The SPCNBB Needs Your Help! Act Now!!

This is a theme I've hit before but now with a new twist...

Those poor notes before the breath. They really suffer. The selfish player is merely thinking of trivial things like the next breath
(survival...definitely over-rated).

So often that note before the breath is cruelly mistreated..no sense of phrasing. No beauty of tone. Often chopped short.
We must band together to protect these poor notes. Only you can help.

Call now: 1-800-NO-CHOP.

A defenseless note needs your love. Can you please help us?

(OK, this last photo is truly shameless...)

This ad brought to you by the SPCNBB.

What is musical? Start with what isn't.

What is a musical performance?

Now there's a deep question. Recently I thought of a novel answer.

Start with what isn't a musical performance.

Most of us have encountered those robot voices on the phone. Especially when they are reading us a phone number. Funny how hard it is to comprehend that string of numbers when there is no inflection.

Imagine one of those voices reading a novel. [Read the following in a monotone:]

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

Actually, the computers are getting better at inflection and, frankly, this makes me uncomfortable. I don't want to see a machine win a vocal Turing test.

For example, paste that above text into this website. Inflection yes, but a dramatic reading...well no Oscars yet (and hopefully not ever).

Of course, now we can now make our own animated movies like this one about a misguided trombone audition. At least there's a little inflection here...the robot voices almost make it funnier.

OK, I'm getting off my point, which is this: it is clear that an UNMUSICAL performance is one lacking in variety/inflection.

Therefore, using the counter-example, couldn't we say that a musical performance is one with variety?

Not a spastic bombardment of variety unless that's what the composer wants..you never know these days. But rather variety of dynamics, speed, articulation, tone color in a way that makes sense.

So maybe I can cobble together a definition ...

Musical (adj.): Having sensible variety.

Yes, I know musicality can't really be defined. But, when I say to a student, "How can you play that with more variety?" as opposed to , "How can you play that more musically?" it sometimes gets them thinking in a more creative and positive way.

Tips from Tim

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.

Of photons and phrases...the pithy pendulum

I am slowly working my way through Walter Isaacson's biography of Albert Einstein.
( and I mean sloooowly )

Anyway, I've reached that point of Einstein's "miracle year" when, from March through June of 1905, he produced four papers that helped to upend the world of physics.
The first paper presented the idea of 'light quanta' - that light should not only be described as a wave but as individual packets of quanta later to be known as photons.

In my mind this connects to one of the truisms I've hit upon in my playing. Over the past year or so I've had one of those revelations that, in retrospect, sounds obvious and dumb.

Music is made up of notes.
Make the notes sound good

OK, everyone all together now..."DUH"

Still, as I practice, this simple thought seems to have had a profound effect on my playing. Often I remind myself to simply make the notes sound good and it really helps.

"Ah, but what about phrases?" you ask.

We've all heard 'technical' players who seem to play passages as a succession of notes with no sense of musical direction. We've also hear 'musical' players who play phrases that move us even to the point of ignoring problems with some of the notes themselves.

The analogy, in case it isn't obvious:

waves - phrases
quanta - notes

Like light, music is best described as a combination of waves and quanta (phrases and notes).

Thus the pithy pendulum swings on...

Focus on the phrase
and the notes will take care of themselves.

Focus on the notes
and the phrase will take care of itself.

An Explosion at the Rochut Factory!

(AP: 11.24.2009) A recent explosion and fire at the Rochut factory has temporarily halted etude production. Although company management officials issued a quick press release

"We regret the unfortunate accident at our factory this morning. We want to assure the public that no employees were injured in the blast. The source of the blast seems to have to have been the slur press when a cognitive dissonance valve malfunctioned. We are confident that we will be back in production with minimal delay."

In the meantime, Dolce Bel Canto Inc., distributors for the etudes is announcing a fire sale on the beloved etudes. The works are complete except, of course, for missing slur marks.

Said one industry analyst:
"Perhaps this is a good thing. We all know the phrasing controversies concerning some of these etudes. Perhaps the appearance of these etudes without marked slurs will force students to decide logical note groupings. Perhaps that will be the silver lining to this dark cloud. Only time will tell."

Rochut's stock (NYSE code RCHT) dropped 27% in heavy trading early in the day but experienced a partial recovery as profit takers moved in, ending the day down 12 points.

Talking Mouthpieces..Buy One Get One Free!!

Another story from a recent lesson:

A student is struggling to play with good technique and also doesn't really perform a convincing phrase. At first we try various tricks to help with tone and clean slide technique (with varying results).

Then I switch gears and address that whole phrasing thing. We try singing it but the tricky intervals get in the way. So I try a trick which I've thought of before but haven't really used:

Talking Mouthpieces

Basically, I ask him to buzz it but not worry about even coming close to the right pitches. What's important is to get a speech-like inflection (like the voice) using the rhythm alone. From that, we went on to play the passage on one note with a nice musical inflection.

By the way, while browsing I once ran across some very nice teaching pages from Carl Lenthe in which, among other things, he uses the phrase "Johnny One Note" and demonstrates inflection for the Barat Allegro using this technique. Give a listen to the sound files. On one of them, he sings rhythms with a nice inflection. What I was doing with this student was essentially the same thing but using this "talking mouthpiece" idea.

Then we moved on to one of my favorite tricks: he played the "one-note" version while I played the phrase. Then we swapped with him playing the phrase and me playing the "one-note" version.

The end result? His phrasing definitely had more feel to it and he reported to me that his mind wasn't so focused on a laundry list of technical things he was supposed to be doing.

And here's the cool part: during all this time he was so focused on the phrasing, his technique was greatly improved!!! By focusing on a convincing musical phrase, it was almost as if the technique was thrown in for free.

(I love it when this happens)

Rubber Band Rubato

Back to the subject of rubato (about which I put up a post in July called "Wheel Rubato.")

I've thought of another way to look at it.

Take this example of the cadenza from Morceau Symphonique..





Being a cadenza, it should have some freedom. But still, 16th's should sound like 16th's, 8th's should like 8th's and so on.

In other words, the beat can change but the subdivisions of the beat should still make sense.

An analogy occurred to me. Suppose you took a large rubber band and made evenly spaced vertical marks on it. Or maybe your marks could graphically represent the spacing of quarter notes, half notes and so on.

Then, stretch the rubber band and look at your marks.

The rhythmic pattern is consistent over a time frame that is stretched.

...sort of like the perception of time as you fall into a black hole.

No "waiting rooms", please

Here's a problem I see a lot.

Players sit on the longer notes of of phrase and don't do anything with them musically. It's almost as it they are treating the note as a musical "waiting room" in which they must sit until they can get moving again.

Hey, those notes are a chance for you to show off that beautiful sound! Do something with them!!

My favorite waiting room movie scene? Beetlejuice...

"Wheel" Rubato

OK, I'm back from a trip and can dig through some of the old blog ideas I saved up over the year.
Here's my old "two images" game.

