take out as many CD's as possible of excellent recordings of works you need to learn. It doesn't cost you anything to listen to them. They're teaching you for free.

Next - start some serious listening. Note tempos, volume, projection, style, etc. Listen many times to each piece, and remember what you hear. Follow along with the music in front of you. Record your playing efforts and compare. Begin to narrow the gap between student and pro, unless you intend to forever sound like a work in progress.

Again, your responsibility is to come prepared with tempos, fingerings, transpositions, etc. well before that big lesson. Everything on the page is your job to prepare. Don't waste time and money having the teacher tell you what you could have learned on your own. Do your homework before you see the coach. Who knows? Maybe the coach will be so impressed that you'll get a free lesson!

Family accounting

2010-05-15T22:30:00.027-04:00

Jeremy finished his first year of grad school at USC. He is pictured with members of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet just after his recital this Spring.

Zachary graduated today from CIM! Viola student of Bob Vernon, Zak returns to Cleveland in the fall for graduate studies, gigs and auditions.

Wes, Sandy and Zak after a Cleveland recital. Wes is in the Atlanta Symphony. Sandy their first teacher, leads a large class of violin students.

Jeff and wife Kori with Jaime. Jeff runs Collins Painting business.

Grandsons Andrew, Stephen and Kenny. Tracey with daughter, Faith and Gracie. Pastor Tim in red shirt

Nailing Tannhauser

2010-04-24T17:22:00.018-04:00

Welcome to F sharp major and a good lung flush! (Or G flat major if you prefer.) The ending of the Tannhauser Overture is on the stand. Once fingering and intonation are mastered, there is only one thing left - loud sustained notes with no decay just like a church organ. This excerpt shouldn't be a problem. No fast finger-twisting passages to coordinate. Just breathe big and blow.

Oh, one more item not to forget - notice what's on the top of each note, tent accents. Think of a cork being released from a bottle. Or think of a page of music being blown off your stand as soon as your first note sounds. Some call this a sustained accent. If you like pictures, imagine the sudden blast of water through a pressurized hose.

In fact, how about drawing this excerpt on graph paper? Use bricks to represent the notes, big fat cinder blocks. Draw them proportional to the musical line. What color do you like? They could be dark blue or maybe brilliant red. Your call.

Set your metronome for approximately 60 or slower. Painfully slow practice tempos will increase endurance and embouchure focus. Remember not to over-think this. All notes simply must sound good. It must be steady, in tune, loud and clear. Every note counts. Be sure never to crack the high A sharp at the end, and try to make listeners smile when you nail that low F sharp. This is a great warm-up. Have you ever tried it soft?

Notes on Shostakovich Piano Concerto

2010-04-22T20:58:00.013-04:00

The Shostakovich Concerto for Trumpet (with piano) has one of the all-time most beautiful slow movements in the repertoire. You have to love all the great trumpet stuff he gave us in this piece. The outer movements dazzle while the slow movement laments, soars and sings. This work is all about us! Enjoy.

First of all, don't dare start practicing it until you've spent a lot of time listening closely to several great recordings of the piece. You must thoroughly enjoy before you explore. Consider these:

See if you can write out the trumpet solo by ear.

Use full air supply on each breath. You will need it all. Take as few breaths as possible.

Find a mute that speaks well in all registers. Practice with your favorite mute on F# minor scales slurred and tongued up and down two octaves slowly. Get very comfortable going from low range to high and back. Practice higher than you'll need to.

Don't settle for anything out of tune or stuffy!!

Set your quarter note speed at approximately 72, plus or minus. Practice way slower and way faster than required. Have several comfort zones for tempo.

The solo is somewhat soft, so don't be a bull.

Use subtle rubato. Stretching is better than rushing. Avoid static metronomic playing. Play basically in time, but musically.

Always very legato. No bumping allowed.

Check often for stuffy unfocused notes. They do not belong.

Intonation cannot not be a problem! Watch your tuner.

This is classic espressivo writing. Be as artistic as the great principal woodwind players (or better!) Prove that we can do more than blast out-of-tune fanfares.

Not much is printed in the way of dynamics, so do as you like. Follow your instincts. General rule: the higher the louder, although you can do some nifty softer notes at the very top. Be creative.

Always be sure to play the line. Here's our chance to shine!

No More Mr. Nice Guy!

2010-04-19T17:49:00.029-04:00

Weary of wimping out at auditions? "I was fine until I walked on stage." Or, "I was feeling great until I heard everyone else warming up." Or, "I started to crash at my first mistake." The problem was not nerves although they overpowered you. The problem was that you did not have something stronger. You were Roadrunner racing fast to cross the great chasm, only to sputter and plummet as soon as you looked down. Tired of hating when that happens? You need something that can overcome your fear. Try a healthy dose of anger!

Consider those heroic coaches who succeed by intimidation and scare tactics. Think of those famous for throwing chairs, punching out a Wolverine, or hurling first base into the outfield! Were they nice and smiley, meek and polite? I don't think so. We're not talking about throwing your horn against the wall, or lashing out at the conductor. Being out of control doesn't help anything, but a good amount of impassioned determination, might be the missing ingredient to your success.

Instead of walking on stage with a defensive mindset, try the opposite. Take control and perform. You must be a well-trained caged beast behind your mouthpiece. Forget the kind and gentle approach. Make sure you are ready to offer plenty of enthusiasm every time you play. Get angry at yourself and be committed to attacking each piece with appropriate drama regardless of the scenario.

Fiery coaching helps, but you must be both star and coach for the rest of your career. Get angry at your repeated stupid mistakes produced from cautious timid playing. Call a time-out, and yell at yourself. You need someone constantly in your face and on your case, and that someone will have to be you.

Fading Gracefully

2010-04-02T19:17:00.031-04:00

No, this is not about growing old. Save that for another day. This is about a classy disappearing act. Most brass players are by nature good at boldly and belligerently bursting onto the scene. But it's our ability to gracefully get out of the way that usually needs much practicing. The impressive long diminuendo is our goal.

For example, performing Zarathustra, the Leonore calls, or Mahler 2nd Symphony will be no fun without this valuable skill. Each work requires a lengthy beautiful diminuendo on a single note without losing pitch or quality. At such moments in performance the trumpet player either hangs himself or plays the hero. You want such control on the long sustained notes that listeners stop breathing until your gorgeous sound finally disappears into thin air.

For some reason diminuendo practice seems to be neglected. Too bad. Fermata dims make for fun practice as you don't need music, and fatigue isn't an issue. Practice amazing your friends with your skilled stealth exits. Don't just quit at mp. Go all the way down to absolutely nothing, niente. Count quickly or slowly as you play, and think forward direction rather than just a static note. A goal is to be able to sustain your glorious note longer than necessary.

