Bennett's Tenets

5 Days in the Life

2011-12-06T12:33:00.001-05:00

Tonight I will conclude a busy 5-day stretch that demonstrates what makes my job hectic at times, but also exemplifies one of the aspects I love about my job: the opportunity to perform and make music in a variety of settings. Here are the highlights...

Friday, Dec. 2:
- teach Music Appreciation, 2 lessons, rehearsal for upcoming performance
- conduct the WCU Horn Choir in Christmas carols in Dillsboro, NC
- Horn Studio party at my house!

Saturday, Dec. 3:
- SMBQ concert in Highlands, NC

Sunday, Dec. 4:
- church, lunch, hurry home to change clothes and head out to...
- conduct the WCU Horn Choir and play with the SMBQ in WCU's Sounds of the Season concert.

Monday, Dec. 5:
- teach Music Appreciation, Horn Choir rehearsal, 1 lesson, chamber music rehearsal
- conduct the Horn Choir in the Brass Ensembles Recital

Tuesday, Dec. 6:
- teach 2 lessons, lots of office work
- perform a Mozart octet with a faculty/student ensemble

That's 5 different performances on 5 consecutive days, both conducting and playing! It can really be challenging to balance all the different aspects of my job: teaching, conducting, rehearsing, performing, committees, correspondence, etc. It takes a lot of organization, planning ahead, and then living in the moment - focusing on the current task without being distracted by "what's next." I greatly enjoy my job, but I'll be glad to spend more time at home tomorrow night with my family! And in about 10 more days, my responsibilities at the university will be wrapped up until next year!

In the Hot Seat

2011-11-17T16:23:00.001-05:00

Last week I had the opportunity to play Principal with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra for Mahler's 2nd Symphony. I normally play 4th in this group, but due to a couple of absences in the section, I got to play 1st. If that doesn't deserve a blog post, I don't know what does!

This might sound super obvious, but playing 1st was a lot different than playing 4th. I have to admit that I was pretty uneasy at the first rehearsal on Wednesday, but by Friday night I was much more comfortable and had settled into the role. It's not that I'm unused to having every note I play be heard; I give a couple solo recitals a year, and I play lots of chamber music concerts, mostly with the Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet. But playing in a full orchestra, and leading a section of horn players is different.
When I play 4th horn, my attention is very focused on the horn section. I'm playing in harmony or octaves with the 3rd horn... I'm matching the 2nd horn when we're in unison... I'm taking cues from the 1st horn for timing, intonation, dynamics, articulations, etc.
Playing 1st, I got to listen all over the orchestra. I made music with the trumpets, the woodwind section, and individually with the flute, the oboe and clarinet. I listened to the concertmaster to make sure I changed notes just as he got to the end of his solo.
As the Principal horn, I also got to assert my own musical initiative more, with regards to style, articulations, dynamics, and phrasing. I had to lead the section by establishing a good pitch center, and picking my spots with the conductor's baton without letting a tentative downbeat throw off the horn section.
I know it's not PC to say that my usual 4th part isn't as important as the 1st, but I have to say that playing 1st was much more fulfilling to me musically. Yes, it's more pressure and more responsibility, and honestly there are some weeks when life is busy and I'm happy not to be the one in "the hot seat."
Overall, it was a great experience that I will treasure for a long time. I had a great section; they were all fantastic players, and very supportive. What an amazing work that symphony is! The last movement is really transcendent.

How Much Should a Teacher Play in Lessons?

2011-11-10T13:57:00.001-05:00

I'm a little behind on my Horn Call reading. Recently, I was reading James Boldin's interview with Douglas Hill in the February 2011 issue (Vol. XLI, No. 2). This quote caught my eye. Discussing what it takes to be a successful, effective teacher, Hill says...

