"I know that. Why don't I do it?'

There we are, coasting along just fine. Our playing is good, and so is life. Suddenly a few nasty passages begin to become troublesome and demand our attention. Simply ignoring them has failed to produce any improvement, and muscling our way through them isn't working. Neither does repetition - something about expecting a different result without ever changing anything? Those gnarly intervals seem set on remaining obstinate and refuse to be conquered. What is a trumpeter to do (besides yelling and throwing things)?

Here are a few suggestions that always yield results in the shortest amount of time. They are not new or amazing over-night cures, just remedies that work, but require consistent attention. In addition to mind-over-matter brute strength, which does have its place, you can get used to making these procedures a regular part of your routine as well.

The last thing we usually try is PLAYING VERY SLOWLY, I mean really slow. Try half tempo, so that you can totally focus and hear each note. Usually the tongue has become brutal, sluggy or pecky. Over-articulating is often the problem. We resort to using a sledge hammer to kill ants. The sledge hammer has its place but should not be over-used. When playing painstakingly slow, we immediately notice the lack of quality and center of the notes.

That leads to the next item: CLEANING UP THE SOUND. Sound quality generally suffers with speed. Play each note slowly with your best tone. No junk notes allowed. You ought to be able to sound just as good as your heros, if you play slow enough. So we've got slow accuracy, and now greatly improved sound.

Next is mouthpiece BUZZING. This perhaps should be the first resort. Insist on perfect intonation with your buzz. Very few seem to avoid modulating when buzzing even the shortest passage. Sit beside the piano while you plunk out the notes, checking your buzz for clarity and exact pitch. So now we have slow motion, high quality and a nice-sounding buzz.

Is anyone still there? Another item we all hate, but it works - and that is SINGING. Whether you have a good singing voice or not, it doesn't matter. Sing the passage in tune and in rhythm. As this improves, it will help your concentration when you return to actual playing. We easily get careless about slotting notes. Hence, pitch, quality and volume are hampered.

In short, if you can't play it, SLOW IT DOWN, listen for SOUND QUALITY, BUZZ IT, and SING IT. Take your time. Impatience is the root of the problem.

Never Good Enough

Double tonguing is one of those techniques that always seems to need attention. No one ever graduates from DT-101, as it has a way of appearing on each year's curriculum and in each week's concerts no matter how long we've been in or out of school. So we might as well get good and used to generous doses of that boring but so necessary section in the Arban book - pages 175-190.

Whoever heard of having to begin a note with a K, trying to articulate from the middle of the tongue, half way back to the throat? No wonder our double-tonguing is so easily handicapped. But it must be done. The trick is to mimic the clarity of the T so that no one can hear the difference, not even you. Painstaking slow practice does work, and that just might be the fastest route to mastery. Ironic that speed is accomplished slowly. Sadly, few have the patience. After all, there is absolutely no joy in trying to pronounce a T sound with a K at a snail's pace. And who has the time?

I remember a colleague at Eastman who was so exasperated with his spastic DTs, that he went on a K-only binge! Absolutely nothing but K attacks. His goal was a massive tongue-strengthening program. Heroic intentions, but he quickly developed a severe stuttering malady and had to spend two weeks in the infirmary.

There is almost no trumpet rep that ignores double-tonguing. First of all there is Ravel's G Major Concerto for Double and Triple-Tongued Trumpet with piano accompaniment (as I call it), the humility check. Then there are those particularly awkward passages in which the 16ths start with the K, or weaker note, like the solo in Capriccio Italien.

Equally hard is having to go from double to triple instantly. Example: Pines of Rome. As soon as you turn the first page, having executed high speed multiple tonguing with flying colors, Respighi's mighty tongue-twister challenges the trumpet player's self-control, often rendering him flummoxed and perplexed. Ottorino seemed to say, "You think you're good? Try this!" For me, he usually had the last laugh.

The list is endless: solos, orchestral works, chamber music, brass quintets, bugle calls, etudes, etc. Multiple tonguing is inescapable, and likely yours needs improvement. It is one of those "unmusical" items that tends to get neglected because it isn't fun to practice. Avoiding the unfun stuff soon makes the fun stuff not so fun. Learn to master the boring stuff, so that your playing isn't.

Three Weapons

It is amazing how effectively these three weapons can dwarf those pesky obstacles of boring playing, stifled air flow, and fear. Those many musical markings that fill the score provide the way of escape from performances that are flat, lifeless and which fail to resonate with the audience. The air stream that carries the music must be energized and unstoppable, never losing intensity. Finally, the power source which drives the whole process is confidence.