For practice, pick any note. How long can you hold it before it gradually fades away? Ten, fifteen, twenty seconds, more? Be sure not to get nervous, quivery, shaky, airy, sharp or flat. Have friends inspect your embouchure at close range checking for saggy lips, leaky air, smiley corners, exposed teeth, sputtering, drooling, snorting, or other serious problems. Please document and report issues to faculty.

How about a contest? Post signs around campus: The Longest Note of the Year! Prizes will go to those with the longest diminuendos that stay on pitch and don't get airy or fizzle. The higher the note the better the prize. Remember it must start ff and go to ppp.

How many of these orchestral and solo works do you know that test your disappearing skills? Lt. Kije, Don Quixote, Beethoven 6th, Dvorak New World, and every Mahler Symphony. Don't forget the end of the first and second movements of the Tomasi Concerto. You will want to collect your own notebook of high profile diminuendos for your daily practice. It's OK to be dim-witted.

Assembling Petroushka

2010-03-29T20:28:00.023-04:00

Ding dong. It's the UPS man. You dash to the door to find your package, your very own dancing Ballerina! As you rip open the box you notice the assembly instructions in very large print:

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO START YOUR BALLERINA UNTIL EACH PART IS SECURELY ASSEMBLED!!

Not a problem you say. What's the deal? She'll be twirling for only 25 seconds. That's just 163 notes, only 25 measures, and not even enough time to get tired! What's more, you don't even need your third valve. Stravinsky's Ballerina is a piece of cake!

Now for the assembly. You will notice that your Ballerina comes in five parts. Each part consists of notes which must be fastened snugly together so that they do not come apart during her performance. See to it that you complete each part before assembling the next. Note: each part is uncomplicated, but the trick is in putting them together seamlessly. The dancer must appear to change gears effortlessly.

PART #1 contents: 4 packages of a 12-note, 2-bar arpeggio in F (salute)

PART #2 contents: 4 packages (A and B) of 15-note scale fragments (soft noodles)

PART #3 contents: 3-bar, 21-note bold bolt up the hill and back (gush of steady air)

PART #4 contents: 3 bounces, 2 hills - 25 notes (hiccups and hills)

PART #5 contents: 1 final burst of 9 notes (and stay out!)

When all parts are in place your 3-note announcement will activate the Ballerina. She will start to dance at the sound of the snare drum.

WARNING: Some ballerinas have been reported to fall on their faces. There will be no factory recalls. Your ballerina will dance like a total klutz unless every part is prepared properly! Manufacturer is NOT responsible for damage due to careless assembly.

Speed Kills

2010-03-09T17:42:00.021-05:00

Does life behind the mouthpiece sometimes feel like there's a camera on the front of your bell, and you're on a high speed bobsled going ninety miles an hour? All the notes are flying by faster than they can be processed. We're on a race desperately trying to maintain control, dropping more notes than we nail. Is this a trumpet or a runaway Toyota? Somebody help!

Remember what Dad did when the family would get lost on vacation trips? He drove faster! Why is it that the harder the passage, the faster we go? Instead of the panic button, we should hit the brakes. With treacherous curves at every turn, cooler heads and slower practice speeds ought to prevail.

Dr. Phil has a two-word remedy for this ailment: SLOW DOWN! Everything improves at slower speeds. Notes can be seen, heard and controlled much better in slow motion. Think paycheck. You only get paid for well-played notes, period. Why not perfect as many notes as you can at your own comfortable tempo? High speeds may be resumed when conditions are safe.

Pacing and Purpose

2010-02-24T10:47:00.017-05:00

It was 1971 and James Levine was conducting Mahler 5 with the CIM orchestra. As students it was our first fifth! It was to be a big deal, the highlight, the main event of the semester. Levine and Mahler? No pressure.

Two things stood out during those several intense weeks of rehearsing. Our first lesson became clear even before we had finished the first rehearsal. Playing with all the gusto we could muster, we quickly realized that this was to be a long haul, and we had only just begun. Lesson #1: PACING.

Levine was great at preparing us to be at our best at show time. What good is a fabulous rehearsal if the concert is disappointing? We were getting a crash course in survival, (poor choice of words).

A great concert of course, is not just about getting through the music. The audience is more interested in heroes than survivors. A wise hero is better than a survivor, but a wise survivor is better than a dead hero. So it's a balance between playing it safe and cozy, and letting it all hang out. We were each learning to chart our own courses.

Lesson #2 was about PURPOSE. It came with Mr. Levine's instructions at the end of the last rehearsal before the big concert. He mopped his brow with that ever-present towel slung over his shoulder, and paused before offering his final advice. It was the best coach's pep talk one good receive. It has served as great motivation, and has helped to reduce anxiety for years of concerts and recording sessions.

"Don't be worrying about missing notes. The audience isn't coming to count mistakes. They expect to hear great music. See how many fabulous moments you can produce. You will want to remember this night."

Trumpets Go for the Gold

2010-02-18T17:54:00.046-05:00

Nervous excitement is in the air this week as dozens of the world's finest trumpeters are gathered in Cincinnati to compete for the gold at the 2010 Trumpolympics. Five separate competitions will be held with the winner receiving the greatest number of points from each of five panels of judges.

First round contestants will be judged solely on RHYTHM. Round two will be heard by the PITCH police. DYNAMICS will be the focus on day three. The ARTICULATION contest follows, and the final round will be heard by the prestigious MUSICALITY panel. The winner will be awarded the coveted Golden Tone Trophy. Runner up will receive the Silver Bell Award, and the third place trophy will go to the worst of the three. She or he will get to take home an unplated miniature Bronze Bust of Vincent Bach.

Let's listen in as advice is being offered from past contestants:

Pay attention now, gals and guys. This is important. Remember that Rhythm Judges will be deducting points big time for faults such as rushing and for playing a triplet instead of a dotted eighth note followed by a sixteenth. This panel is fanatical. What they see in the score better be what they get. Speed monitors that they are, they bristle at wrong tempos and at all things unsteady. You will notice their yellow pencils tapping impetuously and their feet stomping involuntarily as they try to correct you while you are playing. Consider yourself warned. They are nasty and unforgiving, but if you can keep them calm and provoke a nod of approval or a slight grin, you're in!

The Pitch Police are likewise very strict and intolerant of anything even slightly sharp or flat, especially sharp. If you don't make pitch corrections immediately, you're burnt toast. Just like their tuners, they will instantly signal out-of-tune and have you waved to the side of the stage. Like highway patrolmen, they are more alert to offenders than to law-abiding drivers. Your assignment is to keep them from bothering you. If you are a highly skilled pitch-finder, you'll be fine. No pressure.

