Petroushka Ballerina Dance and Waltz

Ballerina Dance and Waltz from Stravinsky's Petroushka

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Solos at 2:50 through 5:45

Snare Drum: Bill Platt

Britten - Trumpets from Young Persons Guide

Young Person's Guide, Variation K - Trumpets

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Snare Drum: Bill Platt 

Avoiding the Barrels

Caution: You are approaching orange barrels.  Slow down!

Following your macho instincts instead of your intellect, you disregard the highway warning signs to reduce your speed.  Instead you begin swerving recklessly between as many barrels as possible.  Impressive moves, but dangerous.  An eventual glance in the rear view mirror reveals a lot more bumped and smashed barrels in your wake than you realized.  Nevertheless with a carefree shrug, you proceed unfazed at your frantic pace.

At the end of your speedy meanderings however, a traffic ticket awaits you. Rushing carelessly on the audition or performance stage also has unpleasant consequences. In both situations the lesson is clear.  Slow down to avoid destruction, be it barrels, notes, or chops!

You can't be driving treacherously at 75 mph in busy congested areas, nor can you consistently blast your way through tough passages at great neck speeds.  The results are not good: "Here's your $75 speeding ticket!"  Even worse: "Thank you. Next."  Or, "Here's your pink slip!"

Slow down so your brain has a chance to catch up. Muscles remember well, so train them for dependability, not foolish risk-taking.  Train for drama, not trauma.   

Days Like This!

You never guessed that on that magical day when you fell in love with music and chose the trumpet to be your lawful wedded spouse, that there would actually be days like this!  Frustration is not how you envisioned your enchanted music career to be.  Admit it.

Behind every successful performance however, there are more days like this than anyone would care to admit.  Prior to success was stress.  Before cheers there were fears.  Before birth, labor.  Before courage there was none of it!  Bruising, physical and emotional, can produce a certain required toughness.  Everyone passes through the city of Anguish. Who do we think we are to expect a clear path to success? The wise learn to reap the benefits of obstacles. 

A few thoughts for all of us as we each experience our stress issues:  Frustration happens, expect it. Struggle is necessary for mastery. Recognize that points of pressure are usually the best agents of improvement.  Do you remember that familiar statement:  the harder the fight, the sweeter the victory? Both the music and the musician stand to benefit.  Days like this are not fun for sure, but necessary, and eventually profitable for you and for your audience.  

Daily Doses Mandatory

So, how have your chops been doing?  "Well, they're a little beat up lately. I've had a ton of stuff to deal with."  So goes the typical appraisal of life behind the mouthpiece.  The spirit is at times quite willing, but the embouchure is too often weak.

What we need for a successful career is chops that can consistently handle brutality, and yet be able to preserve subtlety.

A teacher of mine used to give the following advice, "When you have to play Mahler, practice Haydn and Mozart.  When you have to play Haydn or Mozart, practice Mahler."   (I would have welcomed some more specifics, but his point was well taken.)  I say, how about practicing some Haydn and Mozart everyday regardless. 

Control of soft dynamics is a necessity.  Days and weeks should not go by without secure contact with pianissimo notes.  You should be able to perform a successful "soft check" at any time.    

Thankfully there is a cure for the deadly smash-mouth ailment.  Other than rest and good air flow, it is soft purity. That's it. There is no treatise-reading required, or any guru-seeking necessary.  Just practice Haydn and Mozart!

Trumpet parts simply require command and control. Flamboyant cadenzas and great soaring bravura lines are for another day.  For the health of your chops, practice clarity, security, and dependability, one note at a time.  And don't forget to play softly!  

Drilling for Bach

ME!!!
Getting ready for BACH at CCM!!!

Tromba I

Tromba II

Tromba III

Hi, guys!  B Minor Mass is fast approaching. Another sectional tomorrow.  Ready?

Dr. Clean

One goofy picture can make more of a lasting impression than a bunch of stern lectures.  O.K. meet Professor Clean, the friendly note-scrubber. He's more thorough than any other chipped-note picker-upper out there. He is tougher than he is kind, but he gets results.  And what brings him a smile? Spik and span playing!