"Developing verbal skills is important, and maybe even developing vocal skills, or demonstration skills. I don't demonstrate much on the horn, mostly because I'm not asking people to imitate. If you rarely play for students in lessons, the best sounds come from them. I'm not denouncing imitation - it's useful for many things - but we can get that by listening to CDs." (p. 50)

I was surprised that he said he doesn't play much in lessons. I try to play some in every lesson I teach. Usually this happens in any of 3 ways:

When I assign a new etude, I usually play all or part of it to demonstrate tempo, style, etc.
I'll play duets with my students, to work on sight reading, intonation, etc.
I'll demonstrate a passage that they need to improve in an etude or solo.

I agree with Prof. Hill that verbal and vocal skills are very important. I try to explain things verbally in the clearest way possible, and I encourage my students to develop this type of vocabulary too, since most of them will become teachers themselves in some way. I also sing in lessons a lot. (Maybe more than my students would prefer!). But, many times, if I play something on the horn, it can save a lot of talking and singing. A picture's worth a thousand words.
I also get what he's saying when he says if the teacher doesn't play much, then "the best sounds come from them" (the student). Some students may get discouraged when they've worked on something so hard, and then their teacher picks up the horn cold and plays it even better.
The amount of demonstrating I do on the horn depends partly on the level of the student I'm working with. Do they already have the musical "vision" inside them? (i.e. a crystal clear idea of the sound, tempo, style they're after). I've heard of other situations where a teacher plays along with the student on almost everything, particularly with younger students.
Looking back on my own experience as a student, I studied with William Capps at FSU for two years, and never heard him play a note. Yet, I learned a tremendous amount from him about horn playing, and especially about musicianship.
In the quote above, Prof. Hill also mentioned listening to CDs for an example to imitate. This is super important. Since I don't take regular lessons anymore, this is how I stay motivated. Occasionally, I find I've started to get a little complacent, and I need a reminder of what our instrument is really capable of. Listen to as much great horn playing as you can, via CDs, iTunes, YouTube, horn workshops, etc. Soak up that sound and use it to hone your musical vision.
I'd like to hear what your experiences and philosophies are about how much playing a teacher should do in lessons. Please comment!

My Best Practice Advice

2011-10-06T08:52:00.001-04:00

It's been waaaay too long since my last post! There are lots of reasons for this, but one of my favorite sayings is: "A reason is not an excuse." I feel compelled to write this post because I've been giving this little bit of advice in several lessons lately.
Back in February, I posted a list of Practice Tips. If I could only give one, this would be it:

When you make a mistake, slow down. Every time.

I'll call it The Tortoise Principle. You know: "slow and steady wins the race."

So, applying this practice technique goes like this: you set your sights on that tricky measure in your solo (or maybe an awesome Kopprasch etude!). You play it through, and it's kinda messy. What do you do? Slow it down. When you play it again, it's better than it was, but you still miss a couple notes. What do you do? Slow it down again. The next time through, all the notes are there, but you realize you weren't really playing the dynamics, or the proper articulations, or whatever. Slow it down again. Finally, you play it perfectly. NOW, you have torn it down to its foundation, and you can begin to build it up correctly. You can speed up the metronome gradually, and keep racking up correct repetitions. If you make a mistake, slow it down again. Even if you know it was just a fluke.
This might seem tedious, and it might feel like a waste of time. But, if most of us would apply this technique diligently, we'd play many fewer mistakes than we normally do in every practice session. I know you've heard a million times that you should practice slowly. But I'm convinced that most of us don't use this tactic as effectively as we could. We don't trust it. It requires patience and perseverance. Don't rush the process. Where we really waste time is when we have to overcome the bad habits that have been reinforced through poor practice. By applying The Tortoise Principle, you're actually saving countless hours of frustration.
I often talk to my students about keeping score mentally while they practice, between "right" and "wrong" repetitions of a passage. After all, every time you play it with mistakes, you're practicing (i.e. reinforcing) the wrong version. The Tortoise Principle ensures that you will have many more correct repetitions than incorrect ones.
More advantages of The Tortoise Principle:

-It helps avoid aimless, wandering practice. It automatically makes you highly focused on what you're doing, because you want to avoid mistakes so you can keep increasing the tempo. It also gives a simple rule that you can apply without ambiguity: if you mess up, slow down.