OK, so what do these two images have in common?


rubato

(Or really any kind of rhythmic freedom, for that matter. Yes, I know I'm not really using the technically correct definition of rubato)

Sometimes, my students have trouble incorporating rhythmic freedom in a way that works. Often they speed up or slow down in an unpredictable way.

I like to think of rhythmic freedom as a change in the main pulse *but* a change that is predictable.....sort of like that spinning wheel in Wheel of Fortune. The speed of that clicking sound is always changing but n a predictable way. In fact, I believe even that the rate change itself is also changing in a predicable way.
(doesn't this have something to do with calculus?)

As someone listens to you, you want them to be able to follow you, rhythmically. You don't want to throw them off.

Thus we can conclude that rodeo horses aren't very good at rubato.

Cool Notes (young Alexandre's composition lesson)

Here's a story that might help with phrasing...

Imagine a young Alexandre Guilmant arriving at his composition lesson having written the following piece ...













His composition teacher (Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens, if we can trust Wikipedia), thoughtfully scratches his beard and says, "Well, young Alexandre, this theme is rather nice but it lacks a certain Je-ne-sais-quoi "

He pulls out his pen and, with great flourish, adds a few notes to spice things up a bit...











"Oui, oui!" shouts Alexandre. Now I see! This piece has interesting notes in it. I shall become a famous composer!"

Soooo, when you play this piece (or any piece), be sure to aim at those cool notes.

Alessi Seminar Notes, Day 9, ...the Last Day

Please note:

These entries from the Alessi Seminar are not a literal transcript. I took written notes and then typed them up. I have made every effort to be accurate but, as you might expect, each blog entry is a meager substitute for actually being there.

Remember that many of the things Mr. Alessi says in these masterclasses are in the context of addressing the needs of a particular student and should not be seen as universal mandates to be mindlessly followed.

If you are serious about pursuing musical excellence on the trombone, there is no substitute for actually attending one of Mr. Alessi's seminars. You'll be glad you did.

On this final day of the Alessi seminar, we had the usual morning warm-up (it was my turn to do the warm-up for the participants), the last masterclass and, in the evening, a great party at an area restaurant.

I should note that I have been describing the schedule for the participants. Each afternoon the auditors had masterclasses running, I believe, from 2:30-5:00. These classes were run by Pete Ellefson
Although I didn't attend any of Pete's classes (hey, I need to practice sometime!) I spoke to a number of auditors and they said he did a great job!

This morning's schedule was:
Adam Johnson - Jongen Aria and Polonaise (2nd half)
Daniel Brady - excerpts
An auditor - Mahler's 3rd
An auditor - Rota Concerto
A final chat with Mr. Alessi

Here are my notes:

• When you perform, don't put the stand in front of you. "The audience wants to see you, not the stand."
• For a rapid dotted-eighth, sixteenth rhythms, he again suggested pulling the tongue further back in the mouth.
• He talked about the importance of focusing your practice both on the technical side and the musical side. "You have to pay homage to each one and then they become one." He doesn't believe that, if you only focus on musicality, the technique will come.
• "I think that air flow and relaxation comes from good musical decisions."
• He talked about the need to perform more than just the orchestral repertoire. "Where do we get to express ourselves in the literature? Maybe once every three years."
• He talked about trombonists being "a little bit lazy" in not getting together often enough to work with pianists. It really bothers him to hear any trombonist play out of tune with the piano.
• He reminded the student to always keep things interesting, dynamically.

The Creation

• After the student's momentary false start, he said "Once you commit yourself to that first note, it has to come out." (no matter what it sounds like)
• At one point, he asked the student, "Would you vote for that?" (in an audition) Later, after the student had made a few adjustments he commented that he would have voted for that last performance in a professional audition.
• Don't ever play tentative. Just go for it.
• If you get nervous and start to hear those voices in your head, "replace the voices with musical things." Start thinking about the tune and then just start playing. He demonstrated by singing a passage then breathing and playing in time.
• For the rests in this excerpt, he advised the student to breathe through the whole rest, not just at the very end.

Fountains of Rome

• Be sure to start your breath early enough so you are ready to fire on time.
• He used the phrase "always three to one" to describe beat groupings:

• He suggested that, in this excerpt, perhaps the breathing should not be symmetrical and predictable.
• To improve intonation consistency, he suggested playing this excerpt (and others) very slowly at least once a day to "sweep the area for pitch."
• He cited a quote from virtuoso violinist Itzhak Perlman, "The slower you practice, the faster you progress. The faster you practice, the slower you progress."
• Concerning how many breaths to take in these sostenuto passages he advised, "You have to be a magician and figure what you need and what you don't need."
• Don't lose time on the half notes in an effort to "make them as big as a house."
• All these details, (especially rhythm and intonation) separate the 2% from the other 98%.
• Concerning an early breath taken in the passage shown above, he said, "When you get to the main event, why would you want to breathe after that first note?" He pointed out this was the time to show off your stuff.
• Regarding your sheet music, he advised us to save everything we ever play. Then, in the future, you can take the music back out and restart where you left off.
• Don't be late after taking breaths. The time has to be solid when you come up to breathe.
• Concerning the process of fixing an out-of-tune passage by identifying a problem note he said, "What's the main culprit? Find it."
• Concerning keeping the low brass section rhythmically tight in one section he advised placing the sixteenth note directly on the downbeat:

• Get an ipod and make a collection of the orchestral repertoire. Get three of four versions of the same piece. "It's kind of a monumental task but start with one piece and build from there."
• He noted that a lot of bass trombonists don't bother to learn the score. They just know the excerpt passage.

Mahler 3

• He noted that this is a tricky solo to play. "With this solo, you have to go for it but not go out of control."
• Make sure the air doesn't get too fast. He recommended, "A nice big sound, nothing more than that." He also advised, "Don't blow yourself out of the pocket."
• Building on this idea further he advised us to retain our good sound. He pointed out, "There's a slot where every note goes. Are you in that slot?"
• He talked about remaining calm even though the music can become very intense, even threatening. He advised us to separate ourselves from the music somewhat so we don't become too involved and lose control.
• As a demonstration of relaxed air, he held up the student's hand and blew warm air against it.
• In describing the ideal attack, he raised the analogy of a stereo system already playing music with the speakers turned off. You flick the speaker switch on and you get "immediate sound."
• He also advised that the notes should "sound like bricks" and not become distorted.
• He doesn't feel that alternate positions have much value here. "Go for the best possible sound, not convenience."
• In playing loud, he said, "Less, sometimes, is more." He gave an analogy of great golfers and their effortless approach.
• He also suggested that one might practice this excerpt in the manner of a Bordogni etude noting that, "we forget that these things are melodies."
• For younger players, he suggested not starting out trying to play too loudly and then add volume over time rather than trying to hammer away at it.
• He demonstrated the excerpt, observing, "You see, I'm using a lot less energy than you but it's twice as big."
• He broke one passage down into its component intervals stressing the importance of correctly hearing these intervals.
• He noted that a lot of young players tend to play sharp. He cited two possible causes: blowing too fast and measuring off the bell with the finger.
• For younger players, he said that now is your chance to get the notes in tune. Then it will sound bigger later.
• When going to the low A, you're not supposed to increase your air speed. Decrease it.
• In trying to get the student not to move the bell around so much he suggested, "try to make your amplifier more consistent."
• "Things sound better when it feels easier. There's a direct correlation."
• In not crossing that fine line between exciting and out-of-control, he suggested the "2% solution." I believe he meant playing a loud passage 2% softer. Just back off a bit.
• When you see the music get exciting, don't lose control. He used the phrase, "fortissimo with some intelligence."
• Peter Ellefson observed from the audience that, as he watched the waveform of the audio software recording the masterclass, it was possible to actually see the difference in tone between Mr. Alessi's tone and the student's. Pete also noted that more effort doesn't necessarily translate into more sound.
• Joe advised that student to "take a snapshot and ask yourself, 'Is this best sound I can play with?' "