His mindset is CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GREATNESS. He warns us that nobody buys a flawed product.  Dirty notes don't sell.  Junk-tolerance must be zero, says the Doc. The doctor's mission: a total playing make-over by putting our whole house in order. 

Audition committees easily recognize students of Dr. Clean. They tend to advance quickly to finals and beyond.  "See," he says with a wink and a grin, "it pays to be clean." 

How about plastering a sticker of this guy on your bell?  How about using his ringtone on your phone?  How about dying your eyebrows white and shaving your head?  Anything that works on those grimy stubborn bad notes.  Hint: listening helps.

Oh no, Dr. Clean is not your teacher.  He must be you! You must let him scourge and purge your practice room of all filth and slime.  Let's start tomorrow's practice session singing his wonderful theme song:

Dr. Clean gets rid of dirt and grime

and grease in just a minute.

Dr. Clean will clean your whole house

and everything that's in it.  

 

Dr. Clean, Dr. Clean, Dr. Clean . . . .

The Purpose of Knuckles

Why do we have knuckles?  Multiple choice:

• for threatening people?
• for punching obnoxious colleagues?
• for poking your Charlier book right off the stand?
• for confusing your pitcher by giving no sign at all?

Answer:  all of the above plus one more.  When chops are wasted, when fatigue brings productive practice to a halt, and when you think there is absolutely nothing more to be accomplished . . . you are wrong, valve oil breath.  It's knuckle time! 

Notice that your three right hand valve fingers fit perfectly on your left hand knuckles?  Oh, the wisdom of our Creator!

Much of our lack of clarity involves sloppy right hand technique.  Valves are either slammed down way too hard causing violent jerks in the sound.  Or, valves are pressed halfheartedly in a wimpy fashion causing blips and bleeps.  And/or, the fingers have not been trained to strike precisely on command.  And likely, they are simply not coordinated with the tongue.  At any rate, sloppiness happens which is not the fault of the lips. 

Hence, an entirely new session should be included in our daily practice routine, knuckle-popping.

• Step #1 - put horn and mouthpiece in the case and close it.  

• Step #2 - make a fist with your left hand.  

• Step #3 - place right hand fingers into slots on your left hand, and begin precise fingering on any passage you need perfected.  No music?  Fine.  Do scales, major, minor in all forms, chromatic, and arpeggios, major, minor, diminished, and augmented. This works for all trumpet music with the exception of bugle calls.

Our purpose here is precision without penalizing the chops.  The embouchure does way too much of the work already.  Why make it suffer as your fingers fail to perform?

Powerful Meds

"Alright, what seems to be the problem now?"  "Doc, it's happened again, another nasty case of sore and unresponsive chops.  I'm just beat up again. What do I do?"

"Not again! Well, I am prescribing a small bottle of very potent pills for you, but you must promise to take them seriously and regularly . . . . but you probably won't."  "I'm desperate, doc.  Big gigs on my plate. I'll try anything!" 

"Very well then.  Take at least one of these every day for 30 days.  Then report back to me on the results."  "Gee!  Swell, doc.  Thanks!"

We know this ailment all to well, the mild to severe panic caused by an embouchure pushed beyond its limits.  Maybe it's no longer an ailment, but a way of life.  No matter how bruised, banged, and beaten, this little therapy bottle should yield immediate results for mistreated chops. Don't skip doses however.  These meds should be taken for the rest of your life.  Consistency matters.