So problem #1: labored, boring, uninspired, trumpet-playing. Remedy: Observe every musical detail printed by the composer (who never intended any of the above problems to be performance practices!) Ingrain those details without the trumpet. Sing, buzz, fingers only, but at all costs, absorb the music intended. Thoroughly convince yourself of the composer's intent before plowing into the piece.

Problem #2: quick fatigue and burn out. Reason: obstructed air being forcing into a tiny aperture. Remedy: Find the point(s) of constriction and free up the flow of air. Usually this happens somewhere just behind the mouthpiece. Sing, buzz, blow w/o the horn. Copy that ease when attaching the trumpet. Insist on minimal fatigue and easy release of air from gut to bell to audience. Eliminate sips of shallow air intake. That is always the first sign of constriction. Learn to sound great while working less.

Problem #3: timid, unconvincing playing. Remedy: Develop an attitude of confidence. Confidence in what? Confidence in one's ability to execute all details of the musical message with the greatest of efficiency. Call it a highly skilled killer instinct! Trumpet playing is all about confidence. Without it we are in the wrong business. Confidence only comes when we have a solid concept of the music. That's half the battle. The air then carries that message quickly to the listeners with no loss of energy. Much attention is required to transfer this inspiration to the audience without wipe out.

So the music, the air, and one's confidence are interrelated. Breakdown of any one can quickly result in the appearance of those unwanted pesky colleagues - Mr. Boring, Mr. Stuffy, and Mr. Timid. These guys tend to return as much as you allow them. To keep them at bay, stay motivated by continually absorbing great music, keeping your air ways open, and practicing confidence. Mr. Music, Mr. Air, and Mr. Confidence will always deal the death blow to these enemies.

Brandenburg, anyone?

Thought this trumpet player's first performance of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2. would be of interest. Julian Kaplan is a student of Mark Clodfelter at UK in Lexington, and is playing with the Lexington Bach Consort. Here is some very nice playing on one of the most difficult pieces most students never tackle - so good, he gets applause after the first movement. The third was also well done. The editing meister would love your playing - very little for him to do! Bravo, Julian!

Already famous in Europe!

Meet Bob Sullivan, already getting the job well done on tour with the CSO. He will begin officially next fall, but will be playing principal as scheduling allows until then. Janelle Gelfand catches Bob in between concerts in a brief article in today's Enquirer.

By the way, you can hear the orchestra play Mozart 39 and Rite of Spring on their concerts after they return next week. Be there!

Multi-tasking the Warm up

Looking for something more challenging to add to your warm up? Alright, how about ingraining some finger memory into your opening routine? Pick a key, any key. That's your key for the day for each of the following items, all two octaves: SCALES (major, minor - three forms, chromatic, whole-tone), ARPEGGIOS (major, minor, diminished 7th, augmented).

Requirement #1 - fingering secure at all speeds
Requirement #2 - play evenly with good tone, tongued and slurred
Requirement #3 - don't look or sound fatigued

Tomorrow you get to pick another key! For those not digitally challenged, try leap-frogging scales in thirds. Same idea for the arpeggios. Pause to rest. It's supposed to be a warm UP.

What a Way to Start!

It's been a whole week now, and I'm still hearing Michael Sachs making those flawless entrances. After his recital, masterclass work, and Q & A at the OH ITG, he continued to play gorgeously on Charlier #2 and #6 as he play-tested several new Miles B flat trumpets. Every beginning all afternoon was clean and secure. Although he was talking and occupied with leading the class, that did not distract him from doing what he is paid to do every time he picks up the horn - execute music.

Alright guys, this quarter we'll be raising the entrance bar! You all heard him do it. Now go and do likewise. You don't need spoon-feeding and brain-surgery mindsets. Let's just do it. Figure it out. I remember asking Mr. Vacchiano to give me a detailed description on how to make an attack. I even had pencil and paper ready. He looked a bit irritated and said, "Well, the tongue and the air meet at the same time." That was it! I think he sensed that was all the detail I could absorb.

As simple as a perfectly executed attack may sound, it certainly requires a ton of diligent practice, obviously. One could make a game of trying to refine the entrance process for quality and consistency. Pick it up and play the first note of your piece, hundreds, thousands of times. Good news: you can't get tired playing only the first note. Hey, if it's just the air joining the tongue, it can't be that hard. Get started!