(end of Mahler coaching)

• Concerning tongue placement in the high range, he noted that, the higher you go in the scale, the more tongue placement is important.
• He pointed out that, as a general rule, when you play louder, use less tongue. The opposite is true for playing softer.

At the end Mr. Alessi came out to sit in the audience and field more questions. He had many more stories to tell and wonderful pieces of advice but I opted not to take notes at this point.

I guess you just had to be there.

This is the end of my written notes for the Alessi seminar.

A Final Comment:

I would like to thank Mr. Alessi for conducting this seminar. I was consistently impressed not only by his spectacular playing but his consistent work ethic and clear commitment to helping each student.

I had heard stories of Mr. Alessi's intensity and was quite nervous about playing for him for the first time. As one former student put it, "He sets the same expectations for you that he sets for himself." Throughout the week, I found him not only intense but very positive. When a student played well, he was quick to praise them. On many occasions, he would say something like, "That was perfect," or "Very nice playing." You knew that this wasn't hollow praise of the "atta- boy" variety. If he praised you, you had earned it.

If something wasn't up to standard, he wasn't going to let it slide. But I never found any of his criticisms throughout the week to be anything less than fair and professional. If his own playing wasn't up to his personal standards he would try again and sometimes apologized to the audience if he didn't feel he was playing well enough. (I should have such bad days!)

Mr. Alessi was consistently hard-working, polite, highly focused and completely sincere in his efforts to help everyone who attended this seminar. This set a tone of mutual respect and professionalism that made the seminar a very positive learning experience for everyone involved.

As Pete Ellefson put it at the beginning, some students say they can't afford to attend this seminar. He added that, if you are serious about making it as professional musician on the trombone, you can't afford not to.

I agree.

Alessi Seminar Notes, Day 7...Be True to the Music

Please note:

These entries from the Alessi Seminar are not a literal transcript. I took written notes and then typed them up. I have made every effort to be accurate but, as you might expect, each blog entry is a meager substitute for actually being there.

Remember that many of the things Mr. Alessi says in these masterclasses are in the context of addressing the needs of a particular student and should not be seen as universal mandates to be mindlessly followed.

If you are serious about pursuing musical excellence on the trombone, there is no substitute for actually attending one of Mr. Alessi's seminars. You'll be glad you did.

These notes are from the morning masterclass, Saturday Aug. 7th. In the evening we heard the first participant recital.

This morning's performers were:
Louise Bremer - Bach Sarabande, and excerpts
Sam Schlosser - Tomasi Concerto, Mvt 2 and 3
Paul Compton - Life Pictures by David Schipps
Weston Sprott - Crespo Improvisation No. 1
Stephen Lange - excerpts

Incidentally, before I begin writing up my notes, let me point out that these musical selections were the choice of the participants themselves, not assignments given by Mr. Alessi

Bach Sarabande

• Joe noted that they asked for this solo in every round of the NYPO bass trombone audition because it showed a great deal about the players.
• He noted that there is a difference between somebody who just plays the notes and an artist.
• Be careful how you release the notes. As an analogy, he gave a demonstration where he shook the student's hand and then abruptly turned away.
• In the context of good note endings, he compared it to polishing something and then finishing it so you have nice sheen.
• "If you're going to take a breath, then the note before the breath needs to relax." In this instance, he was referring to quick breaths taken between phrases (as happens frequently in the Bach).
• He observed that one of the things he loves about music, especially with the breath, is figuring out a way to make it work, musically.
• If you really need to come up for air, why hold on to the preceding note for so long? Perhaps you can release it a bit sooner "then it becomes a less stressful event."
• The release of a note "shouldn't be like a karate chop."
• This piece has to be totally pure. The notes all have to be polished.
• Concerning the repeats, if an audition committee requires you to take the repeats, don't breathe in the same places on the repeat. Variety is good.

Schumann Rhenish Symphony

• As you play this slow chorale, think of the back beat to keep the time steady. "Concentrate always on the back beat."
• If you run out of air on the long note, keep up with the rhythm. Don't make the bar shorter.
• He did not feel that the bass trombone should crescendo to help the principal part as it ascends.
• He iterated the idea that he would rather hear somebody play the chorale very soft, possibly missing a note, than play it safe with a middle dynamic.
• In response to a question about whether one should use alto trombone when playing this excerpt in an audition, he advised against using alto. He cited the added problems of having to bring a second instrument to the audition and the difficulty of switching horns in the middle of a round.

Haydn Creation

• On hearing one note which flared just a bit, he reminded the student to "polish the note."

(end of creation notes, sorry I didn't write down more)

• The opening of the Tomasi Concerto (mvt 2) should be like a nocturne...not too loud, very peaceful, even on the high notes.
• Regarding the 'blues' section he said, "You don't want to make this sound like American jazz." he advised the student to keep it subtle and not add too many glisses.
• For the opening of movement three, he reminded the student to "keep it joyful."
• He talked about "launching" a new section with an energetic note (in other words, the last note of the trombone phrase which 'launches' the next passage for the orchestra/piano. He credited Sam Pilafian with this term.
• There's a lot of people with very powerful chops but sometimes they tend to lean on those chops too much.
• He repeated the oft-heard phrase, "Blow slower, aim lower."
• As a demonstration, he had the student purposely aim high on the first note and then repeat, aiming lower. He then demonstrated some pitch bending, trying to find the spot "where the room resonates." Later, he added that when you tend to blow things on the high side, "they tend to become a little diffused."
• Even in music that begins fast, still take a slow breath, if possible. Don't use a quick, tense breath.
• "Let that note sit down to where it resonates."
• Although I have avoided most embouchure comments in this blog, I will note that he advised several students during the seminar to say the 'M' when forming the embouchure.
• While doing some imitation work with the student towards the goal of a resonant tone, he said, "Try to get that sound out in the hall."
• Be careful not to ride on top of the notes with a fast air stream. Joe demonstrated by playing the solo from Rimsky Korsakov's Russian Easter Overture to show an easy, resonant sound.
• You need to spend a lot of time thinking about the ends of notes, not just the beginnings.
• In some lyrical pieces, composers will write many small slur groupings. Often it is better to play a long slurred phrase instead of trying to bring out the groupings.
• For soft attacks, he said, "Introduce the air very slowly into the instrument."
  