NOTE CAREFULLY THE DIRECTIONS FOR USAGE:

• Take a day's rest. 
• Take a modest amount of relaxed deep breaths.
• Stand up and hang from the waist with upper body totally limp.  
• Stand up and take a few more deep breaths.
• Then take mouthpiece, holding it very lightly.
• Buzz ever so quietly on pure long tones.
• Absolutely no fuzz or pitch uncertainty is permitted.
• Begin slow glissandi with small intervals maintaining pp dynamic.
• Rest as much as you play.
• Maintain a pure and very soft buzz, eliminating all extraneous noise from the sound.
• Still on the mouthpiece, play the simplest of tunes accurately and softly with the smallest amount of pressure. 
• Do NOT buzz or play out of tune!  (A well-trained ear will lessen the workload of the lips.)
• Be sure all first notes are spot on and free from pressure.  
• Gradually add the trumpet to your mouthpiece, keeping the same delicate and accurate approach.  

Note:  No danger of overdosing. No expiration.

Feather-Dusting

There's killing it loudly and then there's killing it softly. Both are feathers that must be worn proudly in every brass player's cap.  Ah the strange tools of our trade!  We must ride the jackhammer one moment, and wave a feather duster the next.  We must be able to blast away, and then dust delicately with the utmost finesse.  Does such duel-tasking even exist among brass players? 

We think of killing it as that typical trademark of the orchestra's brutal, callous, and over-confident back row jocks.  But maybe just as enviable is the opposite skill of amazing control over every treacherously difficult quiet passage we love to ignore.  So, who is able to master both skills?  Or rather, who even wants to do both? Or, who is patient enough to practice two ways to kill?

Why so loud, and why so soft?  Answer: Middle-of-the-road dynamics produce a middle-of-the-road response from the audience, or jury.  Average playing brings a ho-hum response, while exceptional offerings elicit raves.  Dynamic risk-taking is our aim.  We want to gas out the audience (as we used to say) with awesome displays of soft ravishing subtlety.  Who's ready for the challenge?  Try opening the Arban book to the Art of Phrasing, and have at it.  The simpler the better.  Our goal is to whisper as well as yell.

Just because a part is marked pp, doesn't mean the absence of beauty, sonority or phrasing. Where does it say that soft passages have to sound fearful, hard, and boring?  Quiet dynamic markings give us a chance to shine, not just with volume control but with sensitivity and flexibility.     

Make a list of very soft excerpt and solo.  Perform each as softly as possible with absolutely no loss of artistry.   Be that standout performer on your block.  We want to develop chops sensitive enough to execute the soft kill.

Paint-Peeling

For those of you with very cautious instincts who would never offend by over-blowing, this blog is for you.

Bullheadedness must be tempered by discretion and artistic sensitivities.  And so we have been taught.  But with that truth said, there still remains the need to bust out of the bag and do some serious paint-peeling.  There is a time for soothing strokes, and there is a time for blistering belligerence.  Those who fail to achieve the right balance will certainly hear "thank you, next." So who's ready for the not so delicate task of skillful paint-peeling?

During one orchestra rehearsal some years ago several small portions of the plaster ceiling decor suddenly fell to the stage and shattered in pieces.  Bored brass players instantly scampered around the floor claiming their priceless souvenirs, me being one of them.  Maybe it really happened that our belted brass bravura brought down the house, literally!  I still have my proud remembrance. 

You know the need for this mindset.  Every major brass work calls for this tendency - Zarathustra, Heldenleben, Mahler 8, Pines, you name it.  What makes paint-peeling an art is that it must take place from long range.  Anyone can fire at a target only a few inches away.  Powerful blasters must be able to do damage and penetrate the entire concert hall and reach a target way back behind the audience.  The big obstacle is not the distance however, but the embouchure. Resistance must be minimal. 

Let's be including some daily wise practice of long range firing.  This high bar should teach us to keep the embouchure as tension-free as possible.  A lot of streaming notes must be able to pass unhampered into the hall.  Flushing out the horn with blasts of unrestrained air can be just the therapy for that tense embouchure.  Try it regularly in moderation.

Remember, we want to flood the hall with inspiring blasts of quality, not mindless shootings of questionable value.  Goal:  to share the best quality playing we can muster with the audience, and that includes all of those in the last row.  Fire away! 

Lighting It Up

What would this picture look like without that flash of lightning or that spectacular sunset brightening up the sky?  It would be just another boring deadpan end to another day. Yawn . . . night-night.