-Positive reinforcement replaces frustration! This is the best part about practicing slowly. Once you tear a passage down to the tempo at which you can play it "perfectly," you start to have lots of successful repetitions! (By the way, the "tearing down" process should only take a minute. If it takes longer, then you're just being too optimistic about your abilities!) All of a sudden, that frustrating feeling of beating your head against a wall is replaced by the encouraging feeling of progress! The voice in your head changes from "I can't do this!" to "I'm doing it!"

SMBQ Germany Tour 2011

2011-05-23T15:23:00.000-04:00

I just recently returned from another successful international tour with the SMBQ. We visited southern Germany May 9-17, playing concerts at some of WCU's sister schools in Ludwigsburg, Weingarten, and Tübingen.
On the map you can see some of the locations we visited...

View SMBQ Germany Tour 2011 in a larger map

If I were to go into great detail about every place, this post would go on forever. So, instead, I'll let the pictures do most of the talking. Every day was just packed with great sights, great food and great people. My main reflection is this: I've been fortunate to gain a much more global perspective in the past 18 months, taking extended trips to Argentina, China, and Germany. I've realized there are wonderful people everywhere, leading wonderful lives. It doesn't matter if it's a big city, or a small village - in Beijing, or Isla Verde, or Weingarten, or Munich, or Cullowhee - it's the people that make the place. It makes me appreciate the people I live with more.
Below are just some of the highlights. There are many more pictures and stories that I don't have room to share here. You can click the photos for a larger image.

Ludwigsburg Palace

On a side note, across the street from this palace I noticed a hotel/restaurant called "Waldhorn am Schloss." There was a plaque on the side of the building that said in 1763 Leopold Mozart stayed there with his 7 1/2-year-old son, Wolfgang!

Beer Garden in Ludwigsburg, Uferstüble

We were determined to play some German music in a Beer Garden while in Germany, and we got our chance early in the trip! The owner had said we could have free beer "if" we played well. I knew we were in good shape when we hadn't finished our second tune, and the waiter was already delivering 5 half-liter mugs! They must have really liked us, because there followed more beer (in liter mugs!) AND free food! The German Band arrangements we had didn't include a horn part, so I had to transpose down a 5th and read a Tenor Sax part - it took a little getting used to! Here's some video...

My first Wiener Schnitzel (not the last of the trip)! Delicious!

Basilica in Weingarten

It seemed like there were gorgeous churches everywhere we went. They looked impressive enough from the outside, but when you stepped through the door, it took your breath away. The paintings, carvings, etc were just awesome!

Greeting the locals.

Neuschwanstein castle in the background.

On our way to the castle, we had stopped off at Lindau and stood on the edge of the Bodensee (Lake Constance), where you can see the Swiss Alps across the water.

The Wieskirche

Weisswurst with pretzel and sweet mustard - a Bavarian tradition.

The Hofbraühaus in Munich sells beer by the liter, and the servers handle them by the bunches!

The Asamkirche in Munich

This was probably the most amazing church we visited, as far as the decor - it's just so dense! I could have spent hours looking at everything; it's really like sensory overload when you walk in!

The famous Glockenspiel in Marianplatz, Munich

My favorite meal of the trip, and another Bavarian specialty - Schweinshaxe (pig knuckle) with potato dumpling and saurkraut. Delicious! This was at the Augustiner Keller for lunch. VERY crispy skin.

On our way out of Munich Sunday we visited the concentration camp at Dachau. This is a picture of the entry gate - it was a Nazi lie meaning "Work will make you free." Almost fittingly, it was a rainy, dreary day. But standing in the rain without an umbrella, listening to our tour guide, I couldn't help but think what a small inconvenience that was, compared to what the prisoners suffered in that same space. I believe that mankind is predisposed to evil, but I still kept asking myself "how could this happen?"