Michael Sachs at OHIO ITG

Graciously hosted by Charles Pagnard, Principal Trumpet with the Dayton Philharmonic, the Ohio chapter of the ITG today showcased trumpet ensembles from Wright State, Cedarville University, Miami, Capitol, Bowling Green, Ohio State, and the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory. With all the music available for just trumpets, Trumpet Ensemble Class could easily stand on its own as a legitimate course in every college music program.

A highlight was a mini concert by the Dayton Philharmonic trumpet section which presented unique arrangements of their season's repertoire. Professor Alan Siebert was secure and musical in his performance of Eastwind Variations from his solo CD. Ashley Hall beautifully played her flugel on a moving sacred medley from her new CD. And the Carillon Brass gave an energetic presentation of selections after lunch that denied naps to anyone present. Cincinnati's Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies (Piano and Trumpet), Kim Pensyl, led a session on improvisation.

Several masterclass sessions were held that featured some of Ohio's brightest young trumpet talents. Their mastery and musicianship was impressive as well as their ability to quickly implement suggestions offered.

The main draw was Mr. Michael Sachs, Principal Trumpet with the Cleveland Orchestra. Condensing two sessions into one, he spoke and demonstrated for almost two hours, answered questions, and without warm up launched into a recital performance of Torelli and Haydn. Mahler 5th, Pictures, Pines, Mahler 3rd on a posthorn, whatever he played, that was how it's supposed to sound. Each piece was brilliantly played with warm, rich tone, and the cool, well-calculated precision of a first-class artist. You gotta love his approach.

Mr. Sachs is as gifted in articulating how to play as he is in just doing it. We were treated to a generous sharing of the vital details of his approach to warm up, practice and playing. It was great to listen and learn. He could have continued all weekend, and if so, fine. That is why we were there, and he didn't disappoint.

No More Boredom in Study Hall

Totally bored during my high school study halls, I decided to make good use of the time (as far as I was concerned.) Rhythm being the iron-clad building block of music that it is, and must be, I determined to begin practicing and perfecting it as much as possible. It seemed like it was the most learnable part of a music career, and I was setting out to nail it. My schedule said "Study Hall", but I was enrolling myself in "Rhythm 101".

So, as I stared at the ceiling with my mouth half open in what must have looked like a brain-dead stupor, little did our study hall monitor realize the rhythmic genius that was being developed right before her eyes. She must have thought that ours surely was the most handicapped of the slow learner classes in the entire state of New Jersey. I liked letting her think that. Anyway, onward I continued with my maniacal project!

First: establish a rock-solid tempo and don't change it. Keep it exactly like a machine for a couple of minutes. Next, tap or say eighth notes, 2 notes per beat. The best results came by saying "dut" for every note. It strengthens tongue muscles and develops coordination. After an unbearable length of time doing that without speeding or slowing, I would go to triplets, three equal notes to the same beat.

In case we couldn't remember how to do triplets, our H.S. Band Director told us to say "mulberry" for triplets and "huckleberry" for sixteenth notes. (I determined never to say mulberry or huckleberry ever again.) Then from triplets I went on to sixteenth notes, 4 to a beat. Then it got harder - 5's, then 6's, or two groups of triplets, and further if possible. (Come to think of it, he never told us what to say for quintuplets.)

That was all warm up. The challenge came next. Two measures of quarters, followed by two measures of eighths, followed by two of triplets, followed by sixteenth notes, quintuplets, and finally sextuplets. Then without pausing, I'd reverse it, never stopping or changing the tempo. Now, speed it all up, as fast as you can say "dut-dut-dut-dut".

Next one could go at random from triplets to quintuplets to quarters, etc, etc, all with a steady beat. A friendly neighbor could make hand signals to you indicating what subdivision to do next. (Why was he always telling me to do only quarter-notes with his finger?) By now the study hall monitor would approach with stern looks of disapproval. Evidently I was making noise with my "duts". I hated it when my sextuplets got interrupted by study hall monitors.

But onward I would persist. Next, tapping quarter-note triplets, four on three, five on four, and six on five, as far as you can go. It helped to chart those superimposed rhythms on graph paper. You can also recognize the sound of the beat patterns as they bounce against each other. This was very cool. Maybe my math would improve. . . .

And then I would try to . . . . BELL !!!!!. . . . Study Hall's over. On to Algebra. (Hope he lets us study quietly.)

