Welcome to Frequency Bone Summer Music Connection 2

This summer's theme is "Summer, A Great Opportunity for Improvement!!"

Week 1 is focusing on practicing. So the title of our first video is "Your Practice Sessions."



It Takes the Right Attitude To Get the Altitude!

If you think of yourself as the pilot of your improvement, you will quickly see that your attitude plays a key role in your height or altitude of progress. The A.R.T. of someone really serious about growth in any field needs the qualities of Application, Regularity and Targeting. If you want good retention, have immediate application on a regular basis. This will increase your awareness, and your ability to reapproach and fine tune your results.

One obstacle to steady progress is thinking it should happen in a straight line. For actual development to happen it really is necessary for things to go a bit up, down and sideways from time to time so we can get different insights and learn a variety of lessons. Another obstacle is not spending enough time with just a couple of things. Taking on too much can put us on overload making it difficult to process our information clearly and effectively.

Let's say you have forty minutes to practice. You might need five or more minutes to get yourself in a better more clearly focused state of mind and another five or so minutes of horn warm-up time. So now you could have 25 or minutes left for some excellent concentrated time to work on a passage that is giving you a challenge, or play through a couple of excerpts all the way like a mini audition round or work an any area of playing like articulation, slurs, range building, dynamic contrasts. etc.

Remember that you can strain your embouchure in these 25 minutes if you are not thoughtful. Twenty-five minutes of loud high range can really be harmful for some people. You might want to take that twenty-five minutes and play some low range then mid range and then go to some high range playing ending with some low range playing again.

In working on the three step assignment, do some breathing exercises first, followed by some simple mouthpiece glissing in a comfortable range for a minute or two then go to your exercise or piece of your choice. Blowing air on your palm to feel that air pressure is great. I always imagine a micro-cresendo while the air is being blown on my palm as well as thru the trombone. It is so easy to sag which means we are losing our mental focus and intention as well as air support weakening. To become conscious of our mental support, I practice the finger on the palm as shown in the video. Here it is important to practice a micro-increase of pressure for maybe thirty seconds or so to give yourself the discipline of slow but steady pressure and mental focus. Support means not dropping the ball! It can be done in a way that's not full of tension but is held in a stable and balanced way.

In order to get the altitude, we need a supportive and grounded attitude! You can have the greatest methods in the world, but with an unsupportive attitude it will not happen or take you much longer to achieve what you would like. Remember it is the balance between allowance and resistance. Have standards but give yourself the chance to achieve them!

I hope this writing gives some extra clarity to the video. If you have any questions put them on the comment page and I will answer them.

Frequency Bone Summer Music Connection 2 Starts Next Week!

In the spring, many high school and college students are hoping to get into summer music festivals or music camps. Perhaps a seminar or two. Some even apply to work at these festivals so they can at least be around the excitement that being a part of all the rehearsing, concerts, listening to lots of talented people practicing and new friendships bring.

But what if it is our situation that we did not get into a summer music festival or could not afford to go to one? What can we do to make the most of our time and see tangible progress in our playing during this time? The answer is a ton! So for this year's Frequency Bone Summer Music Connection (FBSMC), we are going to focus on improvement methods and techniques in many areas of playing and music making. Let's face it, with the aid of a computer, there is so much a person can do. In fact without a computer there is an infinite number of things one can do! There is always something that can be done. So with the inspiration of that fact, let's call Frequency Bone Summer Music Connection 2, "Summer, A Great Opportunity For Improvement!"

The FBSMC online music camp will start Monday the 27th of June and go until about July 30th. It might go longer but we'll play it by ear and response. This year the format for the FBSMC will be a bit different. There will be one topic per week which will include a video and a writing or two. So in a way, it will be more like weekly sessions, giving the interested person time to work on, think about, practice and experiment with the material that will be offered. More time to digest and prepare for the next weekly session is the idea behind this format.

Topics to Include:

*There Is Always Another Way or You're Not Bored Are You?
*What Is Tone Color? or How To Avoid 'Color Blindness'
* What is Audition Ready? or Squeezing Through the Mouse Hole
*Embouchure and Air, Is It A Good Marriage?
*Articulation or Air-ticulation? That is the Discovery!
*Is a Good Audition Taker a Good Ensemble Player? (psst! not always!)
*Range Building- Muscle or Technique?
*Chamber of Discovery or Little Room of Torture - Your Practice Sessions
*Process, Product and Result or What is Important and Why
* Your Comments, Questions and My Responses To Them
*Expect the Unexpected But Don't Count On It!

