One-Sentence Lesson #16

The Promenade from Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition is the trumpet player's signature excerpt and the one usually heard first on every audition. That famous opening solo is expected to sound great, to be in tune, in time, and flawless. Hence, our total focus on polishing every one of those 54 notes! 

After recording a recent practice session of this excerpt, I asked for some feedback. I heard this comment. "It sounds like you don't want to be in the art gallery."  

Definitely NOT the advice I wanted to hear! Yet that honest assessment was the one-sentence lesson I needed. The opening requires not only secure technique, but a bold splash of vibrant sound expected by the rest of the orchestra and by the whole audience! More drama, less trauma. 

It should sound like you are thrilled to be there!   

ONE-SENTENCE LESSON #15

 

The conductor looked annoyed and kept tugging at his ear as he glared at the trumpets. Finally, he stopped the rehearsal and said: "One of the trumpets is sharp!" My colleagues knew who it was, but wisely refused to look at me. Gulp. I received a painful but effective lesson that day!  

So, how do we fix our faulty, bone-jarring lack of correct intonation?

First, acknowledge that the problem may actually by our own, not the other guy's. 

Next, determine to examine each note with the honest help of a tuner. 

Then, correct the pitch without losing the rich core of the sound.

Play musically but play in tune. Playing musically but out of tune is not playing musically. Unfortunately, this is a lesson that must be relearned daily. 

The Problem with the Trumpet!

The problem with the trumpet! It is unmusical, it has no sound, rhythm or brains. It's dumb! It just lies there lifelessly in its case, smugly defying its owner to conquer it. It seems to enjoy frustrating and stifling inspiration. What's worse, it never practices!

The good news is that it can be brought to life and made obedient! Consider Frankenstein's monster, springing up after a few powerful jolts of electricity. Pinocchio similarly became a real boy when controlled by his inspired and caring master. Frosty also began to bounce around jovially once all the kids expected that he would. Simple examples but think about it: a few powerful jolts from a caring owner who believed his lifeless puppet could come to life!

So, what's the magic potion? It is an enormous musical stockpile, continuously infusing greatness into a lifeless instrument. A huge reservoir overflowing the banks of the dry land. A musical fortress that can be strengthened to withstand all challenges. 

The instrument will always be lifeless, but the player has the joy of providing all that's needed to bring it to life!

 

ONE-SENTENCE LESSON #14

I once asked a veteran oboe player in the Cleveland Orchestra how often he felt good about his playing. I expected a response like, "every time, man!" I was stunned to hear him say, "I feel great only about 10% of the time." 

It sure didn't sound that way! His playing was always musical and flawless. I wish I had asked him how he did it, but I suppose the answer is obvious. It's why he had that job. 

So, what's the takeaway? 

• Be encouraged that you can learn to sound great even if your heart isn't always in it. 
• Fool your listeners. Act the part.
• Always bring your performance face.
• Don't depend on feeling great.
• Turn boring into "bravo!"
• We all have our 10%. Learn to be convincing on the 90%.  

ONE-SENTENCE LESSON #12

"Greatness is the perfect mixture of technique and artistry." 

Related thoughts:

• Guarantee purity!
• Secure your technique for the purpose of flawless expression. 
• Faulty technique will not contribute to great artistry.
• Artistry requires technical control.
• The purpose of great technique is compelling drama.
• When artistry rules, mechanics can obey. 
• When mechanics obey, artistry can emerge.
• Passionate drama is well-organized. 
• Emotions must be skillfully controlled.
• Accuracy needs artistry. Artistry needs accuracy.

Only 1 Lesson!

Sometimes it only takes one lesson to make a lasting impact. 

In 1974 John Ware played a two-octave scale up and down for me. That was all I needed to hear. But it was the way he did it, starting pianissimo with a crescendo to fortissimo, and returning to pianissimo. Or it can be done with the reverse dynamics with a variety of articulations. Really quiet and really loud, without forcing or pinching. Always with a fabulous tone! 

