tpter1

For our March staff development, it is a strong possiblity that I would be giving a clinic to area band directors on some sort of brass-related topic. (If I can come up with a good one). Right now, I'm stumped. It's an odd thing...I should be able to come up with something, but alas, my mind is as blank as.... umm.........

Oh yeah...now I remember... anyone have any suggestions?

rowuk

Glenn,
there is quite a bit of material here on TM. Just a couple of "highlights"
1) resonant playing
2) Body use
3) Relaxed breathing
4) Role Models
5) a)The Internet as an education tool (beamer selected TM posts)
b)repertoire suggestions from the pros

Richard Oliver

Glenn,

I see "what should I have ready for my (highschool/college) audition" question from time to time esp on Trumpet Herald.

Also, there was a thread where the student's "thinking" was wrong about what judges would find impressive too. What I'm getting at is what impresses a 15 to 18 year old, may not be shared by a 30 to 65 year old trumpet professor.

The example in question was the endless "double C" query versus a well played Arban Characteristic study to "impress" the selectors.

My 1 Cent,

Richard

Solar Bell

"How to get brass players to a 7:30 am rehearsal"

-cw-

Vulgano Brother

A fun topic might be imagery – how to talk to brass players. Things like “forte means full, not loud,” “a silent but deadly piano,” “stay down when going up” etc. You could use your own experience, and cull TM for more phrases. (You might not want to explain what those penciled “bfb”s really mean, though!)

The favored phrase of Vulgani is "that was brown and sounded like a bell: ...dung!"

Solar Bell

"Tacit means 'Be Quiet' too"

-cw-

Derek Reaban

Glenn,

As you probably know, I’m not a band director, but I’m trying to put myself in that position to think what would be useful to me in a staff development meeting.

I think Rowuk is going in the right direction on this to target some tangible things that you could suggest related to sound production on brass instruments (assuming the band director is not a brass player).

I would develop a short Power Point presentation to allow them to follow along with your demonstrations and to help them to remember what to do when they get back to their bands.

This is just off the top of my head and you would probably need to try some of this with your own students to see how best to roll it out to your audience. If at all possible, it would be helpful to either bring your own horn to demonstrate some concepts or, better yet, bring some of your students to show how this can work.

I would start with the idea of the “Superhero Pose” that David Krauss mentioned in his talk at the ITG conference in Denver. Stress the slow intake breath through the nose, the “chest up” position when a full breath is taken, and the idea of full and relaxed, but also pressurized. Mention the ideas of posture that this “nose breath and superhero pose” automatically set up. They just do it in a very fun way that the band director is inclined to be able to sell to young kids.

Next I would talk about the idea that when the “horn plays the lips” the sound out of the horn is typically very vibrant and colorful (maximum resonance). In addition you would mention the benefits of starting the sound without using the tongue. The drill associated with this would be to have everyone in the brass section take out their tuning slides. You would have the trumpet section start with the slow intake breath through the nose (setting up the superhero pose) and then gently release the air and start the sound without using their tongues. Do this 5 or 6 times and mention that the sound (response) should be immediate.

Do the same thing with the horn players and then with the trombone players and then have each section put their slides back in.

Now have each section play a unison 2nd line G (with the corresponding notes for horns and bones) on their instruments. The key here is to follow the ideas of the slow intake nose breath (superhero pose) and letting the air out starting the sound without using the tongue. Don’t specify a dynamic; just tell them to have the students focus on immediacy of response.

Tell them that many students may get no sound at all the first several times they try this on the horn. This is where they will need to be the “response police” and enforce the ideas that are most important to improved sound production. They must be patient with the students and assure that they “let” the sound out. Blowing harder will destroy what they are trying to accomplish with this group exercise. If only a small number of students can do this, have them go back a step and take the tuning slides out and focus on response (with the superhero pose and starting the sound without the tongue).

The sound should be significantly improved (fuller, less strained, more vibrant) for the entire section. After several weeks of this, the band directors will get a feel for when the brass players are “responding” to the drill.

I think that would really be a great presentation, and if you make it fun, have handouts, and bring some students that can demonstrate these sounds, that would certainly sell the idea.

In addition to this material, I would provide a list of “Sound Model” recordings for each instrument. I recently gave a CD to a co-worker that has a son who is going to start trumpet next fall. I really thought about what CD I should give him and decided that not only did it have to demonstrate great sounds, but it had to be fun music that would draw in a young player. I chose to give him the Empire Brass CD with tunes by Bernstein and Gershwin. I think if band directors would use this disk as a sound model for their students it would help put some marvelous sounds in their heads to try and emulate.

Hope these ideas are helpful! If you choose to do this I would love to hear how it turned out!

Good luck!

tpter1

Thank yolu so much. I've never been a presenter before, so I know I'll be back.

Chuck... all I can say, man.