In these sessions there will be many practical exercises for you to practice and work with. There will also be weekly 'assignments' for the interested.

I look forward to working with you all this summer and if you are one of the ones who are at a music festival already, feel free to join in. Some of this material may not be covered in your program! Or at the very least it will offer another approach.

'See' you all next week!!

Not Music Does This Make!

The C.R.A.F.T. of orchestral playing now is:
Consistency Reliability Accuracy Focus Translucent

What about this word translucent? That seems to stick out a bit. How would one go about practicing it? What is meant by translucent here is the ability to blend in with anything so you do not 'disturb' the blend or ensemble. It is the ability of doing what needs to be done and no more than that. No rough edges, no 'risky' chances, and the ability to hide or disguise your weaknesses. It is practical and safe advice if you are a last minute sub for someone on a heavy concert. It might be a somewhat useful strategy for a freelancer as well at times.

Interesting that the uniform of the orchestra is black and white just like a keyboard. And basically a person is auditioning to be a key on the orchestral keyboard.

The orchestral uniform in brass playing right now is getting to be a one size fits all in terms of musical content. To want a uniform sound has its merits but not all music can fit into that confinement. Orchestral players can be so obsessed with evenness of sound they can miss the spirit of the music. Decibel levels are not the only means of color change. The biggest change comes when there is an actual character or frequency change. Then the change is on the level of vibration and sentiment. Finding things on the level of technique only works with a limited part of the human instrument and can never be a replacement for connection to the essence.

Repetition is a very powerful tool. Almost everything has an element of repetition. What is practicing? It is doing things over and over again until it becomes 'second' nature, second nature means it is in our programming and our automatic systems repeat it. BUT, depending on how we practice, we also put our attitudes, emotional states and physical qualities into the programming as well.

Most people have had the experience of reading a book or seeing a movie more than once. Isn't it amazing the things we pick and notice after a second viewing or reading? Same things happen when listening to music over and over again. And with thoughtful practice we can put together and develop other qualities. Even the development of muscular strength happens with repetition. The challenge is to not let the the repeated efforts get so automatic in the practice room that they become unconscious. I know people who are like orchestral excerpt vending machines. Put in a quarter, and out comes a nice prepackaged excerpt. The problem in my view is it can sound stale or out of date meaning past the fresh stage.

Out of date, that is an interesting one. That can get into current fashion, the orchestral uniform of any given era. If a person does want an orchestral job, they need to fit into that uniform. Is it possible to wear the uniform but still put the soul of oneself into it somehow? That would be what I would suggest. Then you don't totally sell your soul.

I can just imagine the great Jedi master Yoda saying, "Good intonation, rhythm and control, not music does this make!" Is the 'Force' with you when you play?

Online Video Master Class University of Manitoba

In this age of computers, the online video master class has been a reality for a while now. Six years ago, Stewart Smith, who is  a low brass teacher at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg Canada, began 'bringing in' artists to his school via the Internet. It is a wonderful way to bring in, for the students of that school, well known teachers and performers from all over the world and to do it at a very reasonable cost! Even though it is not the same as being with people in the flesh, it certainly has good benefits. The next best thing to being there!

Stewart asked me this past Fall if I would be interested and I was thrilled to participate in this way. Finally, everything worked out and the master class happened on April 10th. I was in my room at my desk and before I knew it, thanks to iChat, I was talking to Stewart and he was introducing me to the audience. There was a good turn out and the age range was from 11 to 55. Teachers, students and parents all in a room with my image on a large screen. It was really a fun and unique experience.

My sound system is not great but it was certainly good enough to hear basic things in the students who played and to get a sense of the audience. Stewart asked if I would play something to start so I played a piece I'm writing called "What in the world am I doing?" inspired by my wife Carol. It was great because I ended up using this phrase every now and then in the master class. The phrase was used  as a reminder to not practice without consciously being in it. When we catch ourselves 'grinding the wheels' of our minds and lips, just mindlessly going around and around, it is a great thing to ask, "What in the world am I doing?"  to bring us back to listening and being with our activity and to remind ourselves why we are doing what we are doing.

Stewart said everyone enjoyed the class. Four people played and we worked on basic concepts together. I also included the audience by inviting them to join in with some of the exercises.














I want to thank Stewart Smith and his wife Susan for their hospitality, and the University of Manitoba for making it all possible. Plus, a big thank you to the folks that made it possible through their funding.