• For soft playing, he suggested practicing with no tongue. He loves when he is able to play really soft breath attacks.
• You don't want to use this 'no-tongue' approach in performance, just for practice.
• You've got to develop that suppleness and sensitivity that soft playing requires.
• Often, when presented with a forte-piano figure, it sounds better not to drop too quickly to the piano dynamic.
• In coaching, he often uses the phrase "be true to the music."

Health and Exercise
In a short question-and-answer session he was asked about physical exercise. When he can find a good pool, he likes to swim. At one point, he was swimming over a mile before he would go to rehearsals. He also likes jogging and cycling. Sometimes he bikes into New York City from his home. In college he did some weight-training and found that this made it much easier to hold the instrument.

He observed, "If you take care of your body, it's easier to play." He also noted that losing weight helps the breathing because there's less weight to lift when you're breathing in.
He commented that he would love to do one of these seminars when he was 70 years old but also stressed that he wouldn't keep performing recitals if he felt the quality of his playing was slipping. He also spoke about the importance of healthy diet.

Mental Focus
In talking about the mental focus required for auditions, he referred to Olympic athletes training four years for a single event. He advised that it's not a good practice to go into an audition while having to deal with a lot of distractions. "Focus on the task at hand." He also advised, "One day at a time."

At the audition, he suggested that you should try to find a place to just be by yourself for a moment. "Hear the piece in your head before you perform." "Be in the moment."

He observed, "Playing a performance is like taking a journey." It may be a bit scary at first but you just move from point A to point B.
"Prepare and execute."
He noted that, in a performance something is always going to go wrong. That's normal. Just stay the course.

St. Sean Sym. No. 3

• He discussed the option of performing this excerpt without alternate positions as something worth considering. He recently performed this piece without using alternates.
• He reminded the student that it has to be exactly in tune. "You want maximum resonance on every note."
• Before you choose to play alternate positions, try it first with the main positions and make sure it is in tune before you add in the alternates.
• For this excerpt, it is best not to use vibrato or, at the very most, minimal vibrato.
• He asked the audience, "How many of you intimately know Schubert's Unfinished Symphony?" (only a few people raised their hands). He said this response made him sad since it is such a great piece. He raised this question in the context of praising the principal clarinetist of the National Symphony in a recording of Schubert's Unfinished Symphony.
• There are a lot of pieces that are overly marked and might benefit from a simpler approach.

Also Sprach Zarathustra
(the fugue subject excerpt)

• Be very careful on the pitch of the notes following the opening D-A-D.
• It is not a weakness to put arrows in your part (for tuning)
• Rhythmically, this can be a problem in auditions. He demonstrated an interpretation which lingered too much on the half notes.
• He described Glenn Dodson (former principal trombonist of the Philadelphia Orchestra) as the "the most exciting playing I have heard in my life. Period."
• At one point he was teaching himself to relax and play no matter what came out.
• The student, a member of the St. Louis Symphony, described using 'little reminders' to help himself relax. He works to hear the orchestra sound in his head before he starts and likes to sometimes practice the excerpts with the recording.
• Joe noted that there are too many excerpt jocks out there who only know the excerpt and not the whole piece.

(the excerpt with the leap to high D)

• Remember that this appears in both the first and second trombone parts.
• It is best to slur to the high D if you can.

Bolero

• If you do Bolero too many times without listening to the accompaniment, you don't really get it.
• He noted that the one thing he hates about the job is all the waiting the trombonists must do before coming in for an important passage. He compared this to a "field goal kicker waiting on the sidelines."
• One of Joe's favorite recordings of Bolero is Glenn Dodson's performance. The tempo was very slow, 58 1/2 (don't choose that tempo in an audition!). Joe was sitting next to Dodson during the recording session.
  

Til Eulenspiegel

• Concerning the accented notes in the run, be sure to accent them equally, "6 on, 6 off." Be sure to really bring these notes out.
• In working with Dave Finlayson on this run, they decided that it wasn't necessary to use the same slide positions.
• Joe used to get together with a friend to play excerpts. He used the phrase "duets on the excerpts."
• He related a story in which Norman Bolter and his brother used to go out and face each other, standing at opposite sides of a field. In playing out, "have a target" that you practice at.

That's all for now.

Alessi Seminar Notes, Day 4 (part 2) ... Singing in the Fast Lane

Please note:

These entries from the Alessi Seminar are not a literal transcript. I took written notes and then typed them up. I have made every effort to be accurate but, as you might expect, each blog entry is a meager substitute for actually being there.

Remember that many of the things Mr. Alessi says in these masterclasses are in the context of addressing the needs of a particular student and should not be seen as universal mandates to be mindlessly followed.

If you are serious about pursuing musical excellence on the trombone, there is no substitute for actually attending one of Mr. Alessi's seminars. You'll be glad you did.

The evening master class featured the following:

Adam Johnson - Jongen Aria and Polonaise
Daniel Brady - Vaughn Williams Tuba Concerto
Quartet (me, Josh Bynum, Sam Schlosser, Casey Thomas) - Apon, First Quartet
Orchestra Section - (Lange, Abissi, Rodriquez, Bremer and tuba, of course) -
Nielsen Great Symphony, Smetena The Moldau, Respighi Fountains of Rome

A lecture and Q&A session with Mr. Alessi.

Here are some observations. As before, I wasn't able to hear Danial Brady's performance and couldn't take notes when our quartet was playing.

• When you have a repetitive figure, do something different on each repetition.
• When sitting, place the stand so the slide isn't under the stand.
• Joe held the student's fingers as if he were holding a trombone slide and then moved his hand to demonstrate a smoother slide action.
• He described jaw vibrato as looking like a fish. Later he humorously that perhaps you could go out and buy a fish to help with jaw vibrato.
• How to practice vibrato. I'm not completely sure I got this right but I think he said: practice undulating your jaw with a clear rhythmic pulse. (he demonstrates starting with quarters and then eighths and so on). Do a "mini-crescendo" on the quarters and eighths. When he gets to triplets, he starts undulating the jaw. By the time he gets to 16ths, it's just the jaw.
• The most out-of-tune notes are the F and A-flat partials. (I believe he means the 6th and 7th partials. He would refer to partials by note name rather than number.