To Think or not to Think

Which advice works best for you? "You're thinking too much. Just play!" or, "Think about what you have just played. Listen to yourself. It's a mess!" For some, the need is refinement and detail work. Others desperately need to loosen up and consider the music. While some need to get to the practice room, others need to get to the stage. Obviously both are necessary.

I remember Arnold Jacobs insisting on the playing mechanics being studied and well executed, but he never stopped there. All the parts must serve the musical whole. The actor studies the script, practices his lines, prepares the delivery. But when the curtain goes up, it's showtime. His responsibility is to become his character. Practice is over as it's now all about performing. Both types of preparation are vital. The key is learning to use both to our advantage.

The nature of school curricula seems to be heavy on practice and light on performance. And that is probably as it should be. There is a season for learning, and there is a time to play. The most effective learning however takes place in concerts. Showtime teaches us what we need to do in the next practice session. Performances provide our practice agenda. We need a good balance of both practice and performing. All practice and no shows make Jack a very dull trumpet player. And all show and no practice also makes Jack a very dull trumpet player.

Sometimes it is best to think more, but sometimes it is better to think less. Think about that. What a life! We work, and then we get to play. Not a bad profession. In most jobs they never get to play.

Nightmares Happen

No matter how well prepared we are, those worst nightmares have a way of happening anyway. These are probably quite mild by comparison, but here are some well remembered heart-racing moments.

Orchestra stands for a bow at the end of the concert, and my chair slips over the protective lip on the riser. We sit and I tumble all the way to the floor. Do I climb up or stay there obscured by the riser until the applause stops?

It's a Carnegie Hall Pops concert, and as usual we are juggling three or four horns as well as a bevy of mutes. One very fast Harmon mute change was so fast that the mute never made it to the bell. It was frantically fumbled and literally thrown all the way through the viola section where it rolled around and around next to one of the cellists who was staring at it quite alarmed. It then got slowly passed back to its red-faced owner.

The trumpet case felt unusually light that day. Getting to the opera rehearsal and opening the case, I found only my piccolo trumpet. No time to go home. Puccini doesn't sound right an octave higher, but the rehearsal must go on. I made it through the entire three hour rehearsal, and the conductor was never the wiser.

All excited about my lesson in Chicago with Arnold Jacobs, I couldn't wait to get back to Cincinnati and apply some of those neat concepts in the next rehearsal with Maestro Schippers. The lesson was about learning to warm up in a shorter amount of time and being much more efficient, etc. He had warned that I wouldn't always have the luxury of a lengthy warm up. I had forgotten to reset my watch from Central to Eastern Time. As I walked into the rehearsal, the orchestra was already tuning. I had ice cold chops and no warm up at all! Of course the first entrance required trumpets. Not a good day.

Tours always seem to be accident-prone. On one New York trip I lost a camera, a back support cushion, a watch, a razor cord, and a D trumpet! Amazingly I got the trumpet back.

The Carnegie Hall stage has only one entrance, and exit. Once you're out there, there is no turning back. (There's a lesson there somewhere.) The huge food selection at one of those 24-hour buffets that afternoon turned out to be a bad idea. We battled our way through Heldenleben that night, and I was sure I was going to have to make a mad dash though the entire orchestra to get off stage, and not for the off-stage trumpet calls. The battle was intense, but we finished it and I made it just in time. Not a good night, but it could have been a lot worse.

The First Lesson with Vacchiano

Just as the trained physician accurately diagnoses the ailment and prescribes the cure, so too the experienced teacher is able to quickly zero in on a student's greatest need. Taking out his pad, the doctor jots down the pages from his Arbans Book of Remedies, makes sure he is properly understood, and sends the student on his way to practice. No need for flatteries or pleasantries. Problems are identified, and steps listed for healing are prescribed. Now just go do it.

Such was the case at my first lesson with Mr. Vacchiano in 1965 at the old Juilliard School on Clairmont Avenue in New York City. It was the most unlikely neighborhood for top-notch music instruction in that cultural center of the world. But be that as it was, that was where one went to improve. I was still an obnoxious self-confident high schooler, but I was well rehearsed for this anticipated moment, and determined to show him a thing or two about my pyro technics and exuberant trumpet playing, such as it was.

After an etude performed at great-neck speed, (the one in c# minor, in one) from Caffarelli's 16 Etudes of Perfectionment, and an overly emotional opera excerpt from The Art of Phrasing in the rear of the Arban Book, Mr. Vacchiano quietly turned to page 125 in Arban. With his pencil he tapped an impossibly slow tempo and commanded me to play staccato 8th notes, one line at a time.