What distinguishes an audition winner from the other competitors?  What impresses? What is memorable?  Our goal is certainly not that dreaded response, "Yawn . . . thank you".

Each excerpt needs to be lit up.  That could mean a little more volume, a little more effort to play softly, a little more attention to intonation, a little smoother, a little crisper, a little more energy, and a lot more attention to rhythm.  Giving only 80% on any of these ingredients will make the cake taste bland. And no one will be asking for seconds.

Whatever message is demanded by the composer must be obvious to the listeners.  Playing it safe at the audition might work if no one else does any differently.  Attention-grabbing happens when one takes a chance and goes for everything on the printed page and then some. 

Caution:  Lightning bolts can be dangerous.  Out-of-control exuberance will draw the same annoyed response, "thank you, next".  First, we want all notes to be secure with a good sound.  Then the fun begins.  Exaggeration is needed for an outstanding performance.  Do all your grunt work, but don't forget to light it up! 

Improvement Wisdom

A noted colleague was heard to have said bluntly but honestly, "Playing an instrument doesn't take brain surgery, just practice!!"  Most issues must ultimately be solved by the student in the practice room.   Granted, information, direction, and motivation are needed, but teachers cannot simply be expected to pass on a gem of amazing wisdom to immediately solve every playing problem.  If a student is not willing to slug it out consistently on his or her own, then no teacher anywhere will be of any help.

There are great teachers, but there are also great students.  The great student is not always the best player, but the best improver. 

American Eagle Waltz

Offenbach's American Eagle Waltz written for cornetist Jules Levy in 1876 for the centennial celebrations with John Philip Sousa serving as concertmaster.

Played on a Bach C trumpet with a Monette bell, recorded in 1993.

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Mahler 3 Posthorn

Posthorn Solo from Mahler 3. 

Solo begins at 5:40 and extends until 16:30.

Performed on Bach C Trumpet


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The Buzz

Mouthpiece-buzzing, the neglected weapon. 

"Now, Phil, I need you to put your trumpet down for a while and let's play that Mahler on your mouthpiece."  The instructor was the great performer/teacher Arnold Jacobs.  My response was respectful and agreeable outwardly, but inwardly I was greatly annoyed.  I was too impatient to stop music-making and just buzz.  This was about to be a time-wasting exercise in humiliation!

Before I was permitted to attempt any Mahler, he had me buzz Christmas Carols.  And it wasn't even in season! Actually, I knew I would sound bad, and that any listeners would be unimpressed with my pitchless chirpings.  But I cooperated with the master nonetheless.

After a good 15 to 20 minutes of painstaking detail for PITCH, RHYTHM and TONE, we were both much impressed with the results.  He was absolutely determined to make me hear and experience the difference, which is one of many reasons for his fame as an instructor. 

Lesson learned:  If it's sloppy on the horn, it will be even worse on the mouthpiece.  Therefore, perfect the buzz, and the playing with the trumpet will be many times improved.  Even the best instrument cannot make up for shabby input.

Skills developed:  patience, improved listening, and the ability to focus on precision. The refinement that can be acquired by diligent mouthpiece work is amazing and well worth the time invested. 

Note:  It can be argued that there is a slight difference in mouthpiece tone production and actual trumpet playing.  Regardless, we have seen that including good mouthpiece detail always improves the final product. And that's the buzz.

Memory

Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Memory" from Cats



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Roll Tide

"Roll Tide" from Crimson Tide


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Lily's Eyes

From "The Secret Garden" - Lily's Eyes




  

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Wishing You Were Somehow Here

 Andrew Lloyd Webber's Wishing You Were Somehow Here




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Rambo

 Jerry Goldsmith's It's A Long Road



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Solo extends from 1:10 until 2:38

Gershwin Concerto in F

Gershwin Piano Concerto in F, second movement
  
  
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The Natural

Suite from The Natural




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Suk Fanfare

Josef Suk - Fanfare Towards a New Life

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Olympic Fanfare

John Williams Olympic Fanfare


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Outdoor Overture

Copland's Outdoor Overture

Solo from 0:25 to 1:30



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Verdi - "Questa o quella"

This gutsy Act I Rigoletto aria proudly boasts of random pleasure-finding by the tenor, or in this arrangement, the trumpet player.
  