• On syncopated passages he warned against the beat counting getting into the sound. He demonstrated, swelling the sound on each downbeat.
• "We carry around this bag of silly stuff" In other words, we all have these bad habits that tend to stick around.
• He again warned against "flaring" on the trombone. (A flare, is a sudden swelling in volume as a note is sustained, often as one is about to lead to another note. )
• "If you want to show beauty, let it resound through the hall. Don't rush."
• "Try to play in a simpler way."

Mr. Alessi finished the masterclass with a lecture and a question and answer session.

He began by reminding us that "Rhythm controls everything."

He told a great story about his early career and auditioning. What follows is a paraphrase, not a verbatim quote. I'll try to be as accurate as I can. Any other people who heard the lecture can correct me if I got something wrong:

He spoke about the time he began to get serious about winning auditions. After early success with the San Francisco Ballet while he was in high school (once he even asked the personnel manager if he could be excused to attend his prom) he described himself as "spoiled," believing that it would be easy to win the next audition.

He took a number of auditions in which he was not successful. In New Orleans, 120 people showed up. They had everyone warm-up in this big room. "The sound was like a nightmare, like a B-52." He went on to list a number of other auditions which were not successful.

Then he decided to get serious about winning an audition. He started recording myself. "That's when I discovered about rhythm and pitch." He observed that, if you go to a disco, you'll hear a strong beat (he demonstrate thumping a rhythm on the stage). He pointed out that you need that kind of strong internal rhythm. He demonstrates singing "Stars and Stripes" with perfect rhythm. He recalled that his father drilled that into him, tapping a pencil on the stand. He suggested that we all need to connect to something familiar (in other words, familiar music that has a clear pulse).

"At Juilliard, I make my students sing in lessons." He asked if you can't sing convincingly, how can you play convincingly. He recommended that we should conduct and sing. He feels that this kind of practice, without the instrument, is not done enough.

"For the brief time I was in Montreal (preparing for the New York Philharmonic audition), every day I would go down to the hall with my tape recorder and work on my rhythm."

He pointed out that preparation is the most important. Absolutely be prepared for anything you're going to do...an audition, a recital, whatever.

Concerning pitch:

He began by reminding us that, first, we have to understand the pitfalls, to understand the pitch tendencies of our instruments. He observed that, all around the world, he has to tell people the same notes are out of tune. He asks the audience, "Do you know why?" After a number of failed attempts at an answer, he provided the answer, "Finger on the bell."

He shared that another problem with pitch is that there's not enough singing that goes on. We don't sing enough. "I grew up in a house where everyone was singing."

He also suggested playing duets with yourself. Tape one part and then play with it.

He described the ideal pitch as being like "a train going down the track."

I raised my hand and got a chance to ask one of my "deep questions:" "When you play alone, should you temper notes like you do when you are playing chords in a section.

He thought for a moment and then replied that this question ran the danger of becoming paralysis by analysis. He pointed out that when he's playing, he just wants to sing and make it in tune. He doesn't want to analyze it that much.

He went on to point out that, if you have one note in a passage, like a D, that keeps coming back again and again, you need to return to the same note. Sometimes, he draws brackets in his music connecting pitches so he can make them in tune.

Going on...

He reminded us that if you're in high school or college, now is the best time to practice. When you get out, you're going to have to make living and that will cut into your practice time.

He recommended that, every day, you should visit the standard books: Arban, Schlossberg, Remington. In other words, visit the fundamentals every day.

"There's no point in practicing when you're not focused." 45 minutes is a good amount of time. While resting, he used to practice the piano. After visiting the studies, he recommended that we practice etudes. He mentioned playing Bordogni vocalises in 4 registers and Blazhevich etudes. He suggested we might follow etudes with work on solos and excerpts.

He recalled that the most fun he had listening to repertoire was when he was very young, maybe 13. His father had albums he would listen to. He got the Chicago Symphony excerpt record and would dream of doing that. He observed how now Jay Friedman calls him and wants to get together to play golf. "I never imagined when I was looking at those record covers that that would happen someday. It's like a dream come true."

He stressed the importance of learning the repertoire. The best way to do that now is iTunes. "Put all your favorite things on an ipod and listen all the time. "

When he was in San Francisco and Philadelphia, he would go to orchestra concerts every single week. "We were enthusiastic." After the concert was over, he would always go backstage and congratulate the section.

About jazz:

"I'm listening more and more and finding out what jazz players do rhythmically." Recently Robin Eubanks called him and wanted to get together to play. "That's the great thing about New York, there are all these great players." He told a story of how he and Robin Eubanks got together and played along with the Aebersold accompaniments. He quoted Eubanks, "Jazz is like a language. You have to learn the language." For Christmas he received the Columbia JJ Johnson collection and keeps it in his car. "I love JJ Johnson. That is pure jazz." He observed that he would like to start transcribing solos.

He feels that practicing jazz does help his playing, especially in the brass quintet. On a recent NYPO brass quintet tour, they played a number of pop tunes. He shared with us that Phil Smith loved playing the Johnson Rag. When he got back, he couldn't get it out of his head.

With respect to recital programming, he said the he looks for a great opener. He also shared that you don't want a recital to be too long, especially a trombone recital. He recommend an optimal length of 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours.

About finding time to practice in a busy schedule:
Every year, he takes time to clean up his studio. During the year, rushing to and from gigs, he doesn't have time to put his music away. So once a year, he resets, puts everything away and gets organized.
Every piece he's doing, he puts into a blue bound folder which he carries with him. He noted tht sometimes he is carrying around several of these blue folders in his case. This way he has the music available to practice whenever there is time. "Being organized with your music is important." He pointed out that orchestra tours are a great time to practice because there's so much downtime. He pointed that sometimes they all are fighting over good spaces in which to practice while on the road.
He ended with a great quote (I hope I got it right)

"It's just sing, sing, sing, sing, sing. That's life in the fast lane."

Alessi Seminar Notes, Day 4 (part 1) ... Rhythm is King

Please note:

These entries from the Alessi Seminar are not a literal transcript. I took written notes and then typed them up. I have made every effort to be accurate but, as you might expect, each blog entry is a meager substitute for actually being there.

Remember that many of the things Mr. Alessi says in these masterclasses are in the context of addressing the needs of a particular student and should not be seen as universal mandates to be mindlessly followed.

If you are serious about pursuing musical excellence on the trombone, there is no substitute for actually attending one of Mr. Alessi's seminars. You'll be glad you did.