The rest of that lesson was inspirational for sure, but the details have been forgotten. What I remember today however, is the ease and finesse with which he released a superior sound!

Lesson 2 was watching him play first on the Planets in the Philharmonic. It was the same thing: power and finesse all in one player! Articulations exploded out the bell. We heard exciting dominating trumpet playing from a rather small, mild-mannered gentleman. 

Of course, who cannot be amazed at the beauty of his Posthorn Solo in Mahler 3! His gorgeous playing still rings in my mind every time that excerpt comes up. He said very little that day, but his playing said everything I needed to hear!  

Overcoming the Nerve Monster

Great news! The NERVE MONSTER is not invincible! The dreaded adversary can be overcome or rendered ineffective and no longer a dangerous opponent.  How great would that be!

To be able to resist the onslaught of nerves requires a strengthening of your message. There should be no enslavement to crippling bouts of fright every time you take the stage! 

For this to happen, something more powerful than fear must take control. When it does, a successful performance or audition could actually happen. How great would that be!  

A public speaker who was known for his effective speaking before large crowds once admitted that were it not for one thing, he would be a nervous wreck every time he approached the podium. Nervousness was an admitted obstacle until he remembered why he was there!  

So, what turns hesitancy into confidence, fear into boldness? Answer: a total focus on your message! 

When there's much to share, there's no room for self-consciousness. An effective performer concentrates on his music, not on himself. Confidence comes from a sustained passion to deliver a great product. The audience pays to hear the music, not your attempt at an error-free zone. Plunge into the drama and avoid the trauma. How great will that be!

 

  

ONE-SENTENCE LESSON #13

Stop! Hold on! Slow down and listen! You need to play the Floating Fermata Game!

Imagine a fermata hovering over each line of your music as you play. It dances freely until it stops suddenly over one of your notes that needs your attention. It says, "There, hear that? Now fix it!" 

There's no point in ignoring the floating fermata. It's very sensitive and easily provoked. Any of the following will set it off:

• Intonation violations
• Quality malfunctions
• Legato offenses 
• Final-note sloppiness
• Blundered entrances, etc.

The floating fermata is your best teacher!  

ONE-SENTENCE LESSON #11

"You are spraying the air with thousands of notes of highly questionable value!" (Mel Broiles)

• Quality beats quantity.
• Quality wins jobs.
• A few minutes of gorgeous playing is better than a whole hour of mediocre blasting. 
• Big bucks for good notes. Big fines for bad notes. 
• Ensure that all notes are "usable."

ONE-SENTENCE LESSON #10

As a junior in high school, I was super excited about my first lesson with William Vacchiano. On my new C trumpet, I had prepared #6, molto veloce, from Caffarelli's Etudes de Perfectionnement. The lesson that day was not at all what I expected, but one that I will never forget. 

After a rambunctious charge through my etude, I expected a smile or a nod of approval. Instead, there was no response. He told me to open my Arban book to page 125. It is one of those boring pages of staccato interval studies. Taking his pencil, he deliberately tapped a dreadfully slow tempo, and had me play line 1. I must have missed a third of the notes! Pathetic!

After several of my nervous attempts, he said: "Go home and practice; don't come back until you can play this correctly."

Takeaways: 

• Humiliation can be the very experience needed to spark improvement.
• Confronting weaknesses is vital.
• Appreciate the value of a single lesson.
• Prepare for performance.
• Practice accuracy.
• The control of a single note can be harder than a whole page.  
• Practice what's not fun.

Note: I did return for my second lesson two weeks later.  His one-sentence lesson had been echoing in my mind for two weeks, and there was no way I was going to get that same lesson again. 

Nailed it!  

Eyes on the Carrot

What should the serious trumpet student have in common with a rabbit, a mouse, and a fish? 

Answer: HUNGER. The rabbit is drawn to the carrot. The mouse is lured by the cheese, and the fish is hooked by the worm. Consider also the bull, who is enticed into a wild frenzy by the matador's crimson cape! That's the picture, an obsession to be captured by music! 