The Dynamics Panel is equally nit-picky. You'll notice they constantly have their heads in the score listening for faults. They are like crowd-counters, quickly clicking their mistake buttons with every perceived decibel infraction. Don't ignore any dynamic markings! Even the smallest detail matters, for they are the sacred guardians of every dynamic the composer ever wrote. To satisfy them you must consider yourself an efficient volume-monitoring machine. This can actually be a fun ride, so let this game begin.

The Articulation Committee is your next venue. They will be listening for every kind of note beginning indicated by the composer. You will need articulations ranging from pickax to cotton swab with everything in between! Remember: different strokes for different notes! One size does not fit all. Knowing the style will help you style the notes. Clubbing, stuttering, and splitting will immediately get you yanked from the competition, so control your flow, guys. Think clean, smooth and focused.

Now for your last hurtle you must elicit raves from the snootiest of committees, the Musicality Monitors. These judges will be looking for you to score high marks for nuance, expression, drama and overall showmanship. They tend to look the other way on details from the other committees, but they do expect to be dazzled. Just think AMERICAN IDOL.

"Summon the Heroes" is now starting to echo throughout our huge contest hall, so toi-toi, y'all. Get out there and have the time of your lives! (thundering applause)

A Core Issue

2010-02-10T11:02:00.034-05:00

What do the goal posts on a football field have in common with the lane in a bowling alley, and does this have anything to do with trumpet playing? Can kickers and bowlers teach us anything? For the kicker, life is about delivering his three points with consistency. The bowler is about totaling up points by toppling as many pins as possible. Of course there are no points for awkwardly spilling the ball into the gutter. For both athletes, it's nail it, or come up empty. Genius or klutz. Money or none.

Three-point attempts can make heroes or goats, and the clumsy gutter ball is just plain embarrassing. Don't you hate it when the crowd rubs it in by chanting "air ball, air ball" at a basketball game, as if the poor guy did not already know he missed everything? (Now there's a nightmare scenario if that ever happened at trumpet recitals!) Speaking of missing everything, if the artist on the flying trapeze is careless or distracted easily, it's game over. Good things happen though, when they are nailed securely.

I wonder if kickers ever practice with narrower than normal-sized goal posts. What if bowlers in order to refine their skills practiced on especially narrow lanes with very wide gutters? How about the trapeze artist grasping for an extra small rung on a really tiny swing? Talk about crash and burn stage fright! Or think about the soldier training to cross a field full of buried explosives. Absolutely no room for error!

The point is not to be worried to death about missing the mark, but be to be challenged and encouraged about making the mark. We need to raise the bar by narrowing the posts. If it's wide to the left, short, or wide right, we come up empty.

Think about going for the heart of the note, the very center of the pitch, the meatiest, richest part of it. There is no playing around the edges allowed. In the core of the note is the best quality and the most resonance - pay dirt, if you will. Accuracy also improves when there is no tolerance for playing in the cracks. The adjectives "sloppy" and "unreliable" should not describe our playing. We should be able to walk fearlessly onto the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning and deliver nothing but strikes right down the heart of the plate!!

Ryan Anthony at CCM

2010-02-02T18:57:00.026-05:00

CCM trumpeters have been in hog heaven recently, first with Joe Burgstaller visiting last week, and now this week with Ryan Anthony, Principal Trumpet with the Dallas Symphony. What can you say about these guys, each with stellar careers going full blast! Well known is Ryan's impressive experience as a Canadian Brass member, soloist with many major orchestras, winner of numerous awards, Trumpet Professor at Oberlin College, and much more. Both are obviously top-notch musicians and excellent communicators.

First on Mr. Anthony's master class agenda - Bitsch Variations played by Masters' student Chris Pike. Adrienne Doctor, undergrad, followed with the Charlier Solo de Concour. Then DMA, Rory Powell nicely made his way through some of the difficult Tull Sonata. Each responded well to suggestions and showed noticeable improvement.

Quintet coaching followed with spot-on comments on the Ewald. No words were wasted as Ryan offered some seating and musical suggestions. Items addressed: using enough energy, steady and forward-moving rhythm, more variety of dynamics, communication between players, balance, and freedom of expression.

Here is some of the feedback from those in attendance:

Mr. Anthony offered some good communication points for our quintet such as eye contact, taking advantage of the "robust" volume potential of brass, as well as a more audience-friendly seating arrangement. The string quartet was suggested as a model for freedom of movement, communication and energy.

With regard to the Anthony class, I felt that his point that the audience will feel what the performer feels really hit home for me. If the performer is stressed, the audience will feel the same. Likewise with a joyous, exciting performance.

Tell a story when playing no matter what it is.

Be able to list adjectives that describe your piece.

The most important part of your first note is the breath. Don't walk on stage without it.

Be able to play a skeleton outline of awkward passages. Once fluid, then add the passing notes.

Play so well that it makes the judges put their pencils down and listen!

Everything done on the stage must be contagious and magnified.

Breathing is a part of the musical phrase.

Focus on the emotions rather than just the notes in the music. Get beyond the printed page. Tell a story, attempt to convey something other than notes to the audience.

Put the audience at ease with your persona.

Communicate; treat everything like chamber music.

Never stop being a student.

All music is either SONG or DANCE. Relay that to the listeners.

Avoid "vanilla" performances. Add more flavors.

Audiences also listen with their eyes.

If all you focus on is technique, that's all your audience will hear.

Music must move us.

Think: I can't wait to play this!

Take a passage, any passage. Now, if that's all the composer ever wrote, it must still sound great!

Impressive heroic visual of the great horn soloist Hermann Baumann totally winning his audience even before he ever played the first notes of the Strauss Horn Concerto!!

Joe Burgstaller at CCM

2010-01-29T11:44:00.052-05:00

Joe Burgstaller visited CCM last week, taking time away from his busy performing and teaching schedule to lead a two-hour master class. Joe is well known for his terrific work in the Canadian Brass and as a soloist and clinician. He is currently on the faculty at the Peabody Institute teaching trumpet and chamber music. His newest release is a must-hear, Mozart's Blue Dreams & Other Crossover Fantasies.

Mr. Burgstaller heard the Gregson Concerto (DMA student, David Wuchter) and Koetting Intrada (Senior, Paul Futer), and followed with a quintet coaching. Both solos were played impressively. Joe shared many neat ideas and perspectives on performance and music-making. His time with us was very motivational and thought provoking. Here are some of the highlights shared by those who played and attended.

Favorite concepts from his master class: honesty, and being willing to face uncomfortable performance situations. Since it's impossible to lie on stage and there's nothing we can do to change that, we may as well learn to soak it in and enjoy it.

I really enjoyed what Mr. Burgstaller had to say about performing - about making yourself more open and vulnerable to the audience. The whole idea of leaving your center of energy there for the audience, instead of hiding behind a stand. I found his entire master class very interesting!

