Tim Anderson recently visited USC and gave a master class. I had the presence of mind to take notes. Here they are...
- Make sure they can write down what you just played.
- Don't allow ' turd tapers' (Norman Bolter's term) - allowing a note to fade unintentionally
- Make sure you demonstrate Basic common sense musical skills
- On the accented notes in the Ride: don't think of it as accenting a note. Think of accenting the bar line.
- The most important criteria: how you sound.
- Concerning the Mozart Tuba Mirum: legato trombone is not a style of music. Make phrases. "I want to hear what your phrase is. I want to be able to write it down."
- "Don't sort of do it. Do it."
- Make music on the first note. Then you'll play well.
- They want a simple good musician.
- People have no patience for bad intonation.
- I think music ed is a better degree. You have to be able to teach yourself.
- If somebody asks you how fast you're going, you should have a number (metronome marking).
- What is air support? Support is simply counteracting the natural decrescendo that occurs as your air runs out. As you sustain a note, you have to blow more as the note goes on (and the air runs out). How do you manage the blowing of the air?
- It's better if you can be schizophrenic when you play music. (variety of styles/personalities)
- "I said play on your mouthpiece not buzz on your mouthpiece" (don't stop making music when you are buzzing).
- "Give me some phrase there"
- Watch out for those decays. Your lips get tired, your air doesn't.
- We always make fun of singers. We all became trombonists because we didn't want to sing in public.
- There is only one fundamental: how you blow the air. Everything else is just a skill.
- It doesn't matter how many times you've played it. You either can do it or you can't. If you can't play it, you haven't played it enough.
- Make sure your resume doesn't make it look like an accident that you're applying for a job.