 

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Copland Ceremonial Fanfare

Copland's Ceremonial Fanfare was written in 1945 for the the 50th anniversary of the CSO.  It is less famous than his Fanfare for the Common Man, and sets a more solemn and introspective tone.  Whereas the first is noble, brilliant and triumphant, this one is also celebratory and grandiose, but strangely tragic at the same time. 

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Bugsy

 "Act of Faith" from Bugsy by Ennio Morricone. A lament over unfulfilled dreams.

  

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A League of Their Own

Ah, the Pops! The quasi-sublime is followed by total craziness.  Here is "The Final Game" from A League of Their Own.

  
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Lonesome Dove

Theme from Lonesome Dove written by Basil Poledouris. An E flat trumpet would have been a good idea here, but no.  C size fits all.  Take a few healthy gulps, be ready for frequent high notes, and just go for it.
  

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CSO Brass - Untouchables

Main Theme from The Untouchables by Ennio Morricone.  What a great piece to jump start blood and air flow!  Impossible to be bored.  Fun stuff.  At least in our own minds, the trumpets were untouchable.  This one's for us, guys!

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Midnight Cowboy

The Midnight Cowboy was sounding a bit tipsy that night, but whatever.  We were having fun.

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Cincinnati Pops - "Goldfinger"

Vince DiMartino played lead with us on this Goldfinger clip.  Brilliant and energized trumpet work as always!  His playing is powerful, mean, and sweet all at the same time!  Love to listen.  Vince always got us pumped. Great times happened with Vinnie.

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CSO Pops Hero

                "The Hero" from The Babe
                     Cincinnati Pops Brass

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Directions for Doldrums

What do you do when you don't want to do anything on the trumpet?  Or worse, when you feel you can't do anything! Whether it's mind-fail or chop-fail, the result is the same - discouragement and nothing to show for it.  Take away our motivation and voila, we quickly become "that guy".  Maybe there should be a mandatory college course for all guys and gals for such times as these.

Now here is the golden opportunity to see what we're made of.   Odds are we will have to face the Giant of Discouragement at the worst possible moment.  So what is a fine trumpet player to do to prepare for a gig in the city of Doldrums?

Even the best players have had to learn to deal with a lack of motivation, discouragement, and whatever similar obstacles to great music-making confront them.  We'd likely be shocked to learn how often they must put aside obstructions and simply get the job done anyway.  Think about it. What do emotions have to do with fingers, lips, and breathing?  They should be in training to function rain or shine.

A couple of suggestions for a way out, should you get stranded in the City of Doldrums:

• Motivation Class 101.  Return to your top ten trumpet works, orchestral, solo, quintet, etc.  Immerse yourself with your favorite music.  Pour some classy classics onto those dry uninspired bones.  Music should enliven your spirit.  It's probably been starved for greatness.  Listening primarily to yourself is usually good reason to become discouraged.  You need refreshment from outside sources.  Rekindle your musical instincts not by grinding out more scales and etudes, but by careful listening to your heroes.  

• Flugelhorn Therapy Class 101.  When all else fails, (or before it fails), pick up the flugel.  Close the study books and just play.  Turn down the lights.  Look outside.  Improvise some heart-felt music.  It must exist inside you somewhere!  Summon it to the surface.  What a shame that passionate music is ever allowed to lie dormant. There is something about a flugelhorn that is therapeutic for tired minds and chops.  Forget the thinking mind.  Feed the thirsty soul.

• Pianissimo Class 101.  Discouragement always follows stiff and unresponsive chops.  Whoever has the patience to play music very softly wins the battle.  We're talking a quiet whisper.  Lip sensitivity is the goal.  Being able to control soft delicate passages always provides a boost to your morale. Nurture that skill daily.