This morning's master class featured the following performers:
Casey Thomas - Wilder Sonata (starting with the last movement and working back)
Miguel Rivera - Sulek Sonata
Josh Bynum - Salzedo Piece Concertante
Quartet (Compton, Rivera, Lange, Bremer) - Spaniola AMS
Orchestra Section - Passages from Wagner's Die Walkure

Here are some comments (I took a lot of notes!):

• He pointed out that all is not lost when you feel nervous. When you feel nerves kick in, don't panic.
• "When I go on stage, I like to put myself in a little box." I believe he was referring to a technique for screening out distractions while performing.
• He recommended that aspiring performers should get on stage more often and get used to dealing with nerves. Don't just do one recital a year, do six a year.
• For a rhythmic passage in which a long note was followed by triplets he used the phrase: "pre-authorize the triplets." (in other words, think triplets during the long note).
• For phrasing, he suggested one might a circle a note in the music and then aim at it.
• "Sometimes you just have to tear licks apart." If a passage is giving you trouble, extract a segment of it and see if you can play it ten times in a row perfectly. If you miss on the tenth time, start over. Then take the next fragment and do the same. Then, put the fragments together.
• Concerning slide grip, he suggested a very natural grip of just 2 fingers and the thumb.
• Concerning about slide grip he suggested that, in softer legato passages, you should hold the slide more gently. Later, he said, "When you play the Rhenish (Schumann Symphony No. 3 the soft trombone chorale) you're going to hold the slide like you have a little bird in your hand."
• At other times (especially during moving passages requiring accuracy he suggested you might want to grip the slide a little harder while staying relaxed. He demonstrated how one can firmly grip a pencil and still stay relaxed. "A firm slide grip improves the connection between brain and slide."
• He recommended that any trombonist serious about auditions should have the main excerpts memorized.
• "Everything is coordinated by rhythm." (for example, breathing, embouchure, slide, etc.)
• Don't just practice short phrases. Play something like a Bordogni etude all the way through to promote air flow.
• As a suggestion to a student whose sound he wanted more projected, he used the phrases "Don't be gun shy" and "Warm up the room."
• Musically, he warned that we shouldn't go into a state of "suspended animation," a place where we are floating but nothing is happening musically.

Here was one funny exchange:

Joe: "You're not playing for the president of the United States. You're just playing for trombone players."

Student: "I'd rather play for the president."

• Focus on accurate rhythm. He had a student sing along with the piano part to ensure the rhythm was accurate.
• It's one thing to guess at something. It's another thing to know it.
• There's no point in trying to play it if you can't sing it.
• He re-emphasized this simple saying, "Rhythm is King!"
• If your rhythm isn't solid, how are you going to know when to move the slide, when to breathe?
• He also pointed out that a better slide grip will improve rhythm.
• He warned against breaking the wrist in slide technique because it leads to uncoordinated playing.
• "There's bad health and good health on the instrument." Elements of brass health include such things as posture, slide grip, how you inhale, etc.
• Before you perform a piece, you have to know the score.
• "I'm writing all kinds of cues" (in his music) He even invited us to take a look at the solos he performed Monday night to see how many cues he had written.
• He used the phrase "ear marks" to describe points in the score he listens for in order to not get lost.
• He described his preparation for the Rouse concerto which doesn't have a piano reduction. To get ready for this complex piece he even hired Jim Pugh to create a midi file of the score so he could practice it. He pointed out, "I like to have everything prepared a month before."
• He expressed admiration for Christian Lindberg. "He's way beyond me in terms of the amount of information that is thrown at him."
• He stressed the importance of listening to great singers. At one point, he asked a student, "How many Frank Sinatra recordings do you have?"

• In a very impressive demonstration of the power of listening, he began sight-reading Salzedo's Piece Concertante. It quickly became clear how closely he was listening to the chords in the piano part. Once or twice, when the pianist played a wrong note, he stopped and looked over at her. Even while sight-reading, he knew that the chord couldn't be right.
• For one particular chord he said, "See, I put a little vibrato there because I like that chord. Listen to that chord, that really turns me on!"
• He pointed out that, although he had never played the piece before, he knew what to do because he was listening carefully to the piano part.
• Keep the embouchure corners consistent. Look in a mirror every day. "You have to create a more stable environment."
• For high, soft playing: "The key is the higher you go, the less energy you use." He suggested that we listen to "high-floaters" like Bill Watrous and emulate their style.
• He enjoys going through a piece and finding alternate positions to facilitate the music.
• He demonstrated a segment of Bolero (the ascending B-flat, C, D-flat) and played the C in third position instead of first. With regard to getting up into that partial he joked, "You either pay now or pay later."
• He said that we don't talk enough about diminuendo and playing softer.
• "When you play softer, relax." He told a story about an old episode of the original Star Trek in which they were trapped in a force field until Spock suggested that perhaps they could escape by relaxing. "I remember that being a very pivotal time for me."
• When you want to play soft, breathe more slowly. He recalled a childhood memory of floating in the pool, a "dead man's float."
• Breathe in slowly and trust that the soft note will come out.
• "It took me a long time to realize that you have to respect the melody." Melody is king (...along with rhythm).
• Joe talked to us about his new trombone. He is trying out a new Edwards design that uses a traditional rotor valve. He added that he was trying to get away from a giant, wide sound. He stressed that we should make sure our sound doesn't get too wide.
• He commented on the recent bass trombone auditions for both the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Upon comparing notes with the Met audition committee, they found that they had both heard a lot of players with giant sounds they couldn't control. He also noted that Paul Pollard, the winner of the Met audition, was the runner-up to Jim Markey in the NYPO audition.
• "Keep you sound contained where you can handle it"
• For the famous dotted Ride rhythm, he likes to use the word "Tympani." The main thing is that you don't get to the 16th too soon.
• He reminded us to to visit our soft playing every day.

That's all for now...

Alessi Seminar Notes, Day 3 (part 2) ... Attack and Response

Please note:

These entries from the Alessi Seminar are not a literal transcript. I took written notes and then typed them up. I have made every effort to be accurate but, as you might expect, each blog entry is a meager substitute for actually being there.

Remember that many of the things Mr. Alessi says in these masterclasses are in the context of addressing the needs of a particular student and should not be seen as universal mandates to be mindlessly followed.

If you are serious about pursuing musical excellence on the trombone, there is no substitute for actually attending one of Mr. Alessi's seminars. You'll be glad you did.

Tuesday evening was another masterclass. The performers:

Nathan Dishman - Stojowski Fantasie

Sam Schlosser - Tomasi Concerto

me - Arrows of Time, Mvt 1 (and the beginning of mvt. 2)

Quartet (Sprott, Perrier, Rodriguez, Lantzy) - Ewazen Myths and Legends

Orchestra Section - Strauss Alpine Symphony and Bruckner 8

Since this was my turn to perform, I missed Sam's Tomasi.

Here are some comments:

• You have to maintain a core to your sound as you decrescendo.
• It is good to buzz in front of a mirror with a visualizer rim.

During one of the participant's sessions, Joe went into some very detailed embouchure analysis. I think it best not to include comments here because they were specific to the needs of this individual

These next comments were concerning my performance of Arrows. He had some nice things to say but, of course, his best gift to me was to dive right into some of my bad habits and point them out. This was great for me because I had been unaware of the some of these habits.