I liked the time-line Joe Burgstaller gave in his master class. He slowly side-stepped across the stage, emphasizing total focus on playing well in the present. Worry about the next step when you get there, not before.

I liked his encouragement to stop being absolute slaves to the printed page.

He was able to encourage a freer sound and approach to playing.

A successful performance involves more than just the notes. Communicating is only 30% verbal (or notes) and 70% energy (stage presence, posture, body language, countenance, etc). The show starts as you walk on stage even before a note is played. You can't lie on stage. Your bow, posture, and facial expressions matter. What you are comes across. No walls are allowed.

Embrace the audience. Don't ignore them, but play to them. They can be a scary mass of people, so don't make them nervous.

Don't think about your notes. Think about the story behind your music. You MUST emotionally connect to this story.

Have energy right from the first note. Your first phrase is the most important and will get you going.

Overdo EVERYTHING on stage. Appear confident to be confident. Remember your five P's - Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.

Don't hide yourself from the audience. Get away from/lower the stand.

Practice constructive self-criticism. Remove negative words from your vocabulary.

Practice technique: find ways to make difficult passages more difficult (slower, faster, softer, higher, etc.)

A few cool one-liners:

Musicians are special.

Dynamics are colors, not decibels.

Before the audience can be sold, you must be.

Learn to grab all the music you can from the printed page.

Good intonation is more than pitch-adjusting. It involves tone-matching.

Put air on the first note.

If you're not creating line, you're creating boredom.

Say of your playing, when appropriate, "That was really good!!"

Loser?

2010-01-24T14:46:00.040-05:00

What are the deadliest three words in the audition business? After working diligently for months on your list, you do your best to survive all the travel stress on the big day, and then wait for hours trying to stay ready. Finally you get your 8 to 10 minutes, only to get rudely stopped by those three dreaded words, "Thank you. Next." The committee may as well have shouted "LOSER!" and then laughed out loud. Oh, the sting of it!

So, you give up? Change professions? Not so fast. Keep in mind that not winning can be the start of some great music-making on your part, if you want. Why be discouraged? That's normal. Anyone can get depressed. Here is your chance to learn from your loss and to manage your emotions. A defeat does not define us, it should propel us.

Consider your discouraging audition experience a vital part of the growth and refining process rather than a personal insult. Take inventory. In the heat of your audition moments dross (unwanted tendencies) rose to the surface and now waits to be skimmed off. But more importantly, have a new focus. Instead of despair, you have a fresh list of highlighted items to address tomorrow, not only negatives to reduce, but many positives to add.

It's the positives that make winners. Maybe it's not what you did wrong that disqualified you as much as what you did not do enough of. Consider that the committee really was rooting for you, but they didn't hear enough musical moments to advance you. Instead, they may have heard indecision and lack of confidence. Practicing being convincing is your first goal. (Or, if you were a little too convincing, perhaps tone it down a bit. That is, over the edge in style and dynamics, not likely to fit in, overdone, too exuberant. Most need to turn up the heat. Some need to cool it.)

Auditions also have a nice way of reacquainting us with much needed humility. After all, who do we think we are to have every one of life's rewards handed to us at every turn?

Another perspective: Others are watching to see how our loss affects us. Learning to handle adversity may well be the most important achievement of the day. Winners must learn how to lose. A gracious loser is better than a proud winner.

Lastly, life is bigger than an audition victory or loss. It's not life or death. Keeping that in mind can relieve some of the pressures of performance. The quality of the person is more important than the position held.

All Ears

2010-01-21T19:18:00.009-05:00

French was not my thing in high school simply because I did not feel like studying for it. I liked the sound of it, but was not willing to do the work required to be conversant. As a result I nearly flunked, yet our teacher said that I had the best ears in the class! How could that be?

I could take down every syllable of a French dictation assignment accurately, but it made no sense. Phonetically it was perfect, but perfectly wrong when one tried to read and make sense of it. Even though my hearing may have been awesome, my fluency and study habits were awful.

Excelling in Music 101 is no different than excelling in French 101. Aptitude is nice, but it must be matched with diligence. Intense listening is just as important as efficient and sufficient practice. The tempting trap for us trumpeters is too much lips and not enough ears, or as Mel Broiles used to say "a little less blow and a lot more brains!"

Hearing is critical, but for too many of us our hearing is in critical condition. We just don't pay serious attention to others or to our own playing. Consequently our ear never gets fully developed, and so goes our quality. Is that a talent issue or a character flaw?

Most of our mistakes may be be traced to careless listening. More than an assignment, it must be a passion and an obsession - constantly feeding on the best playing and demanding it of ourselves. If all we give to our ears is mediocrity, that is what they will learn to tolerate. Ignore your hearing and it will go away.

Audiences won't know that you excelled in music history, or that you aced every theory test, or necessarily that you just finished 5 hours of practice. What they will recognize and expect is to hear quality playing. Should not we be as picky?

Don't Get Blown Away!

2010-01-20T17:11:00.017-05:00

We shouldn't be easily blown away. If we are frequently shocked and awed by great trumpet performances, something is wrong. Yes, we admire, respect and appreciate exciting trumpet events, but each one should not be a wake-up call. Quality is to be expected, not a surprise and not foreign to us.

When all we listen to is ourselves, we reduce expectations, lose inspiration and quickly become out of touch. Each time we hear an inspired performance it should quickly have an affect on our playing. Response: "I can do (some of) that. I get it, and can't wait to try it!" Osmosis should be happening daily. With all the listening tools and opportunities we have available to hear top level playing, there is no excuse for not improving at a very noticeable rate.

Great players are not on some other planet. We inhabit the same world. Our job is to connect with what they do and absorb how they do it. Improving is as much about the student's initiative as it is in the training by the teacher. Critical listening in generous daily dosages is key. If you're not getting better fast, you're getting blown away.

Kiradjieff at CCM

2010-01-12T13:35:00.026-05:00

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Assistant Principal and Third Trumpet, Christopher Kiradjieff led an excellent two-hour masterclass at CCM today. Never at a loss for great comments and very helpful suggestions, Chris heard four students play some of those familiar excerpts that never seem to go away. He followed with a very productive coaching of the full student trumpet section, extras included, on Pines of Rome.

For any note-takers, there was no lack of material shared. Here are just a few keepers that I captured. First up . . . .

Petroushka:

Clarity is more important than speed. Individual, distinct notes is the goal.
Slow-and-clear is better than fast and not-so-clear.
Once it is clean, then speed can happen. Speed is the last item to add.