• Resting Class 101.  A couple days away from the horn can be the best mind-clearer.  Inspiration usually returns after a vacation.  Physically and emotionally, we need a break.  Muscles and mind must be given space to heal.  However if you are taking this class too often, then this advice is not for you. Rest is for the weary.

• Exercise Class 101.  Unless you are in marching band 24/7, you are probably in need of some good physical exercise.  We just sit there and practice, and quickly get tired and bored.  Go outside. Walk, run, jog, work out, etc.  The performance must not be the only time the heart is racing.  Off the couch!

• Good Practice Habits Class 101.  Discouragement always follows a series of pitiful practice days.  Lack of wise work yields tired chops and a weary mind.  The best thing to do for successful music-making is to get on a roll of good work days.  Moping and sloughing is the result of laziness in the practice room.  Guilt over a poor work ethic quickly produces doldrums. Fix the work, and the results will be rewarding. 

• Diet Class 101.  Tons of sugar are of no help for doldrums.  Sugar works for a few minutes, but that's all.  Diet affects mood and strength.  Eat wisely and see if your outlook improves.  Discipline at the table might be related to discipline on the horn. 

• Doldrums Happen 101.  Burnout and discouragement is normal.  Not to worry.  Nothing is wrong with you that cannot be remedied.  Expect days like this, but learn how to get out as quickly as possible.  

• Parental Advice 101. After whining and moping about a variety of trumpet issues, my parents always used to say to me:     "Playing the trumpet is what you have always wanted to do.  Enjoy it and stop complaining!"  Getting out of the city of Doldrums is a matter of the will, not the emotions. 

Performance Crashers

Great warm up!  Chops rock.  It's conquer-the-world day!  Next stop however is the concert hall where some strange things have been known to happen.  Stepping onto the stage you suddenly sense an onslaught of unseen and unwelcome party-crashers about to impose their music-inhibiting tactics upon you at will.  Quickly they advance and begin their merciless hounding like haunting spirits assuming all rights to the stage.

Because their inflicted wounds are unplanned for, they are quite discouraging. Just like that, your hallowed concert hall experience has turned haunted.  Laughter ensues as these phantom foes have once more triumphed over their ill-prepared victim.

Here are some of the telltale signs of their work:

• Greatly restricted air flow
• Loss of dynamic contrasts
• Lack of steady rhythm
• Frequent pitch violations
• Inability to communicate the music
• Only one kind of articulation possible - thuds
• Shaky sound
• Unimpressive stage presence
• Loss of control 
• Inability to conceal a defeatist mindset

There is good news!  These performance demons can indeed be exorcised, but only at an enormous cost to you!  Yes, the victory can be won, but only after a great war has been waged.  A few halfhearted but well-meaning practice battles will not prevail for long against these ever-present performance adversaries.  Sadly, there are very few music competitors willing to enlist for the fight or willing to endure combat for more than a few weeks.

First class performance doesn't just happen by chance.  The odds are against you.  To beat those stacked odds, you need an obsession mindset, a wise strategy and plenty of good counsel not to mention a good bit of Job-like patience.  Success will happen when these are habitual.

Daily battle agenda:

• Basics
• Listening
• Recording
• Lessons (guidance)
• Countless run-thrus
• Rhythm
• Dynamics
• Intonation
• STAND-OUT MUSICIANSHIP

Crush the Crashers!!!

Lip Woes

Have you ever felt like calling for an ambulance after valiantly trying to survive multiple rounds with your trumpet all day? You hung in there heroically only to wind up badly bloodied and knocked out by the end of the night. Your next stop, the ER followed by IR. Hate when that happens!

A wailing ambulance rushed you to the nearest emergency room. "What's this one here for, they ask?  Oh, another one for the lip ward.  Put him in triage along with all of the other brass players."