Completely humiliated and frustrated, I failed to even come close to pleasing either of us. Every note could be heard for what it was, consistently sloppy. How could all of my preparation come to naught? After addressing a few personal observations about my approach to the trumpet, he sent me on my way. "Come back in two weeks when you can play one line on page 125 accurately."

I applied myself diligently to this new kind of discipline. I did it only because it was he who had assigned it. It must be worth doing. Still it was a lesson I needed to have taken again and again throughout my career. Unfortunately it is one which tends to be blown off by most students. "Bring on the concertos and the bravura excerpts, but don't ask me to play 12 notes in a row, clean, slowly, in tune, and perfectly accurate. What fun it that?"

I was beginning to learn that my concertos and excerpts would never mature and be ready for prime time until they were preceded by the slow discipline of preparing one perfect note at a time. I had given maybe 10% attention to fundamentals, and 90% blowing in the wind, albeit very impressive blowing so I thought. But the challenge was to receive the instruction that required attention to the excellence of details.

Precise instruction - great teachers know how to administer it, and great students learn how to receive and apply it.

A Different Kind of Fireworks

There we sat, about five of us finalists in the BSO dressing room awaiting the verdict from the audition committee. Thee Roger Voisin was retiring from his amazing career with the orchestra. I felt a bit guilty even being there as a possible replacement for one of the giants that had been a hero of mine for so many years. As we all sat together chatting somewhat uncomfortably for what seemed like hours, the room suddenly burst open. It was not a committee person with the announcement, but it was the exuberant one himself, R.V.

"Hi, boys! I just wanted to see who to give my key to." He grinned as he held high his locker key, as if the highest jumper would get it. No one would be the first to speak, although inwardly we were all yelling, "Give it to me. I'll take it!" Next he opened his locker, picked up one of the trumpets hanging on its hook and proceeded to play something for us.

Many times I had heard his remarkable ability to bury an orchestra. I have also heard about his picking up the high horn cold and knocking off the opening of the last movement of the Brandenburg. So I expected some fireworks right there in the locker room. But he had a different kind of fireworks in mind for us. He had a knack for injecting the needed ingredient of the moment, and his mission was again about to be accomplished.

His C trumpet already had the necessary Bach black mute installed, so he proceeded to impeccably execute some multiple-tongued nasty fast French flourishes. I don't know if it was Debussy, Bozza, or the Toy Soldier March, sad to say. But it was fast, very soft, absolutely clean, and very impressive. Then he sort of winked at us, hung the horn back in its place, and turned to leave saying, "Let me know which of you boys gets the key." He seemed to have put us all in our places.

I can still hear those prophetic words. That man indeed possessed many keys which he was always willing to impart to the most eager receivers. Even in those final days with the orchestra, Roger Voisin was still leaving lessons for those who would take them. We were impressed that he probably could have auditioned that day and won his own job back!

Concertos That Are Hard to Like

Sweep all the dust into one pile. Pick it up, throw it away, and then feel better. And stay out! This is not a rant on players, but pieces. Granted, it is not nice to say these things about certain annoying concertos, but maybe it will be good therapy to gather them into one pile before disposing. Perhaps a cathartic exercise, getting it out of the system. There, there, that wasn't so good.

Tops on the list: How about the Mozart Clarinet Concerto? How about not! Why do clarinets so seldom use vibrato? All the other woodwinds can. What if all the other woodwinds played absolutely straight, while the clarinets were allowed to schmaltz it up? Very strange.

Then there are those Rococo Variations of Tchaikovsky labored over by all of those struggling cellists. Way too many variations. The theme alone would have been just fine. Only one time through should do it for the whole thing. And for sure, no more than two hearings should be permitted for the Schumann Cello Concerto. Two and through. It was already old at the premier.

The Hindemith Sonata for Trumpet must surely have been hard to have to write, as it is to have to learn, as well as to have to learn to like. No one should have to sit through a performance of it, especially when crashing and burning is likely to be part of the performance practice. Old man Paul surely knew what he was inflicting on us with that final inscription: "All men must die!" His last laugh.

Oh, that raspy Mendelssohn Violin Concerto that is always in E major! It should at least be put into another key, like D flat, or C flat minor. Well, they tried to improve the Hummel Trumpet Concerto by lowering it a half a step, but it didn't work. It's still here. Someone should lower it a couple more octaves. Maybe a nice 6/8 march tempo would greatly improve the first movement of that old Moldy Mendelssohn Violin Concerto.