Bartok Concerto for Orchestra:

Movement I: icy smooth and soft, secure starts, no vibrato, phrases must have direction, think crescendo between bars
Fugue: strong and uniform, marked articulations, proper length of opening quarter, emphasize notes that tend to get lost
Movement II: mechanical, clock-like, more obvious dynamic contrasts, don't be afraid of doing "duts" when needed, instead of all "duhs"
Discover the "leaning, heavier" notes in the chorale.
Movement V: 16ths clearly nailed dead in time, very steady, strong and articulate, drive the triplets

Gershwin Concerto in F:

Don't be afraid of taking control, be soloistic.
Develop the long notes immediately.
Louder, more schmaltz
Not too soft
Wail, and be generous with the vibrato.
The huge intervals become a non-issue when big, singing vibrato notes are what it's about.

Mahler 3, Chorale from Movement VI:

Slow, soft and connected
Come on in clearly on the first 2 notes, and then sail.
Bring out slightly the "leaning" notes.

Isolated practice suggestions in general: slow, segmented practice; fluttertongue the hard stuff; use different rhythms; exaggerate the weak notes. Your playing has to be distinct at a distance.

Paraphrasing some highlights: Details are all good. The audience will notice. The integrity of the section, the whole ensemble and of the performance is at stake. Everything in the part matters and must be brought out. Rhythm, clarity and musicianship must rule! Exaggeration, projection, great sense of rhythm, knowing the key notes to be emphasized in a phrase, staccatissimo - all of these must be able to happen. Sound has to be full and secure. Instinctive, steady rhythm must dominate.

Chris has a gift for making the mechanical demands musical demands, which makes his approach fun and gets nice results. Little needed to be said about trumpet technique because the musical goals were clearly communicated and got the job done. It's like: "Here's exactly what we want. Now let's do it!"

Fifths and Tonics

2009-12-28T19:48:00.037-05:00

"Six years of college and now I've gotta play this - a hand full of isolated peeps, pops, and poops? Bring on some Mahler, Strauss, or Stravinsky, but not a whole week of Haydn and Mozart! All of my training, and all I get to show for it is a bunch of tonic and dominant. Give me a break." Have we not all thought that at some point?

A modest portion of fifths and octaves may often be all you'll see for a week or longer, so you might as well settle in and get comfortable. Look at it this way, with so few notes to play, you'll be saving on valve oil. You could probably even leave your third valve at home, and maybe the second as well! Your handicapped horn could be quite the conversation starter during rehearsals! In fact, you may be thinking, "why not just bring a bugle to work?"

Don't be thinking that this repertoire is without its challenges. In many ways Beethoven, Haydn, and Mozart can be more difficult than a Bruckner symphony or Strauss tone poem. With nowhere to hide and little room for error, your ability to blend, your intonation and control are on display big time. This music quickly separates the ok from the great players. Myron Bloom used to say that playing Mozart is the best way to learn control.

Although we may only play five, six or seven different pitches all night, we must control all of them perfectly. We act as percussion and reinforce points of melodic lines. We'll get our one or two shining moments, but mostly we are to behave behind the scenes as energetic helpers for the winds and strings. We're seldom in the spotlight, but if we do poorly, all will notice. Let's consider ourselves artistic surgeons, drummers with a skilled touch, and graceful swordsmen.

Enough grumbling and dreaming. How about practicing a good portion of your sessions with Mozart on your mind. Play softer, in tune, and don't play so much. Play many isolated high notes, yes lots of peeps and pops, but no poops, just good clean shortish notes. Control intonation even on individual eighth notes, well spaced and in perfect rhythm. Play long whole notes softly with diminuendos, followed by repeated eighth notes a beat apart. Do all things as if auditioning for a Mozart/Haydn orchestra. Play effortlessly and accurately. Make it a game. Can you play just a few Mozart-style notes perfectly? How about wearing a white wig to rehearsals? Nah.

Get the librarian to let you have a sneak peek at any of the Mozart, Haydn, or Beethoven Symphony trumpet parts. Play exactly what's on the page. There's a nice groove to this style of orchestral playing. Learn to fit in and enjoy. You'll be longing for this kind of a break after a long Mahler week. It's the perfect reset therapy after long blows. The fun for trumpets in Mozart is finesse, rather than force. Tonics and dominants matter.

Second-Class Music?

2009-12-15T21:58:00.035-05:00

Why is it that you etudes are always restricted to the practice room? That's the only place we ever hear you! Seems like you can never find your way onto the recital stage. Too bad, because some of you are way too good just to be practiced and shelved. You should have an audience. But no, you are destined to remain lowly etudes with no titles, only a number, prisoners in the music world, and to be stashed away in trumpet students' lockers.

Rarely are you considered artistic. You are only an assignment on the professor's to-do list. You simply occupy space in a book, and only one page at a time, no more no less. You are an uninspired piece of boredom. You function merely as a project for the featured key of the week, or for your 12 lines of nonstop triple tonguing. Don't even think about inspiration or fame. We've heard the Bach Cello Suites, and you're no suite.

Let's liberate some deserving etudes from performance quarantine. Instead of the usual recital fillers, how about finding some gems from the etude world that ought to have a hearing, and giving them some respect. Here are just a few possibilities:

Bitsch - 20 Etudes. #1 could be a flashy opener. #17 is expressive and lyric. #20 is cool played in one, with a loud straight mute. You could combine three or four or more of these etudes together. Think of your own titles for each movement. These will be more inspiring as you think of performing them. Give each a story of some sort.

Caffarelli - 100 Etudes for transposition has a good supply of musical possibilities. #66, 40, and 70 are favorites. Even the Sachse - 100 Studies for transposition has a few. You could have a transposition feature on your recital including a selection of contrasting styles all transposed in different keys. Amaze your professor with your initiative and creativity! Who says you can't be musical and transpose at the same time?!

Reynolds - 48 Etudes for Trumpet has many nasty studies that you may prefer to keep in the practice room. There are several however that you could group together as an unaccompanied solo work on your next recital. Consider mutes too. If you are inclined, you might consider writing piano, percussion, or whatever accompaniment you like.

Tap the etude literature for solo possibilities. Audiences usually have to attend, so let's keep it entertaining, challenging and creative.

Hard Lessons

2009-12-02T17:49:00.026-05:00

Some of the most difficult lessons we must learn are not about endurance, sight-reading, or transposition. Those are relatively easy. More challenging are those unexpected humiliations inflicted by people and situations out of our control. They can stifle the very reason we want to do what we do. It could be criticism, energy-draining attitudes, or any unforeseen scenario that threatens our confidence. Learning to expect them and to deal positively with them is crucial.

Criticism can be our best teacher. When we bristle and get offended, there likely is some truth to it. We would do well not to react, but to improve. Use criticism as motivation for the next practice session. A hard to please teacher or conductor may be just what you need to make you a better player and person.