The next day was a much lighter adventure. Mike Schallock (tuba) and I made the 2 hour drive from Tübingen to Mindelzell, to visit Engelbert Schmid's shop. This was a real highlight of the trip for me. He was very generous with his time, and even treated us to lunch where we had some wine from his own vineyard in Spain! While they serviced my horn, I was able to try out a triple horn and a variety of bell flares in the concert space upstairs. After lunch, my horn was ready, and I was able to experiment with different bells on my own instrument. The work they did was great - my valves haven't moved so well in years!

This was the site of our final concert in Tübingen: Jacobuskirche, originally from the 12th Century, rebuilt in the Gothic style in 1500. I haven't said much about the concerts, have I? They all went very well, and the audiences were fantastically warm, enthusiastic, and appreciative.
Germany is a beautiful country that I'd really like to visit again in the future. Every little village seems to be brimming with character.

A World Premiere: "far beyond the dissonance"

2011-04-29T15:07:00.017-04:00

This week I had the opportunity to give the world premiere performance of a piece for solo horn. The title of the short but challenging work is "far beyond the dissonance," and it was written by Dr. Greg Robin, a colleague of mine at Western Carolina University...

The following program notes were written by the composer:

Greg Robin’s far beyond the dissonance explores timbral variations of the [0,1] dyad. New intervallic constructs are a result of the latent intervals created from multiphonics and registral displacement. The opening gesture of a unison to an [0,1] dyad, by way of a multiphonic, creates the interval-generating motive of the work. Through timbral transformations of vocal glissandi, echo-gliss, muting, and flutter-tongue; a sense of sound transformation is perceived. This piece was written for and dedicated to Travis Bennett.

   Of course, it's a rare opportunity to give a world premiere, and preparing a piece that you've never heard before requires a bit different strategy. When I first got the music and stumbled through it like someone feeling their way through a dark room, it seemed like just a series of techniques or riffs that had to be learned. Only after I spent a lot of time with it, and could maneuver the extended techniques, complex rhythms, and unfamiliar intervals, could I begin to see the big picture and the piece really began to make sense to me.
   The more I lived with the piece, the more interesting it became, and I made new discoveries at every practice session. I could see motivic connections across larger sections of the piece, and could begin to "tell the story" from beginning to end. I felt like the music was slowly revealing itself to me, like a sculpture takes shape out of a chunk of rock. Since there was no recording to refer to, I had to tap into my musical instincts and experience to go beyond what's marked on the page in shaping my interpretation. The entire process was really quite exciting, and involved a fair amount of experimentation.
   Thankfully, Greg is not one of those composers that waits until the last minute to get the music finished! I got the piece a couple months before the performance, so I had time to experiment and discover. There were periods during that time that I was busy with other playing, and didn't look at it for a while. Then when I returned to it, I had a fresh perspective, and could see things I hadn't before.
   One of the coolest effects in the piece is its use of multiphonics. I had only ever used multiphonics to create consonant chords, but the first measure of this piece calls for you to sing and play in unison, and then slowly bend your voice up a half-step and back down. This creates a really interesting sound, where the dissonance beats gradually faster and then slower again as you return to the unison.

Here's what this effect sounds like:

   I was gratified that the piece was well-received at the first performance. Honestly, I was unsure how it would strike people on just one hearing, since I had such a different perspective, having become intimately familiar with the piece.
   The experience of preparing and performing this work stretched me as a horn player and a musician, and so I am grateful to Greg for this opportunity!
   (Incidentally, it also stretched me as a blogger - that's my first embedded audio clip!)

Recital Prep, Part 5 - Breathe Deep and Blow Fast!