Unfortunately it's going to happen.  From time to time chops will get puffed up, split open, banged in, and bent out of shape. Our ongoing responsibility is to minimize the damage of too much lip involvement, to transfer the workload elsewhere, and to avoid ever seeing the inside of that ambulance again!

The danger zone of course is the embouchure.  Even though every teacher preaches "IT'S THE AIR, DUMMY", we get too late smart. Our mind gets the memo, but our lips and lungs don't.  Consequently the lips smart.  In the heat of battle we default to our pressure zone, the embouchure.

To the rescue - our therapeutic reset reminder and model:

•  Nice sounds are produced by vibrating lips directing the free flow of air into the horn.  

•  Flute players are our example of seemingly pressure-free playing.  (Do flute players ever get sore chops?  Always wondered about that.  Always appeared not.)    

Visuals:

• Is your air column a stream or a strain? Does it easily get bottled up before it even enters the lead pipe? Think of an hour glass with all of the sand flowing easily through in 5 seconds!  Think of whooshes of free-flowing air entering a tuba, rather than pinches of squeezed air compressed into a tiny squeaky oboe reed shrieking out a piercing high C. 

•  If your audience could see your air stream as it proceeds through the trumpet and out of the bell, what would it look like? Would they gasp as a huge cloud of beautiful fragrant smoke permeates the entire hall, or would they see a shriveled thread of an air column shattering on the floor right in front of you? A flood of fragrance, or something else?

• Think of Olympic swimmers. If they breathed like we often do, they would all drown, gurgling helplessly at the bottom of the pool.  Relax the release of your air. Practice breathing comfortably with every breath, not just the first one.

There must be a natural rhythm to your inhaling and exhaling. The control of the breath must be mastered to avoid injury.  Observe those who do it well.  Copying is OK. Consider the music that wants to come forth, and don't stifle it by tension and shallow prep. 

Remember, music isn't borne from brute force or shear muscle power.  It's not about the lips but rather the efficient use of unforced air. Strength is involved but it must be under control.

Transfer the lips' 80% work load down to 20%. Anything more isn't fair to the lips. Let relaxed, musically-driven air come to the rescue.  No more wailing sirens!

Game-saver!

Audition day has arrived!  After having thoroughly prepared your solo and excerpts, you are finally out the door and on your way.  Fingerings are accurate and snappy.  Tongue is behaving nicely like a fine-tipped snare drum stick.  Transpositions are automatic.  Dynamics are awesome.  Now what's your strategy for the battles of the day?

Take a couple of key words along for your trip, words that focus your attention on delivering your best work.  If you're the lay back type who needs a good butt-boot, how about any of these:  VISCERAL, HEROIC, MONSTER, PIT-BULL, FIERY, or whatever motivates you to overcome the I'm-no-good mindset (which no committee is impressed with).

If you're already well equipped by nature with that proud matador attitude, fine, but you should add to your arsenal a few words like: SMOOTH, CALM, DEADPAN, COOL, SOFT, BEAUTIFUL, etc.  A dazzling Strauss is only half the ticket.  If you can consistently follow with a pristine Schumann, the job is yours!

For those who have good rhythm but can't seem to control it in auditions, then consider the best relief pitcher entering the game in the ninth inning with the based loaded!  Everyone knows he has skill and experience, but he must exhibit complete control under pressure.  He appears relaxed, takes full breaths, exhales, and takes enough time before delivering each pitch right on target.  He's not in a hurry, and he doesn't freeze either.  You need: DETERMINATION, FOCUS, CONFIDENCE, POISE.

Again, if you're the bull-in-the-china-shop type, then think SWANS, GLIDERS, SERENE, GORGEOUS, SWEETNESS, etc.  Wimps need whips, and jerks need reins.  No matter who you are or where you are, the good news is that you must consistently deliver quality with accuracy. Luck has nothing to do with it.  You're warmed up and on the mound.  Pitch!

Save Your Money

Your teachers need not confiscate any more of your scarce stash of cash. Do you know that your best instructors work every day for free? They are right there in your practice room staring straight at you from every printed page of music. All of your necessary musical instructions are unhidden and provided for you free of charge by the composer.