Prepare yourself for any negative attitude before it comes. It may be yours or your neighbor's. It's still dangerous because it is poisonous. Your passion for playing must be strong enough to withstand the disgruntled, the discouraged, and the critical. Counter with good playing, not anger. Let it develop in you strength and leadership. It is not your clever cutting reply, but the quality of your playing that will speak loudest and inspire others to follow.

Adverse playing conditions are arguably the hardest obstacle. Sounding great with no help means you are able to sound great with no help! A cello soloist I know used to practice in the winter with the window wide open. In the hot weather he closed all doors and windows and put on a heavy coat. No bad hall was going to get to him. Whether it's a gym or a closet, there you are, and you must sound great.

Ours is a coddled generation demanding the easy way with constant pats on the back. Politically correct thinking so prevalent today is that no one fails, and everyone wins. We insulate ourselves from hard reality, so that the truth smarts when it finally comes. Learn to take the hits so that your great music will thrive anywhere.

What Christmas Song . . . .

2009-11-29T20:35:00.014-05:00

a. has a descending major 7th? Hint: "have your . . . ."

b. has four consecutive descending thirds? Hint: M3, m3, M3, m3

A Daily Lesson with Ernest Williams

2009-11-21T22:49:00.041-05:00

Who was Ernest Williams, and why do we hear so little about him today? His Modern Method is sadly becoming a lost treasure. Some have preferred it to the Arbans Method. He was one of the greats in the trumpet and cornet playing world way back in the 20th century. Mr. Williams was as competent a teacher as he was a performer. He also was Director of the Ernest Williams School of Music, conductor of his University Symphonic Band, teacher at Juilliard, principal trumpet under Stokowski in the Philadelphia Orchestra, and renowned cornet soloist with the Goldman Band under Goldman himself.

My first teacher, a pupil of his, lectured us kids about the great Mr. Williams at every lesson. We were respectful of course, but what did we know? We did benefit however from strict adherence to his well-organized approach to technique-building. We were forbidden from practicing solos until the daily regimen of scales was completed. I'm sure my parents knew well every page of his book, and when I graduated from high school they must have been relieved that all of those scales, arps, and chroms would finally be leaving our N.J. home.

I like his repeated instruction between each chromatic line on page 155. "Do not attempt to play the following line until the preceding line sounds pure and free." Today it could be said many ways. "Do not even think about continuing until you go back and fix what you just messed up." Or, "Dude, NO!" Mr. Williams' effective one-sentence lesson can still stop us in our messy tracks. Repeated furious and out-of-control attempts are never useful. Being the gentleman that he was, I can imagine him calmly saying: "Slow down. Listen, and control what you are doing, one note at a time. It must sound pure and free."

Let's listen in as he might have given instruction for a student beginning work on the Honegger Intrada. I can imagine him demanding that the first two notes be connected and clear before climbing up to the F at the top of the phrase. "Play just the first four notes cleanly, connected and in tune. Good. Add two more. You may now attempt four more notes and continue only if you can maintain control and quality." As soon as the notes begin to come faster than they can be controlled, he suddenly interrupts, "Do not proceed until the preceding notes sound pure and free!"

What great advice! Mr. Williams' one sentence can be our daily lesson. Enough said.

Playing for a Living?

2009-11-17T19:01:00.027-05:00

It seems like we struggle with half of our brains tied behind our backs, and yet wonder why our trumpet-playing is more boring than rewarding. We go about our days cleaning, dusting, mopping, scrubbing, polishing and maybe even doing a thorough job of it. Yet half of our brain often lies dormant as our most productive weapon is bound and gagged. The Seven Dwarfs seemed to have learned this lesson in spite of their handicapped temperaments. They "Whistled While They Worked" and sang "Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's off to work we go!" Can that fantasy become reality?

Our assignments involve lots of technique work for sure. You can't avoid a thorough focus on basic issues of playing even for a single day. But how can they become a welcome challenge without a total meltdown of musical enjoyment? That's the difficulty.

This is not about being an obnoxious Pollyanna in the workplace, but rather in the practice room. The secret to a rewarding music career is learning to enjoy the work (as much as possible.) For example, can octave work also be considered a musical project? Can arpeggios be artistic? Must all scales only function as wallpaper designs in a score? How about slow warm-up slurs? Do they have to be a-musical? Where does it demand that all very high notes must sound strained and too loud? Does intonation-fixing have to be musically void? Are static notes useful in recitals? Can concerto work be more than an accuracy contest? Is it possible to transpose and sound good at the same time?

You've heard it said about some players that they did not seem to have a musical bone in their bodies? For others, it seemed that they could not play an unmusical note even if they tried! It must be a matter of developing musical instincts. A rewarding music career is not just about an awesome technique, or a beautiful expressive tone. A successful musician, no matter what the venue, is one who learns to enjoy working musically on a daily basis. Without the fun, it is only a job. Play for a living.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aURThUaRjCc&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY3aljAO7qU

Are You Hireable?

2009-11-09T18:50:00.015-05:00

The defining questions in the minds of the audition committee: "Can we hire this person? Do we want to listen to him/her every day? Will the maestro go for this kind of playing?" Of course there are also those usual matters of sound quality, intonation, blendability, and musicianship. Those must all be givens, but are any stand-out qualities being communicated? In short, what will be their instinctive reaction upon hearing you? Deal or no deal?

Never mind the audition scenario. Let's visit your practice room. Would the committee want to offer you a nice contract based on what they heard outside your practice room today? Is your practice marketable? Will your notes sell? Or as Erich Kunzel asked a new young arranger on his first job, "Hey, kid. Are you any good?" (He was about to find out!)

Why not begin your next practice session with the mindset that all that you are about to play matters? You are being listened to and evaluated. Don't freak. Just enjoy why you're there. If you don't, they won't. Purify your notes and clean them up. Prime time may be nearer than you think. Very nice performances can happen in the practice building. Why not amaze your friends!

Flying Safely Under the Radar

2009-10-24T14:40:00.021-04:00

Most trumpet players don't have trouble being heard. Problems tend to happen when we have to not be heard! Owning the stage is not always our job description as much as it is to blend and get out of the way. Remaining relatively unnoticed is often our most difficult assignment. Can you do it?

Performance in low decibels does not mean playing with low intensity. Soft does not mean boring, tense, or tentative. The trick is to perform comfortably and agreeably in all dynamic ranges. (Oh, to always be at home, home in the range.)

Imagine that you are a great operatic tenor-in-training, just itching to belt out your favorite romantic aria. However, instead of the concert stage, you are on a baby-sitting job with the sleeping child within earshot. You just gotta sing because it's in your blood, but it has to be very soft. Can you do it?

