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Sunday, August 12, 2012
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Verdi - "Questa o quella"
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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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Friday, August 10, 2012
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
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Thursday, August 09, 2012
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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Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Directions for Doldrums
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.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
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
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
Thursday, May 10, 2012
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.)
- 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!
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
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!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
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!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
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!
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