2011-04-26T11:16:00.002-04:00

The title of this post says it all! It's time to go on stage and play the music that you've worked so hard on. You've carefully chosen your program, worked out the details, played some run-throughs and mock performances, and you're mentally and physically prepared to play your best.
While you're on stage, it's important to keep things simple in your head. I love this quote from Keith Hill and Marianne Ploger at www.musicalratio.com:

...you must sing all the music in your imagination, as you play, with such intensity, conviction and energy that the little that "leaks" out into the music as it is heard will ravish the listener.

Then, all you have to do is breathe deep, blow fast, and enjoy making music!

Related posts:
Priorities in Performance
Recital vs. Road Race
A Perfect Performance is a Hole-in-One
What is Your Swing Thought?

Recital Prep, Part 4 - Visualization and Tapering

2011-04-20T11:30:00.000-04:00

   I'm a big believer in visualization: imagining yourself in the performance situation as you practice. This can really play a role from the early days of preparing your music, but should become an even bigger part of your routine once you can play your pieces start to finish.
   In your mind, picture the performance in vivid detail.
If you can practice in the actual recital hall, that's even better! Imagine being backstage before the recital. You walk out, smiling at the audience. They applaud (that feels nice, doesn't it?).  You take your bow (go ahead and bow if no one's watching you practice). You take a moment to be comfortable in the space, adjust your music stand, if necessary. Glance back to be sure your accompanist is ready, and give them a nod to begin. As you play the piece, avoid telegraphing your mistakes with your eyebrows (this takes effort!). Hear the accompaniment in your head. When you finish, hear the applause, smile at the audience, and bow. No matter how you feel about the way the performance (I mean practice run-through) went, you smile when people clap for you!!  (Even if the applause is all in your head.) Don't forget to acknowledge your accompanist!
   If you do this enough times, with enough detail, then when you get to the actual performance, it's almost as if you've been there before. Plus, it really is a good idea to practice the "extra" stuff, like bowing (look at your toes), smiling, acknowledging your accompanist, etc. That's all part of a live performance, and you've spent so much time practicing your music, you might as well be prepared for the other stuff, too.

   Tapering is another concept that needs to be a part of your preparation as your performance approaches, and this has to do specifically with the last 24-48 hours before the show. Runners who are preparing for a marathon gradually build up their weekly mileage over the months leading up to the race. But then, the last week or two, they reduce their training significantly, so that their legs are fresh for the big day. In the same way, it's important that you take care to show up at your recital ready to play your best. Don't beat up your chops by over-practicing in the day or two beforehand. Personally, I like to have a full dress rehearsal 2 days before the recital, then the next day I take it easy, just doing a moderate amount of playing. At that point, I should have the music extremely well-prepared, and running over all those tricky spots again and again will not do as much good as a little rest and recovery. Experience will help you figure out what works best for you. Also, don't forget the importance of getting enough sleep and staying hydrated (to avoid drymouth!) in those last 48 hours.

   Next, the final post in this series: "Breathe Deep and Blow Fast!"

Recital Prep, Part 3 - Continuity

2011-04-11T14:08:00.003-04:00

"The Incredible Shrinking Recital Program!"

   After you've picked your recital program, and you've learned all the details of the music by hitting the woodshed, then it's time to shift your practice gradually from detail work towards continuity work. This means playing through longer sections, run-throughs of your pieces, and even entire mock recitals. There are several benefits to this continuity work:

1) It builds your endurance for the big recital.
2) It boosts our confidence that you can play this music convincingly, and you will make it through the entire program.
3) It helps you see the musical "big picture," and you might find new insights and interpretations that you had missed when you were looking at everything under a microscope.
4) Crisis management: You build the habit of getting right back on track after a mistake. This is critical for an effective performance. You may not make the same mistakes in your recital, but if you've practiced this skill, you can overcome just about any on-stage surprises.
5) You learn where your weak spots are, and where you still need a little more detail work. Things feel different in context.
6) The program shrinks!