Can you play all the loud licks in pp with equal enthusiasm, spontaneity, and control? Flying under the radar doesn't mean we are certain to crash. It means we still perform with maneuverability, flexibility, and musicality.

Why don't you build a large cut-out of a conductor's big left hand? Fix it to a bobble-head type contraption so that it waves and jerks at you while you practice, insisting that you stop your loud blowings. Get used to it. Our task is to comply and play beautifully no matter how far under the radar we must play. Can you do it?

Trills Matter

2009-10-12T20:54:00.024-04:00

Sadly, trills are rarely perfected, but with some meticulous work they can and should be. Trill drill is definitely worth the extra effort. Trills can dazzle your listeners when deftly executed. Your goal is snazzy, spiffy, sparkling clear finger-poppings, performed exactly in time. Even if other details are imperfect, your impressive trills can save the day. There is nothing quite as satisfying as that grandiose, confident and well-executed trill at the conclusion of a great piece of trumpet music!

Sloppy trills however, can drain your energy and bore your listeners. Don't be thinking like a truck driver while your fingers furiously flap away for 8 to 10 beats on a single note. Think "flute, soprano, solo violin, butterfly" or anything that flutters gracefully. Remember: trills are not tremolos, buzzers, or anything Black and Decker. Nice trills have two recognizable pitches, usually a major or minor second apart. And there is a reason that the two notes prior to the resolution are called "grace notes!"

Be sure to monitor your speed. Too often trilling is too fast and too intense. The important note in a trill is the first note. The rest are throw-away and less important (as long as they are decent). The resolution is where you are going. Whether you start above or on the note, make sure it is impressive and clean. Never mind the textbooks, just do it nicely!

To stop the trill or not to stop the trill is the question that is usually answered by convenience rather than conviction. How about Plan A. That is: trill right into the grace notes without stopping. This is a bit harder to do as it involves a lot more coordination, but sounds great. Resolving the trill before the graces is O.K. but still sounds like Plan B.

Once you seem to have mastered trills, prepare them in horribly awkward keys! Since we only need to train 3 fingers, we might as well discipline each of them to work for us in any key.

Note: don't forget that for picc work, the 4th finger needs training too.

Posted Notes

2009-10-07T10:18:00.014-04:00

Busy today with no time to carve out a "decent" practice session? Here's a touch-and-go list of items. Better to visit each one briefly rather than let them slip. Remember that although you are rushed, your playing does not have to be sloppy or hurried. In fact, you might be a lot more productive with less time to waste. Note: in the future this might be the norm rather than the exception, so learn to practice getting it done quickly. Caution: don't forget to rest, and remember to vary your dynamics. Include pp! Your goal is not just to get it all covered, but to finish in good shape, ready for anything.

No music needed:

LTs w/dims

Interval slurs (pick random intervals/play slow, smooth, in tune)

Scales (2 octaves - M - m (nat/harm/mel) - soft to loud to soft, and vv

Chroms - polished, even, fast

Arps - 2 octaves - M - m - A - dim7

Flex. - arps leapfrogged (be able to start at the top)

(Do you ever do the above on your small horns?)

Music needed:

Etude fragments

Solo movement

Transposition

Excerpts

Split Personality

2009-09-28T16:07:00.022-04:00

A great trumpet player is not unlike a dog. He/she must be comfortable on a tight leash, but also able to break free and attack on a moment's notice. Picture a nice little doggy quietly and obediently roaming around on his leash. Then imagine a pit bull on a fast and viscous mission with no leash at all! Both have gotta be you, nice and sweet, but with your killer instinct always intact.

You must control a gorgeously suave and stealth Schumann 2 on an audition, and turn right around and belt out a belligerent Goldenburg like a hungry dog with a bone. Try to blast that mute right out of the bell and straight at the conductor! You are a well-trained savage, restrained on the one hand, but also able to deliver a cold-blooded pummeling on the other. For example, you can't play Mahler symphonies without great control of soft details as well as being able to nail all of those violent blasting eruptions.

Think about your airstream. It must be so soft and gentle that it can move a spider web without disturbing the spider. Then it must be so forceful and focused that it blows an entire stack of papers off the desk, scattering them all over the room. That's you - a gentle breeze and a ferocious hurricane!

One of your practice goals is to be comfortable in both dynamic zones. You are fast becoming a highly skilled wind machine. Make those boring practice sessions more productive by developing control of extremes.

Avoiding Root Canals

2009-09-14T11:21:00.021-04:00

It's day #1 on your orchestra gig. Life is good until you open the folder. There you are faced for the first time with Berlioz' Roman Carnival Overture with the cornet part in A. Next, you have Tchaikowsky's Romeo and Juliet Overture with the trumpet part in E and F. On the second half is Ein Heldenleben, and you've got the E flat part! Any of these transpositions at first sight in a rehearsal could cause some degree of panic not unlike drilling with no Novocaine. You just don't want to be there, so now is the time to do something about it well before you get the gig.

The remedy for this situation is a good skill in basic transposition. You may think of this as root canal work because it's embarrassing to sound like a beginner when having to transpose something. It's like trying to run with your feet in concrete blocks. But some daily pain in the practice room is far better than humiliation on stage.

So let's keep a Sachse or Caffarelli transposition book on your stand for daily use. If this is your first exposure to this unpleasantness, here are the assignments: Transpose to A, C, D, E flat, E natural and F. Get familiar with these and then you can attack A flat, D flat, G, etc. Begin with easy stuff to gain confidence. How about a key a week?

Remember, you can do most of the grunt work without your horn! The issue is speed from page to brain to fingers, so you can save your chops for now. Try to like this, it is possible. It takes time but it does get easier. Transposition is a skill that is quite doable no matter how you play. Do it and conquer laziness! Not transposing well is a character weakness, not a disability. Daily drills will keep you from the drill.

Visiting Your Local Park Bench

2009-09-09T21:19:00.030-04:00

Do you have a favorite quiet spot? Maybe it's a secluded park bench, that Adirondack chair on your deck, or a tree stump next to a creek? Wherever it is, the only requirement is that you do not bring your trumpet to your little hideaway. The trumpet only tends to ruin the party, so leave it home and keep this a fun adventure.

What to bring? All you need is three fingers, your tongue, and your music, excerpts, solos, whatever. No equipment is needed, just you, nature and your natural musical instincts. We are going to perfect our input before it hits the horn. You must put quality in before you can expect a quality product. So begin to refine and energize your message. It must be so disciplined and driven that the horn won't have a fighting chance to resist. It will simply have to obey and cooperate with you.