Bassoon concertos, all of them, should be illegal. Bass concertos likewise should only be allowed if water boarding is. Give captives their choice of agony. Water boarding isn't so bad.

I heard a piccolo concerto one time. It was well played by a great player. It was by Vivaldi, but it was still awful.

Extra Quality

"I know that guy! Who is he?" As the CSO awaits its new principal trumpet, Robert Sullivan, the audience has been seeing a few new faces filling in the ranks. Since their names aren't listed in the program, I hear a lot of, "Hey, who was that?" Here are some of the quality players that have been contributing in recent months.

Outstanding work has been heard from Chicago Symphony Orchestra assistant principal Mark Ridenaur, most notably in the recent Prokofiev CD with Lt. Kije and the 5th Symphony. It is all first-class playing! In fact, in Music Hall, if you listen very carefully, you can still hear Mark's gorgeous off-stage call from Kije echoing in the foyer. On the Moussorgsky Pictures CD to be released later this year, it will be Mark playing as well.

Earlier this season the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra week was played by Ryan Anthony, the new principal trumpet with the Dallas Symphony. His biography is impressive. He was a member of the Canadian Brass and has performed with many major orchestras in the U.S. and abroad. He is an experienced soloist, clinician, studio player, and has taught at several colleges. Ryan's versatility is evident with his numerous recording projects for TV, radio, and motion pictures.

Mark Inouye played principal on the Mahler 7th week last fall. Mark has been acting principal trumpet with the Houston Symphony and a member of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. Mark is an awesome player equally at home in the world of classical and jazz music. Mr. Inouye's resume has lots of solo, orchestral, ensemble, and recording experience. He is also an active composer and has toured internationally with the Empire Brass. Mark was a founding member of the Juilliard Jazz Sextet at Lincoln Center.

Robert Sullivan, Assistant Principal Trumpet in the Cleveland Orchestra since 2003, played a Wagner/Beethoven week with the orchestra in the fall. Bob comes with prior experience of eleven years as Associate Principal Trumpet with the New York Philharmonic. He was on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music, and later joined the faculty at the Cleveland Insititute of Music. Bob also played for four years in the Charleston Symphony Orchestra where he also was Adjunct Professor of trumpet at Charleston Southern University and the College of Charleston.

Mr. Sullivan was a student of Armando Ghitalla at the University of Michigan, and was a Ghitalla Fellowship winner at Tanglewood. After leaving the Air Force, Robert became solo trumpet in the Chicago Chamber Brass. He is an active recitalist and clinician. He has had recent solo performances of Haydn, Hummel, Bohme, L. Mozart, Torelli, and Telemann as well as a concert with the Summit Brass, and a Gabrieli recording with the Empire Brass in which he conducts members of the Empire Brass, Boston Symphony, and the N.Y. Philharmonic. Robert has performed recitals throughout Europe, South America, and Asia. He has collaborated on concerts with the Canadian Brass and the German Brass. He is one of the top players in the country and brings his experience, talent and wonderful playing to Cincinnati.

Anthony DiLorenzo is another amazing player who has complemented the trumpet section this year. He likewise has experience as soloist with top orchestras. Trained in Boston and Curtis he brings versatility and mature musicianship. Anthony is a member of the Burning River Brass, and Proteus 7, a mixed chamber ensemble. He is also an Emmy Award-winning composer whose works have been performed by major orchestras and can be heard on numerous TV networks.

John Rommel, currently Professor of Trumpet at Indiana University, has periodically filled in with the CSO. John has been a valuable player who brings his years of experience as principal with the Louisville Orchestra as well as a rich resume of solo and recording projects. His chamber music experience includes performances with Summit Brass and the quintets of St. Louis and Nashville. John also has extensive commercial recording experience both in Indianapolis and Nashville. He is also a clinician for the Bach Corporation.

Cincinnati Associate Principal Trumpet Doug Lindsay has been the real hero for the past two years. Always prepared and always accurate, Doug continues to cover the majority of principal parts, doing a fabulous job week after week, and that includes many Pops responsibilities. Most jobs these days require flexibility to be able to cover all parts. Doug has proven that he can handle any assignment. Any orchestra would be happy and fortunate to have a Doug Lindsay in their section.