Meet your music stand faculty:

• Professor Phrasing, expert on subtleties of musical shapes and expression; "Boring" is not his middle name. He is highly sensitive and tuned to nuance, and thrives on correct expression and order within each phrase. Don't provoke him with mindless and heartless insensitivity. Artistry rules here.

• Doctor Meter, the quintessentially finicky and persnickety guardian of time and precision; Keep him silent and you'll do fine, but by all means avoid incurring his wrath. With one mighty jerk of his pencil, you will be angrily and shamefully tapped to silence, only to begin again. Rhythm rules here.

• Dr. Decibel, the volume guru; He shows only a few gestures, so you know immediately if you've been bad or good: the lifted hand, palm up, the lowering of his hand, palm down, and the OK sign. If you see hands on ears consistently, change your major. He presumes his area of expertise supersedes all others. Disregard any printed volume levels, and you'll fail miserably. Dynamics rule here.

• Professor R. T. Q. Laytion, the honorable master of note beginnings; Employing a one-attack-fits-all-notes approach will not work in this class. Each note must be precisely fashioned to suit the printed indications. Sloppy starts and you're done. Correct articulation rules here.

• The Speed Doctor, the exalted monitor of rushing; Mind you, he is related to Doctor Meter, and "Fanatic" is his middle name. Even the slightest evidence of rushing or dragging will instantly provoke fits and jolts of rage and irritability. You don't want to be ill-prepared for this instructor. You pass this one, and you're gold.

Note: Each of these professors are nasty strict and unrelenting in their obsession for perfection in their own field of expertise. You cross them at your own peril. Many trumpeters have failed to prepare adequately, and have been proven unemployable. Obey each of them consistently however, and you win big job!

Making Your Entrances Grand

There's nothing like a clear precise cutting edge! Surgeons and butchers do it. Why not trumpeters? Great entrances are everything. Why do we so often stumble onto the musical stage and mar the beginning of what often turns out to be a great phrase? Focus maybe? (Obviously we'd prefer the cut of a skilled surgeon to that of some hack butcher, but still, the job gets done by both with confidence and accuracy.)

Consider an unfriendly game of darts with the smallest board you ever saw! It's only as big as the bulls eye since all other scores are unacceptable. So, simply muster all the concentration you can. Then, carefully aim that sharp jabber at your tiny target. Placement is everything, hit or miss, so go for it. One and only one perfect shot will do.

Have you heard about the new game at the bowling ally? You are allowed only one ball per frame! Leave any pins standing and you lose. 300 or zip.

Baseball relief pitchers are wanted who only throw strikes. Fling just one out of the strike zone and you're ejected on the spot. No balls!

Fencing match finals: there's no long sword-clattering for ten minutes in this game. You must insert only one piercing strike to the heart of your opponent, and you win! Any misplaced poking, and you're disqualified.

Now back to the stage. It's your cue. Your own grand entrance is about to happen. The glare from the lights and the podium comes your way, and down comes the baton. It's all nails! No second cracks at it. Now, ready, aim, and make that spectacular entrance! Generous pay and applause await your performance. Fire!

Valentine's Weekend Special

Pops Orchestra - Trumpet 1 book is chock-full of romantic original songs you can play for your Valentine. Turn down the stage lights, grab your flugelhorn or B flat trumpet, step close to the mic, and sing away. Cantabile espressivo always works nicely, especially now. Think Spring, passion and romance. Step away from the practice room and serenade your special listener. This book is just the therapy needed for cold and gloomy winter days.

Regular price for all books, Trumpet 1, 100 Trumpetudes, and Piccolo Trumpet Studies, is $20. From now until midnight February 14th, the price of each book is reduced to a lovely $15.00 with free mailing! PayPal: enter collinsnotes@earthlink.net and your books are immediately in the mail for your special moonlight serenade.

Be Distinctive!

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

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!

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.

Building Skyscrapers One Floor at a Time

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