north bay trumpet studio

Newsletter: Volume 2, 1st edition

Greetings from the Teacher:

I hope this newsletter finds each of you well rested and ready to begin the fall semester with renewed vigor. This summer has been an interesting time in my own learning and study. For the first time in at least 20 years, I encountered a difficulty in my embouchure consistency this summer. This is not a good thing when one is standing in front of a grandstand full of people about to play a bugle call that will be broadcast worldwide! After some questioning of my process (as I would with any student encountering similar issues) and a closer look at my daily schedule, I decided that I had caused the difficulty myself. (What a surprise!)This condition was brought on by my (perhaps too) short daily warm-up followed by daily (somewhat taxing) demonstrations in my summer improvisation class. Over a series of weeks, my condition worsened to the point where I began encountering a REAL unreliability in the consistency of my embouchure response-resulting in a few too many missed notes for a week or so at the racetrack (my summer gig for 21 years). What a wonderful gift and opportunity to re-assess my own process. After a re-evaluation of the circumstances, I reached into my "bag of tricks" and went back to some basic practices that have been helpful to me over the years. The application of these tools, using the proper "means whereby" from my Alexander Technique Teacher Training, I am pleased to report, was effective. It is wonderful to note that the suggestions I make to my students do actually work....even when applied to me! One of the most interesting points was that I experienced, first hand, what many of my students must encounter each day due to insufficient warm-up followed by a taxing rehearsal. My suggestion remains the same as it always has, warm-up properly (whatever that takes in terms of time and commitment) so that your entire (playing) day can be productive. The thoughts below refer to ideas that I have been working through this summer on my own and with my students. The first few months were, for us, a focus on "flow". This last month or so, the focus has shifted to the application of that flow to musical phrases and buzzing. Enjoy:

Articles to review for the new school year:

• What does the teacher expect of students?
• What is not acceptable in a lesson?
• What constitutes a lesson?
• Payment Policy
• Absence Policy
• Required Materials
• Required Equipment

Student Notes:

• Tayla Nebesky-Youth Symphony Audition; Green Farm
• Will Sizoo-Youth Symphony Audition; SRJC Beginning Jazz Improvisation Class
• Julia Hamon-Humboldt Brass Camp
• Greg Hamon-Humboldt Brass Camp
• Harry Marks-Humboldt Brass Camp

Teacher Thoughts:
To flow or not to flow...

• Flow is a synonym for "air support" (or simply "support") which is the term used by most band directors.
• "Support" does not mean that we need to "tighten" something (the diaphragm-if that were possible) when we play.
• "Flow" is something we allow, not something we "do" (force).
• If our air stream is unobstructed, our "flow" is free.
• The first key to "flow" is a complete exhalation.
• Complete exhalation insures that our diaphragm and ribs make their full excursion.
• Complete exhalation is something we allow, not something we "do" (force).
• If we are forcing or tightening, the exhale will be audible.
• A complete exhalation is followed by a "turn-around".
• The second key to free "flow" is the "turn-around" between exhalation and inhalation.
• The moment that air ceases to flow in and begins to flow out is a point that we should observe closely.
• The "turn-around" is a place that we tend to hold, fix, or force our intercostal muscles.
• Free "flow" involves a smooth "turn-around" that includes no pause (stopping of air) or stiffening (tightening of muscle groups).
• The "turn-around" is something we allow, rather than something we "do" (force).
• The third key to "flow" is a complete exhalation.
• A complete exhalation is something we allow, not something we "do" (force).
• If we force our exhalation, it will be audible.
• When we exhale, it is important that we consider where we are directing our air.
• With the trumpet, the direction of the air is quite clear-forward and away (horizontal)!
• When we direct our air forward and away in a horizontal fashion, our sound will follow, in like fashion, in the direction of the listener (audience).
• If we don't hold, fix, force, disrupt, interfere with, or obstruct our "flow" (or sound), it will travel in the desired direction, and reach our listener clearly and easily.
• A sound that is easy, full, and resonant, will travel quite easily to its destination.
• A sound that is forced, tight, narrow, or shallow will tend to drop and fall dead before it reaches its destination.
• Surprisingly, it is easier to allow a full, resonant sound than it is to create a forced, tight one.
• Regardless of the specific physical issue (disruption) that may arise during this process, considering the three parts of the "flow" process will nearly always (97%+ of the time) cure it.
• Consciously or unconsciously manipulating individual muscle groups will tend to disrupt "flow".
• We shouldn't try to move our embouchure to achieve our goals.
• We shouldn't try to move our tongue to achieve our goals.
• We should move our air in order to achieve our goals!
• Sound is air!
• A. Jacobs famous comment "song and wind" should be revised to "song is wind".