Here were some of his comments (as best I can remember them)

• Point straight out into the hall. You don't need to make eye contact with the pianist. They can see you and will follow you.
• In trying to be musical, don't flare individual notes. Think of the bigger phrase, the larger "architecture of the phrase."
• The pedal D at the end of the first movement might not be such a great idea. It' better to just play the trigger D in the written octave.
• If you're playing with a great sound, stay within that sound. Don't get outside of that good sound.
• "You're like Popeye, you don't know your own strength" Don't play like a bull in a china shop.
• Even at the peak of the phrase, always keep a singing sound. Don't let it get too intense.

He also had some very nice things to say but I don't think it's appropriate to go repeating that stuff here.

Moving on...

• He observed that the trombone quartet can be a vehicle to help your playing because you have to listen.
• He has mentioned many times throughout the seminar how much he loves playing in trombone quartet...one of his favorite things. He strongly emphasized the importance of getting your students to play in quartets.
• In tuning the orchestra section, he advocates this procedure :

Tuba with bass trombone

Tuba with second trombone

Tuba with first trombone

(or similar if there are four bones in the section)

• When playing slow chorales, clearly subdivide in your mind.
• If you go to an audition and you're asked to lead the section, don't over-conduct.
• "When you play soft, try to relax. The worst thing you can do is to tense up."
• To improve rhythm, he is a big fan of a technique known as "attack and response"
• He told a story about how, during juries, Warren Deck's tuba students always played with such impeccable rhythm. He asked Warren how they did this and Warren described this technique.
  Basically, he demonstrated by singing different passages and, during any sustained notes, snapping his fingers exactly in the time of the subdivision.
  He described those sustained notes as "dead spots" during which rhythmic accuracy can falter. By snapping the fingers, you maintain a clear sense of pulse and subdivision.

That's all for now.

Alessi Seminar Notes, Day 3 (part 1)...Aim and Fire

Please note:

These entries from the Alessi Seminar are not a literal transcript. I took written notes and then typed them up. I have made every effort to be accurate but, as you might expect, each blog entry is a meager substitute for actually being there.

Remember that many of the things Mr. Alessi says in these masterclasses are in the context of addressing the needs of a particular student and should not be seen as universal mandates to be mindlessly followed.

If you are serious about pursuing musical excellence on the trombone, there is no substitute for actually attending one of Mr. Alessi's seminars. You'll be glad you did.

The day began for the participants with a group warm-up led by Peter Ellefson. He generously gave us handout for not one but three warm-ups. He commented that he likes to update his warm-up every few years and that one shouldn't play the exact thing year after year (although it does work for some). Click on the link above and you can see these warm-ups, I blieve. Once again, I wasn't writing notes at the time but I do have a few recollections:

Pete recommended two books: The Brass Player's Cookbook and Also Sprach Arnold Jacobs.

When breathing, he recommended that you "keep the jar open" at the end of the inhalation. In other words, don't close off your throat.

He talked about the "4-1 disease" When playing a passing tone between 4th and 1st, many players play a convenient halfway position between second and third.

He included a wonderful exercise for playing extremely soft and stressed the importance of playing your very softest every day.

He spoke highly of an out-of-print book, "55 Phrasing Studies" by Jaroslav Cimera.

Lastly he threw in a very nice thought, "In order to be a quality musician, you have to be a quality human being."

The warm-up was followed, once again by a masterclass with Joe. We began the session with a moment of silence in memory of Milt Stevens.

The performers were:

Stephen Lange - Creston Fantasy

Jared Lantzy - Schnyder Concerto for Bass Trombone

Ben Perrier - Arrows of Time, Mvt 2

Quartet (Dishman, Abissi, Johnson, Brady) - Debussy Trois Chansons

Orchestra Section: Mahler, Symphony No. 2

Here are some notes:

Alternate positions present a trade-off between tone/pitch and facility.

When playing fast passages, don't worry about those little intonation adjustments (B-flat in sharp 5th and so on).

If you want to learn something quickly ... you can learn it twice as fast if you write in the positions, even the obvious ones

When demonstrating triple tonguing, I noticed he was using the T-T-K syllable pattern.

"Go for the gold, don't go for the silver."

In phrasing, your should try to earmark certain notes that you're going to go for.

When taking a breath, try to color the note before. "Think about what you're leaving in the hall"

You have to take risks. He commented that he is more impressed by someone who takes a chance even if they mess up rather than someone who only plays it safe.

Get used to placing the stand lower so the audience can see you. Don't have the stand blocking you. Also, don't let page turns distract from the music.

He suggested that we should play off to the side of the stand not right behind it.

He suggested that you should point your bell so that you're "bisecting the hall" In other words, straight out into the middle of the hall.

Many players need to move the air more slowly.

"The way you breathe affects the way you blow. It's a mirror." He demonstrated a breath with throat tension to show the sound of a bad breath. He again reminded us that the best breath is just like a sigh.

He pointed out that when you create friction or make a sound as you breathe in, you're closing off the throat.

On the old T.V. sets, you would use a dial...uhf, vhf, and you had to dial it in. In a similar way you have to dial in the note to find a sweet spot on notes.

If a new thing feels awkward, that may be good (he used an analogy of golfers who change their grip.)

"When you introduce the melody, let the melody speak for itself. You don't have to add a lot to it."

He used an interesting analogy concerning alternate positions: It's like going home and everything has changed in your neighborhood.

As you taper off the note, taper off the vibrato, ending with a straight tone.

A good practice technique for the high range is to play the passage down an octave and get it to sound the way you want. Then take it back up the octave.

"The higher the passage, the more you have to breathe deeper."

"Deep breathing does not mean making this sound (he demonstrated a somewhat noisy Darth Vader-like breath), I think that's a misconception."

For tonguing the high B-flat, he used the syllable "tee"

He also repeated (many times throughout the day) "Aim and Fire" as advice for hitting a high note.

All good quartets should try this exercise: close your eyes, then start and release together by listening to the first player.

He told a great story about Phil Myers (principal horn of the NYPO). Myers always wants to know is going on in everyone else's part. He takes the time to re-write each first horn part in Finale, adding complete cues for the other instrument parts. "When he walks into rehearsal, he is more prepared than anyone."

That's all for the morning masterclass. More to come ....

Alessi Seminar Notes, Day 2 (part 2).. Masterclass No. 1

Please note:

These entries from the Alessi Seminar are not a literal transcript. I took written notes and then typed them up. I have made every effort to be accurate but, as you might expect, each blog entry is a meager substitute for actually being there.

Remember that many of the things Mr. Alessi says in these masterclasses are in the context of addressing the needs of a particular student and should not be seen as universal mandates to be mindlessly followed.

If you are serious about pursuing musical excellence on the trombone, there is no substitute for actually attending one of Mr. Alessi's seminars. You'll be glad you did.