Your goal is to get your tongue and fingers on the same page, or rather on the same note! They are often at odds with each other. They must become the best of friends. Take Fetes for example. That is a great exercise for our basic training. Both the tip of your tongue and the tips of the fingers of your right hand must articulate perfectly together. All four must be very athletic and coordinated. They must march in time. Sit there until you have them working together in perfect rhythm. Fingers are not allowed to fly high over the valve caps, nor are they allowed to flop sloppily over the top of the valves. It's about tips. You may use your left hand knuckles for valves.

Another favorite is Ravel's Piano Concerto in G. The whole piece is fair game for our boot camp, not just the opening. Begin slowly making sure the "T" of your tongue perfectly lines up with the "attack" of your fingers. Hey, good news! You only need to train two fingers for the opening! Only once will your third finger need to join in! Begin slowly, and eventually take this way faster than you'll ever need. How fast can you go and keep your "little attackers" in sync?

While you're at it, train the "K" as well as the "T". You will notice that your K is much more efficient when it is closer to your teeth. T and K must be good friends and must sound alike. Bring your sluggish K up to speed right there in the privacy of your articulation training zone.

Visit your "local park bench" regularly. Nobody will notice your mistakes but you. After a few intense and disciplined sessions, you will be able to amaze your friends. Remember, this is way more productive than a whole bunch of mindless blastathons. Brain beats blow any day.

Fred Mills Remembered

2009-09-08T10:14:00.012-04:00

In the corner of a small room at Giardinelli's, Fred Mills sat patiently with me for a good hour as I struggled to find my next trumpet. He was very quiet but attentive, only offering brief advice when asked. Finally running out of steam, I asked if he would like to play them. Without any warm up he instantly played several very impressive and well-focused arpeggios, rendered his verdict, and handed the best horn back to me. I remember feeling like I had been hurling tons of mud at a brick wall. Fred just nailed it in less than a minute by skillfully throwing a dart at the bulls eye for me.

Some are talkers. Fred was a listener. In the few times I met and spoke with Fred, I remember him as a modest man who was always more interested in how you were doing than keeping you up to date on his own activities. When speaking of himself, it was always understated. I was impressed with him as a person and of course as a giant in the business. His terrific playing in the Canadian Brass spoke for itself. He seemed to get even better with time. An amazing list of accomplishments follows him.

An enormous amount of experience, wit, and friendliness was not far beneath that deadpan expression. Fred died in a car accident in Athens, Georgia. It was a sudden and very sad loss. He will be greatly missed.

A Pops Week with Erich Kunzel

2009-09-02T13:49:00.047-04:00

It was one of those Tuesday mornings, the start of a ten-service week of the Cincinnati Pops with Maestro Erich Kunzel. There was to be a full complement of rehearsals, three concerts and two recording sessions. Our stands seemed awfully top-heavy with those thick red trumpet folders jammed full of repertoire. We had brought bags o' mutes, extra mouthpieces, and several trumpets all warmed up and ready for action. Approaching Music Hall even an hour early, one could see that his dark blue Mercedes with his EK Maine license plate was already there. Mr. Kunzel was always the first to arrive and the last to leave.

A typical Pops week meant you were going to have to work and play hard, loud and high, soft and sweet. You would be juggling mutes, switching horns, standing and sitting while quickly adjusting the music stand, trying to manage those fast segues from tune to tune, all the while being expected to sound great. Often a three-ringed circus with soloists, dancers, choirs, cloggers, aerialists, flame-throwers, you name it, would be happening right there on our stage. Try to play and concentrate when you and your colleagues were in some crazy costume with cameras in your face. It was literally lights, cameras and lots of action!

One of the most impressive gifts Erich had was his ability to organize and lead a recording session. He was Mr. Efficiency! There we sat looking at the long list of rep for the next three hour session often thinking "there's no way!" But there was a way, and he usually got it all done on time with maybe even a prerecording of some piece for the next album. Every minute of every break was used to quickly assess what needed to be fixed. Dashing from the podium to hear playbacks, he was always on a mission. Erich was great at that, working fast and efficiently under pressure. I always admired that he did not get rattled as the clock was ticking down.

Eventually the busy week would finally end right on the dot with the last tune in the can. With hair bedraggled, shirt wet with perspiration, water bottles empty, and all the scores in a disheveled heap, Erich's work for the week was done, and done very well. "Thank you, everybody!!" he would call, which signaled the official end of the week. Another Pops event had come and gone in its familiar whirlwind fashion. He made you work, but it was fun.

The stage hands would instantly descend onto the stage en mass like scavengers to quickly set up for the next set of rehearsals. String players scattered instantly. The busy librarians would gather up the remains of the week's work on carts like medics picking up the wounded after a battle. The massive amount of Telarc recording equipment would slowly begin to come down to be packed away.

The woodwind instruments would get swabbed and carefully placed back into their cases. The percussion guys would once again begin their long methodical take-down having just used every instrument they owned. There was the occasional murmuring from a few of us brass players, but all the hard work was worth it. We usually finished stronger than we began. Working for Erich was sort of like a high-powered body-building course. There were some aches and pains for sure. But hey, no pain, no gain. How hard could Mahler be after one of Erich's weeks! He made us unstoppable!

I am sure that we did not fully appreciate all that we had in Erich Kunzel's leadership. It was easy to take it for granted when we were accustomed to it for so many years. He began each week with a loud and upbeat "Good morning, everybody!!" He tapped the baton and we immediately began delving into the huge stack of stuff. The week closed with "Thank you, everybody!!" I will never forget those weeks. On August 1st, he conducted his last concert. We will miss him.

Thank you, Erich.

No Cash for Clunkers!

2009-08-20T20:06:00.020-04:00

Playing trumpet is not a sit-back-and-give-it-a-go endeavor. You shouldn't sound like you are lounging on a couch watching TV with your legs crossed. You have to stay on this thing or it rules you. To be a master at it, you must be constantly mastering it. A casual half hearted approach won't get it done. You must tell the horn what to do. If you tell it nothing, that's how you will sound.

Two things are needed in your daily work: a good note and a good phrase of good notes. You need a centered, ringing, vibrant core to each note with no muffling or pinching. Even if slow is the only way you can do this, fine. You can play faster later. Next, you must know what you want to do with your nicely polished notes. They have to do something, go somewhere, say something. Each note must have intensity, direction and drive, not static and decaying boredom. Listen to the opening of Mahler 5, Pictures, Pines, or the Leonore calls. That's your goal: all good notes that make sense fitting into the phrase.

So, this is not brain surgery. All you need to do is play good notes and a good phrase. "No problem. That's what I do", you say? Well, listen again. Chances are you are a bit careless and not used to listening for and expecting first-rate quality from yourself. You don't need a ton of notes, just a few very good ones. Get used to producing top quality sounds even on the first notes of your warm up. You will get paid nicely at the end of the day if 95% of your note-production is juicy, sparkling, rich, resonant, focused and clear! There is no cash for clunkers!