It is obvious that quality abounds in this highly competitive trumpet world. Just reading these brief resumes gives us a lesson in showing what is needed in preparation for an orchestral career. Congratulations to all the above who have contributed so brilliantly to the CSO in recent months.

Pops or Not?

Matching quiz (result of too many pops concerts and way too much free time):

1. "Jaws" answer: c
2. "Oh, Canada" answer: g
3. "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" answer: f
4. ESPN Theme answer: b
5. "I'll be Seeing You" answer: a
6. "Sleigh Ride" answer: h
7. "Buglers' Holiday" answer: e


a. Mahler's Third Symphony (clue: last movement)
b. Charlier's Solo de Concour (clue: very opening)
c. Dvorak's New World Symphony (clue: opening of last movement)
e. Britten's Young Person's Guide (clue: you don't need one)
f. Mahler's Ninth Symphony (clue: it's slow, can't miss it)
g. Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto (clue: first movement)
h. ESPN Theme (clue: giddy-up!)

Note: 4. and h. don't match

Johnny One-Volume

The mindset of the typical auditionee: "I'll be O.K. as long as it's fortissimo. If it's loud, I'm nailing it every time. Listen to me guys. I'm king of the orchestra! (Sure hope they don't ask anything soft.")

Just as no one can drive at only one speed, no trumpet player can survive with only one volume at his disposal. Our comfort zone must be large and able to encompass all dynamics. Great players have huge comfort zones, or at least their listeners think so. They must fly through the air with the greatest of ease. Only when they have learned to obey all of the traffic signs are they free to move about the country at will. But using only one speed kills.

So if you are a one-volume-fits-all player, don't worry. At least you have excellence in one area. Now begin venturing into unfamiliar neighborhoods so that you have clout and respect in more than one district. Take your show on the road. Visit the quiet hospital vicinity. If you play too loud, sick people might die. The elderly are crossing. Drive very slowly and carefully. No hitting-and-running allowed.

Transfer your strong suit to a weaker area. Then take it beyond what's required. Play way softer than needed, but with the same quality. Become reliable at different speeds as well as various dynamics. Flexibility and control rules.

You can't just race that semi in high gear through residential areas. You must skillfully maneuver without crashing or burning. Simply, you gotta make it sound good no matter how soft it is.

Another Hero is Gone

Quietly yesterday in Auburndale, Massachusetts a hero passed from the trumpet scene. Roger Voisin is dead at 89, once the youngest member ever of the Boston Symphony. He was born in Angers, France, and studied with his father Rene and the great George Mager whom he joined in the BSO at the age of 17. Roger's tenure began in 1935 and ended in 1973. He led the section as principal from 1950 to 1965. He was equally renowned as a teaching mentor for his countless number of inspired students.

In our home in N.J. the recordings of the BSO and their televised broadcasts could be heard regularly. One could get a free lesson just by tuning in. Those shots of the trumpet section provided enough inspirational ammo to send me straight to my room for hours of practice. Although he never gave me a lesson, I have taken many from him. Those solo trumpet recordings on the Kapp label with the bright red, blue, or green velour on the cover gave me regular injections of needed energy. Mr. Voisin's wonderfully stylized playing left impressions that I will never forget.

I loved the fact that each of the BSO trumpeters had totally different embouchures. They seemed to break all the rules of mouthpiece placement, aiming in all directions. But never mind, what came out of their bells was on fire. Roger Voisin was king in those days. He was arguably the most energetic orchestral player of all time. Of course there have been many greats, each with distinctive qualities and strengths, but none with the personality and character of Roger. His playing was instantly recognizable.

Those summer days at Tanglewood in the late 60's were like a trumpet student's heaven. Great players were everywhere. Mr. Voisin's way with music was infectious, and we seemed to learn by osmosis. Whether he was coaching or conducting brass ensembles, or driving us through sight-reading exercises, we got quick, blunt, practical instruction always with his dry humorous wit. Solfege was one of his skills, and he drilled us relentlessly to develop those needed reading and rhythmic abilities.

To condense such a brilliant career is impossible. Known well in the publishing world, he left us several of the International volumes of orchestral excerpts that are must-haves for trumpet libraries. Numerous pieces have been edited and arranged for trumpet. But Roger's legacy for me was his enormous energy, stamina, musicianship and confidence. For so long Roger Voisin was that vibrant, spirited, and wonderfully belligerant hero of the trumpet section. Now sadly, his trumpets and the man lie silent.