I am including some pictures Stewart sent me that he took from his angle. The  group shot was such a fun concept and the picture says it all.

Maintenance Required

In this video I speak of the importance of knowing thyself from the stand point of being in touch with your physical playing needs. This video is focusing on the embouchure and what it requires to keep itself in good playing order. This is of course a very individual matter, and from my experience can be extremely different from player to player.

If a player is in touch with the whole of themselves and is a serious practicer, one can see and feel trends of how certain types of playing affects the embouchure. Just like foods that can cause allergic or other wise unpleasant or unhealthy symptoms, so can our practice diet alter the course of what our embouchures can and can not do. To speak of the embouchure without speaking of the air support systems is a bit incomplete. But in my own experience, it is very clear ( most of the time! ) what to practice to change how my embouchure is functioning and to prepare it for very specific tasks. My intention is to have more videos on the first overlay,( which we refer to as the automatic robotic systems of playing ), discussing, demonstrating and offering practical exercises to be experimented with by those who would be interested to take a try.

World Premiere of "Tribute"

The annual Brass Bash at New England Conservatory is Sunday, February 21st, at 8PM in Jordan Hall. Every year since its conception, at least one of my compositions has been played. The range of pieces is usually limited to trombone choir or large brass ensemble and sometimes brass ensemble with percussion, large antiphonal brass choirs or brass ensemble with a soloist.

This year is different. On the program will be the world premiere of my new piece "Tribute" for trumpet choir. The NEC trumpet class will perform this work with Peter Chapman conducting. Peter asked me to write this piece a few months ago. He was already familiar with a piece I wrote in memory of Armando Ghitalla for his memorial service back in June 2002. So Peter wanted me to write two more pieces inspired by great trumpet players. He suggested Roger Louis Voisin and Adolph "Bud" Herseth.

The work now has three movements each dedicated to one of these players.









Mr. Ghitalla's piece written in 2002 is titled "Inspired Remembrance." The other two movements use the names of the other great trumpeters as the titles.

Each movement has threads of orchestral repertoire that reminds me of each player and I think others would associate these pieces with the artists as well. It is always a joy for me to write about the various musicians who have inspired me over the years and these great trumpet-musician icons surely have been inspirational!

Photos: Armando Ghitalla, Roger Voisin and Adolph Herseth

Back from Eastman School of Music

I had a wonderful time at Eastman! It was great to feel the history of this famous school and to work with the students. Wonderful facilities all the way around.

The top picture was taken right before I had to leave to go to the airport Thursday evening. It is the Eastman Trombone Choir. We had a very engaging trombone choir session where Mark Kellog participated with the students, which I was very touched by. We did some 'special' tuning and positioned ourselves to play "Onward" from "On With the Battle of Life" and the ending "Wish" part from "Katrina Contemplation and Wish." These two pieces were recorded last January on our Frequency Band CD called "Phoenix."

After we really connected to the "Onward" movement and finished playing it, the room was filled with a sense of a huge ocean of possibilities with the a strong feeling of 'it can be done' to make the most out of our lives. It was breathtaking. I asked the group, "Should we do another piece?" and one young man said, "If it's going to do that again!" So we did get ourselves tuned to play the "Wish" part of "Katrina" and, yes, 'IT' happened again in another way. We all played it from the thoughts of hope to wherever or whomever we felt needed it.

We all were in something together. I gave them a proposition, one that Carol and I always say to people, "Let's start anew trend away from 'digitized manufactured playing' and go for the live spirit of the music as the most important thing. Maybe it will catch on!"

The picture below was when I was warming up before the lecture/recital in Kilbourn Hall. Beautiful Hall with lovely acoustics. The pianist that worked with me was a wonderful DMA student named Matthew Waters. He was very receptive to my concepts and did a terrfic job with two not-so-easy piano parts, "Morning Walk" and "The Song of King David."

The Master Class on Wednesday was very well attended. Several students played individually and then one section played doing excerpts from Mahler's 3rd symphony. I applauded them for their openness and willingness to try some new and different approaches which yielded very tangible results. A wonderful group of students to work with!

I want to thank all who made my trip possible including Jamal Rossi and especially Mark Kellog. Mark studied with me in the BUTI program in 1981 (gulp!) at Tanglewood. He was a gifted high school student and a real gentleman. Twenty-nine years later he is still a marvelous musician and gentleman.

Bravo to Mark and 'Doc' Marcellus for their great work at Eastman and to the students themselves. It was a real joy and honor to work with you all. Thank you and I hope it works out again sometime. BRAVO!