It Could Only Happen In Branson

written by

Many times we in Branson repeat this time worn phrase, “It could only happen in Branson”. It could be stated while waiting for the traffic light to change when suddenly you see a pink Cadillac drive past with Elvis at the wheel. You could be walking down one of the…

Easy Lip Control Exercise

written by

Being able to bend notes up and down can be very beneficial to a trumpet player. Adjusting notes a little in order to play them in tune as well as having the ability to bend notes in Jazz can be improved with this exercise. When practicing this exercise, try to…

Do You Need A Music Riser?

written by

When I was first introduced to the MUSIC RISER I had no idea what it was. It was explained to me that it raises the music off the stand making it easier to read. My first question was, “Why can’t you just raise the music stand”? That seemed like a…

Do You Ever Suffer From Stiff Chops? Part #2

written by

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…

Do You Ever Suffer From Stiff Chops? Part #1

written by

The number of people complaining about stiff chops seems to be growing and for that reason, I thought it time to address the problem. Symptoms of “stiff chops”- 1. Each morning when you begin to practice, your lips seem to be leathery or inflexible. 2. Many times your tone quality…