In this master class, 5 participants played:
Paul Compton - The Pugh Concerto (mvts. 1 &2)
Weston Sprott - The Grondahl Concerto (mvts. 1&2)
Joseph Rodriquez - Gershwin Medley
Louis Bremer - Sagittarius 2
Nicole Abissi - Martin Ballade

Here are some of my notes:

• Joe quoted Wycliffe Gordon, "You have to be able to sing what you're going to play."
• Make sure your phrase lead to the last note. When you get to the end, don't give up. Finish the phrase. He gave the analogy of a racehorse slowing down before the finish line.
• He pointed out that the hardest thing about music sometimes is that we play with blinders on. Take the blinders off and see the whole phrase. He gave the analogy of bad drivers who don't see the whole road around them.
• Be sure your technique is clean. He pointed out that his teacher harped on him all the time about his slide.
• When working with an accompanist, lead don't follow. He observed that this is what messes a lot of people up when they audition for Juilliard. "They don't drive the car."
• One possible cause for playing sharp is a too-fast air stream. "Personally, I like low and slow" Lower pitch, slower air stream.
• He suggested that the student should try to make the sound reach to the corners of the hall. He then demonstrate and said that, as he he plays, "I'm hearing the hall ring"
• For the tendency to play sharp he suggested that one should let the sound settle down into the pitch. He also phrased it this way, "Let the notes sit down where they want to go."
• Joe said in his own practicing he was thinking of incorporating some pitch bending (with the embouchure) to explore the center and find the sweet spot.
• At one point he advised a student to sing more and take more risks.
• Regarding phrase groupings and the comparison between the small phrases and the larger phrases: he pointed out that the overall phrase mark is the most important one.
• At one point he observed "You have to think, 'I have nothing to lose.' "
• If you want to learn about phrasing, listen to the great singers: Frank Sinatra, Barbara Streisand, Nat King Cole.
• "I think when you're having fun, you don't get as tired."
• For high notes, don't use a downward pointing body position. Think of lifting your body (and bell) as you play higher. This gives you a little more leverage. Joe talked about Maynard Ferguson's trumpet players and how they would lean back while playing high notes. He suggest doing a tiny bit of that same gesture.
• One of the keys to phrasing, never do the same thing twice.
• A recital of trombone music can become very boring if a player plays in only one style.
• A common musical problem is that we sometimes crescendo too soon. Often you should wait to start the crescendo.
• Be more aware of the thematic material in the piano part. Know when to back off and let the piano lines come out.
• Avoid the "car horn" sound where the tone has no musical shape. On many long notes, you can let the sound relax.
• With respect to loud playing he observed that it's good to show off your stuff but that it should lead somewhere.
• Regarding slide technique, he observed, "I'm not a "wrist-ey" player. {meaning not so much flexing of the wrist} I like to index with the slide. When I go to a position, I like to have a connection straight from the tone in my brain to my slide."
• Avoid "panic breathing" in your performance. He described breathing as a chance to replenish yourself. Do this every chance you get.
• "Be true to the music, not convenient to yourself."
• Try rehearsing a piece from the ending and work towards the beginning. This way, you have a clear idea of how you want it to end.
• Bad breathing often comes from trying to frantically rush through everything.
• For rapid tonguing, he suggested pulling the tongue back a little (in other words, tongue farther back in the mouth.).
• Have a consistent breath and breathe this one way whenever possible. He demonstrated by playing Bolero and then then Mozart Requiem, pointing out that he takes the same breath in either situation.
• If you open your mouth wide to breathe, you end up closing the throat.

Wow, all this from one masterclass. I don't know if I'll be able to provide this much detail about every class (especially the ones I'm playing in), but I'll do what I can.

Oh yes, the recital. Well, what can you say......

he's the man

Simple but True (and it rhymes)

Something to say.
Nothing in the way.

OK, what do I mean?
First, Nothing in the way:
What gets in the way, distracting the listener from the music?

• Poor tone
• Faulty intonation
• Bad rhythm
• Weak ensemble blend

Next, Have something to say.
You can have good tone, be in tune, play good rhythms in time but still have nothing to say musically!

In other words, "Nice stage but where's the play?"

Something to say. Nothing in the way.

Johnny One-Note

Here's a trick to help with expressive playing: play your phrases as musically as possible on one note.
Take Guilmant's Morceaue Symphonique, for example:







The top line is from the piece. The second line is the same rhythm without the pitches. I've circled two notes that points of greater musical tension. Aim at these notes.
Once you can play very expressively on a single pitch, add in the pitches and see if it has gotten better.
This reminds me of that observation that, when a person loses one sense (sight, for example) other senses become more keen. Once deprived of convenient pitches, you become more keenly aware of other elements that go into phrasing: dynamics, intensity of sound, vibrato, note shape, etc.

This one-note technique can also be used to clarify rhythm. Here's an example from a Galliard Sonata...








A lesson trick that can work: first the teacher and the student play the rhythm together on one note (not robotically but with good emphases). Then, the teacher stays on the single note while the student plays the passage with the pitches included.

Hope this helps.

Eric and the Tree People ...

In a recent lesson I was working with a student on the last movement of Eric Ewazen's Sonata. One or two passages didn't have quite the right feel. After some fancy finger work with with Dr. Beat, I was able to have the metronome continue with only one click every measure (beat volume up, all others down).

It seemed the feeling of the piece changed before our eyes. Same tempo but, by feeling the larger beat, the music seemed to flow better.

Choosing on which level to experience the beat is an expressive tool that we sometimes overlook. When one thinks in quarter notes, it is more likely the music have a different quality than when one thinks in half notes or even whole notes.

Is this my imagination??

DISSERTATION ALERT:

Have subjects learn and play the same passage at the same tempo but one group is thinking in quarters while another thinks in halves and another in whole notes. Have others listen to recordings of these performers. Can they discern a difference?

END DISSERTATION ALERT (Resume normal blogging)

I was trying to think of some story to go along with Ewazen's music. The opening passage (of the third movement) feels like people rejoicing on the ground. Later passages take on a more peaceful quality almost like angels floating above all this commotion.
No, angels aren't quite right. Druids? Monks? Who experiences time on a slower scale than humans? How about trees? That might work...oh yes, what about those tree people (Ents) in Lord of the Rings? They would probably prefer to hear the Ewazen Sonata on the whole note level.

Squirrels on the other hand ....

Of course if you really want to stretch your time scale out, consider some of the concepts thrown out in Greg Bear's creepy book Vitals.

What about choosing a time scale of subdivision other than for the obvious practice utility of rhythmic accuracy? Well, when encountering a slow excerpt like St. Saens 3 or Schumann 3 (or even the opening of Mahler 3 [what's with all these big "3" excerpts] ) I find I play better when thinking 8th notes. It seems to keep the air from becoming stagnant.

Who knows, maybe I'm just giving Self 1 something to do so it doesn't get in the way.