Teacher Thoughts:
Note Grouping...connecting flow to phrasing

• Once "flow" has been established and is working in our favor, we can consider how to connect that flow to musical ideas.
• Musical ideas are constructed of phrases (or sentences).
• Each phrase may be broken down into smaller components.
• The two components of each phrase are "pick-ups" and "targets".
• Another name for "pick-ups" are "upbeats".
• "Up-beats" are where the interesting part of music lies.
• "Up-beats" create tension or movement in music.
• The listener wants to hear tension resolve.
• Tension created by "up-beats" is resolved when they connect to their "down-beats".
• "Downbeats" are resting points.
• When creating phrases, we should begin phrases with "up-beats".
• In order to keep the integrity of "up-beats" as they lead to their target "down-beats", we should breathe after "down-beats" (resting points).
• The integrity of this relationship dictates where breaths make sense.
• Bar-lines are rarely relevant in the connection of musical phrases.
• For practice purposes, it may be helpful to separate mini-phrases by inserting rests between small "pick-up" and "down-beat" units.
• We can then repeat the smaller units (perhaps slurring and tonguing) until the passage takes on a quality of ease.
• We can then increase our phrase lengths into larger segments (by combining smaller ones) until coherent, reasonable length passages are created.
• Generally, phrase length is determined by an individual's ability to sustain "flow".

Teacher Thoughts:
To buzz or not to buzz...

• Air (also known as "flow") energizes the embouchure into action.
• Adequate "flow" with inadequate embouchure tone may cause disruptions, turbulence, air leaks, or inconsistencies in our sound.
• One way to promote embouchure tone is to buzz the lips alone.
• However, buzzing the lips alone may cause excessive tightness in the embouchure, which may result in inconsistencies as well.
• Buzzing with the support of a rim (or two fingers) may help prevent excessive tightness in the embouchure.
• When buzzing on the mouthpiece or with the support of a rim, we should remember to allow the center of the embouchure to remain free and easy.
• Mouthpiece buzzing is helpful in centering pitch and connecting (our internal) ears with the embouchure.
• Mouthpiece buzzing is helpful in establishing a clean beginning on each note.
• Mouthpiece buzzing is helpful in establishing clarity in tonguing by helping us locate (by sound) correct and clear tongue placement.
• Mouthpiece buzzing may be helpful in establishing a clear sound on the trumpet.
• Mouthpiece buzzing is dependent on optimum "flow".
• Mouthpiece buzzing without adequate "flow" may result in turbulence or an unsteady sound.
• We should test the use of mouthpiece buzzing in our warm-up period for effectiveness.
• Effectiveness can be easily determined if we hear an improvement in clarity and consistency after a few weeks of testing.

Future Topic "teasers":

• Arnold Jacobs respiration lecture (from the Tuba Convention of 1973) summary and comments.
• To practice or not to practice? Guilt is not the best reason to stop lessons. Practicing bad habits are not beneficial. Therefore, practicing (without proper guidance or employing a useful "means whereby") should not be done. Choosing not to practice may be a helpful choice under the right circumstances.
• Are we raising the chest in order to breathe? Are we aware we are doing this? What is causing this lifting? Could this be the result of lifting the horn in order to raise it above the music stand? Claude Gordon (a well-known Trumpet Teacher in L.A.) taught his students to mimic his own misuse of the breathing mechanism by actually encouraging a raising of the chest.
• Where does the idea that we have to play with the "bell up" come from? Why do we cling to this idea as though it were something that would help us? What difficulties could this be causing us in our trumpet playing? What alternatives to this idea are available to us?
• The art of trumpet playing: in order for our trumpet playing to be artful, we must be artful in our whole life. If we try to create individual changes of specific items, we may wind up creating more difficulties for ourselves than we started with.
• What can I do to improve? The answer lies before the question. What if we entertained the idea that to achieve something, we did not have to "do" anything? What if the very concept of "doing" was the root problem and we need to not "do" (at least in our normal habitual way) or stop "doing". Before we begin to play, or even raise the instrument, are we doing something to block our innate resources? Can we identify that? Can we stop the blocking?
• What are we practicing? A practice routine makes available (if the proper process is employed) the skills necessary to play ensemble music with ease (and very little work). It is unlikely that we can get what we want (better playing of our ensemble music) by hammering directly at our individual part.
• What is a lesson? How does this differ from a tutoring session? It would seem that a lesson is a test and reconsideration of our daily work. Have we made improvement this week? Are we stuck and at a loss as to how to solve a specific problem? It is the opportunity for a "question and answer" exchange with our teacher. It is a sharing of our teacher's experience. A tutoring session (what many students expect a lesson to be), is a time where someone helps up practice something that we have not spent time on individually. Tutoring is the lowest form of teaching. It is nothing more than remedial work. When we are in need of a tutor, it is often because we are unmotivated, and basically, too lazy to work towards our goals in a self-directed, motivated fashion.

Teacher Performance Schedule:

• Aug. 22-Sept.1 Sacramento State Fair at Cal-Expo-Racetrack Bugler
• Oct. 4 Pete Estabrook Acoustic Jazz Quartet in Healdsburg-Leader
• Oct. 7 Joe Dimitrowich Band in San Jose-Sideman
• Oct. 14 Joe Dimitrowich Band in Petaluma-Sideman
• Oct. 20-21 Joe Dimitrowich Band in Cambell-Sideman
• Oct. 27 Mel Graves Jazz Dectet in Healdsburg-Trumpet Soloist

Mp3's of interest:
from summer rehearsal sessions with an accompanist

• Korak: Bel Canto Studies #1
• Arban: Art of Phrasing "Il Furioso"
• Bizet: Carmen (off stage solo)
• Prokofieff: Lt. Kije (dance)
• Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (Promenade)

Teachers of interest:

• Arnold Jacobs (Tuba with the Chicago Symphony)
• James Thompson (Trumpet Instructor at Eastman School of Music; Montreal Symphony)