Note-Crafting

It's application time! CD's are being prepared for competitions, jobs, auditions, grad schools, summer institutes, etc. Committees everywhere will have stacks of concertos of Haydn, Hummel, picc solos, and lists of excerpts to sort through. Sadly, some will never be heard past the exposition. What justifies the rejection of so many valiant efforts?

We first need to get into the minds of the judges. What appeals and what offends? A good committee is very good at quickly sifting through applications. They can usually tell all they need to know in the first few seconds. For that reason the best playing should be offered immediately. Judges are not known for being forgiving, but for recognizing excellence. No A's are awarded for effort, and no flaws are allowed. They are looking for the standout. If you want to win, you must nail it from your first entrance.

The general impression of your playing is only as good as the excellence of all the parts. Discerning evaluators will be impressed by your attention to those small but vital details. Notes may not be out of tune. They also cannot be clunky and lifeless. Each note must be polished. No notes can be ignored, but must be crafted for their perfect fit in the music.

So how do you practice crafting? Suggestion: imagine a floating fermata that plants itself randomly on any note. As you play, say the phantom fermata lands on one of your 16th notes. You quickly hear the quality, or lack of it, fix it and continue. It then finds an out-of-tune 8th note and parks on it until you adjust it. Call it the "stop-the-tape" game. Wherever it stops, it alerts you to make corrections. Eventually the ear starts to get picky instead of being willfully tone-deaf.

The Dynamics Police will also arrest you if distinct dynamic markings are not observed. Judges must know that you are aware of everything that is printed on the page. And then you must please the Phrasing Freaks. How about those judges with "last-noteitis"! They listen to make sure you leave as nicely as you entered.

Just as it is with all art, each part contributes to the greatness of the whole. None of our notes don't count. Awards go to the best quality, and that applies to every leaf in the forest. What we tend to neglect is the painstaking effort to recognize and remedy our bad notes. Hearing them is one thing, but it is the one who has learned how to craft them that wins the prize.

Dealing with Burnout

Unfortunately this is the season not for blazing practice frenzy, but a sudden shortage of fuel for the fire, commonly called burnout. Nearly as contageous as the flu, it approaches stealthily taking its unwilling prisoners. The usual symptoms are unproductive practice sessions, fatigue, and motivation turned cold. If only the remedy were waiting it out with a couple of aspirin!

Some suggestions based on trial and lots of error: First, the good news is that no one is immune. Struggling with progress, or even trying to maintain your ground, is part of the business. It is universal. Keeping motivated is perhaps the most difficult long range assignment. It separates the O.K from the greats. Vince Cichowicz confessed that only 10% of the time did he feel like everything in his playing was going the way he wanted. The rest was working to conceal and deal with the 90%.

Learning how to handle challenging obstacles is one of the marks of great musicians. So when we are down-in-the-dumps, we can take heart. Here's our chance. This is how it's going to be. We must get used to it. Gather your own collection of inspirational tips, and begin using tomorrow to find your voice. How well can you play when your heart isn't in it? Remember Pagliacci?

When inspiration runs out, never mind concerto run-throughs. Use the day to polish needed details. For example, drill your trills. They should be clean, in rhythm, and appropriately graceful.

Another pesky necessity is first notes. As long as you're bored you might as well improve something. Rehearse tons of entrances, playing only the first notes. Get each entrance perfect. You know you'll be needing them.

How about taking a few short phrases from your solo, excerpt, or etude repertoire, and playing them at a snail's pace, perfectly in tune. Be sure to listen to your last notes as well. They rarely get enough attention. You must finish the phrase as nicely as you began it. Know your entrances and exits.

Then you could have a quality-only day. (duh!) Allow only slowly played top quality notes out of the bell. Pinched, inhaling notes will not be rewarded. Only money notes permitted! This should shorten your sessions considerably! It will also save you from wasting your time and your lips.

There are countless items to work on that don't require artistic inspiration. How about fast scales, chromatics, arpeggios, or high and slow speed multiple tonguing. Fermata with dim. is another one. You can come up with your own list of needed refining.

Chances are that you'll find your uninspired mood being replaced with confidence. Disciplined basics give you the tools to be expressive and in control. Then life in the practice room and on the stage can be fun. No longer hamstrung by your deficiencies, you will be free to execute the demands of the music. Burnout begins when we ignore control of basics. Most of our work must be done whether inspired or not. So just do it, and don't whine about burnout. It is fixable!