Do You Ever Suffer From Stiff Chops? Part #2

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Continuing with our discussion on the problem of stiff chops….. While teaching lessons at my university, I realized that many of our students were complaining about stiff chops or the lack of flexibility. Along with this problem invariably was the observation that their lips seldom felt good. After collecting information of such students practice habits, it became obvious that they were overdoing their time in the practice rooms in order to get all their lesson material accomplished. And because they were expected to practice one hour a day for every hour of credit, it was time to figure out a…

Should I Teach or Perform?

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Many young students are faced with this decision before they graduate from a college or university and the decision can sometimes be difficult. I have had the pleasure to play on both sides of the music stand and will try to give you the pros and cons of both areas in music as best I can. Some advantages for teaching music in an educational setting- • If you love working with young people, you will have a very satisfying career. • Summer vacations time can be spent in rejuvenating yourself, writing or other creative activities. • Insurance benefits and many…

Your First Call to Sub………

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Some players look forward to that call and some begin to shake in their boots for your first call to substitute for another player brings up many questions such as- Can I play well enough to make the band leader/conductor happy? How good did the original player do and will I sound pathetic in comparison? What kind of job requirements are expected for the gig? Do I have enough chops? Will I be able to read the parts? Is this my big chance and can I perform well enough to be called back? The list could continue for some time…

Basic Maintenance Information For Your Trumpet

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Sometimes we assume that all trumpet players are experienced at trumpet maintenance and forget that there are players just starting out, and for that reason I thought this would be helpful for our new recruits.

Teaching An Old Dog A New Trick

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Who said the old can’t learn from the young? I am living proof that the youth of today are far more resourceful than we give them credit. If you have ever been performing with an ensemble when someone trips over the extension chord and all of the bands lights go out, you have experienced the helplessness we have all experienced. There is nothing you can do to get back into the action and the show stops. It has happened to me on more than one occasion and little can be done to resolve the problem. You can have the most…

How To Adjust Low D & C# To Play In Tune

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The Perfect “Free Mute Bag”!

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Easy Way To Remove Stuck Slides

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Break The Habit Of Using The Hook

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The Importance Of An Extra Mouthpiece

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