Great musicians motivate great students.  

 

ONE-SENTENCE LESSON #9

"Would you mind playing that again, please?"

Thomas Schippers asked that question in the Cincinnati trumpet audition in 1975. It was after one of those long grinding excerpts from Ein Heldenleben. I was a bit puzzled, thinking that I had just nailed it successfully. Later I learned that he was testing for endurance. 

At Tanglewood one summer we heard it again. Roger Voisin was conducting us on Fanfare for the Common Man. Right before we began the performance, he said "all right, boys, we're going to play it twice." (GULP!) Fortunately, we only played it once. He then smiled as if to say, "just testing you, guys." 

Lesson: Once is not enough, even if it's good.

 

ONE-SENTENCE LESSON #8

 

"Try not to sound like a student!"  

Nothing wrong with being a student! Who isn't one? 

This advice years ago really helped bring some sanity to practice sessions. Instead of indiscriminate blasting, it brought an awareness that all notes matter. Music is about listening. "Try to sound like a great musician!" 

ONE-SENTENCE LESSON #7

What does a xylophone have to do with trumpet playing? Not a lot, except when taking a closer look at the mallets. 

The "ping" produced by the striking mallet on the toy xylophone is how clear and precise trumpet entrances need to be.

The mallet is the tongue. The note is focused, clear, popping, ringing, and pinging. 
 

ONE-SENTENCE LESSON #6

Mel Broiles had just demonstrated how one of those opera arias in Arban's The Art of Phrasing should sound. Then it was my turn. (Yes pressure!)

Trying hard to reproduce even some of his elegance and power, I whole-heartedly plowed through one of those famous Verdi arias. I gave it my best but expected a grimace and shrug of disapproval. Instead, he exclaimed, "Spoken like a gentleman!"

Later I wondered if it was sarcasm or genuine praise. Praise was hard to get. I took it as a compliment which has served as motivation lasting for years. How important are the words we speak!

ONE-SENTENCE LESSON #5

"Every piece of music has an important octave in it." (William Vacchiano)

That simple statement should launch a search for all the prominant and voluptuous solo octaves on the planet, starting from Over the Rainbow all the way through Mahler 9! 

Have a nice octave day! 

ONE-SENTENCE LESSON #4

"You must be able to come "bustin' in" at any time."

Armando Ghitalla said in one sentence what was needed to chase away timidity. A mindset that has no fear. An eagerness to make the grand entrance. A confidence that your first note will be attention-getting. 

You must have a reputation for confident accuracy! As a colleague once said, "It must be automatic." 

 

ONE-SENTENCE LESSON #3

 

Me to student:  "If you can play this one line of music without a mistake, it's yours!!" 

I felt I was safe, knowing well my student's tendency to miss notes. As soon as he saw the money, however, everything changed. That twenty-dollar bill accomplished more than all of my talking. 

He then proceeded to play the line of music perfectly with nary a miss.  Reluctantly, but happily, I handed him his reward. "WOW! Gas money, he said! Gee, thanks!"

ONCE-SENTENCE LESSON #2

Just as a great conductor can communicate with one gesture, so too the most memorable lessons can often be condensed into a single sentence, or even a facial expression. Effective lessons should be unforgettable and motivating. The art of brevity!

Lesson #2:

"Your passion for music must be greater than your fear of the audience."

Overcome fear with overpowering musicianship. Purpose to enthusiastically communicate, rather than just deliver notes. Prepare to entertain. Drama beats trauma. 

ONE-SENTENCE LESSON #1

Just as a great conductor can communicate with one gesture, so too the most memorable lessons can often be condensed into a single sentence. Brief but powerful advice, unforgettable, effective, and motivational. The art of brevity. 

Lesson #1:

"I want you to practice this week as if I were listening to every note!"

Not much else is needed for this command to be useful. You can insert the name of your choice. Then invite your great artist/teacher to listen in. Accountability matters in daily work. 

Benefits: fewer wasted notes, less boredom, better quality, more musical interest, and it's cheaper!