   During this phase of preparing for a recital, I always have the same sensation: that the program is shrinking! This is because I can see the "big picture." I'm looking at the forest instead of the trees. I can imagine the entire program before me, and it seems less daunting and more manageable.
   (About this time, you should be designing your recital poster!)

   Next in the series: "Visualization and Tapering"

Recital Prep, Part 2 - Hitting the Woodshed

2011-04-05T08:24:00.001-04:00

   So, you have a recital date booked and you've picked your program. Now it's time to hit the proverbial woodshed and get to work learning and refining all those pieces. I've already written some about practice techniques, so I'll just follow up here with a few words of caution.
   First and foremost, I want to stress how important it is to get started correctly on a new piece! All too often, a student comes to their lesson after they've been working on a new solo for a week or more, and they're playing wrong rhythms and/or notes! At that point,
they've spent several hours (hopefully) practicing the piece, but they've been practicing it wrong! Now it will require extra effort not only to learn the correct notes and rhythms, but also to erase the bad habits that have been formed.
   How do you make sure you're practicing the piece correctly from the outset? Listen to a professional recording (or several). Go slooooooow to make sure you're playing the notes and rhythms absolutely accurately. Use a metronome and tuner daily. I use a metronome and tuner almost every time I practice, even within days of a performance on a piece that I've been playing for years. Be sure to use these tools as training devices and not as crutches. Finally, just concentrate! Those first few days with a new piece, make sure you're reading all the dynamics, accidentals, key signatures, rhythms, etc. correctly.
   Another common mistake students make is to work on the first page of a new piece, and not even touch the ending. Don't procrastinate! That music certainly isn't going to get any better while you're putting it off. Plus, just think of how many pieces have the most difficult stuff at the end! If you're only going to practice one page, you'd be better off starting at the end! Even better: get through the entire piece so you get a sense of what you're dealing with. It's admirable to do some detailed work on a focused area of the piece, but to completely neglect the rest is asking for trouble.
   While you're in this woodshedding phase, it helps to be organized. I like to plan.  I always keep a folder in my horn case with all the music that I'm currently working on. That way, it's all in one place, and when I'm heading out the door, I just need to be sure to grab that one folder. I also use the folder to prioritize my practice. At the end of a practice session, I flip through the music and put the pieces in order for the next session, with the ones needing the most attention at the front. The next time I start practicing, I just open the folder and get to work. The folder doesn't have to be fancy; mine is just a regular manila file folder. Another way to prioritize your practice is just to keep a running to-do list. Update the list after every practice session to reflect the priority order for next time. Don't let more than a couple days go by without touching each piece at least once.
   Along these same lines, you may choose to keep a practice log, which is a way to journal your progress, breakthroughs, and frustrations. All of these methods of organization can help you avoid spending too much time on some of your pieces while not spending enough on others.
   Happy Practicing!

Next in the series: "Continuity"

Recital Prep, Part 1 - Programming

2011-03-30T10:52:00.001-04:00

   This post begins a series on recital preparation that starts with picking your program, and ends with the performance.
   As I mentioned in my post on "Priorities in Performance," I place a very high priority on audience enjoyment. This begins with deciding which pieces to play. During your student years, it's very important to cover many of the standards in the repertoire, and your teacher will help you pick your program. So, you have less freedom, and the audience might not get as much consideration in the process. Still, I think most performers want the audience to enjoy their playing, so this should factor into your decision-making.

   I'm not saying that you shouldn't play avant-garde music that the audience might find hard to swallow, but perhaps give them a Mozart appetizer, and then allow them to wash down that Messiaen with a little Franz Strauss?
   Here is a list of questions to consider, in order, as you are deciding on your recital program:

1) Which pieces do you want to play?
2) (For students) Which piece(s) haven't you played that you need to play?
3) What will the audience enjoy hearing?
4) What can you play well?

Then, once you have a list of works, you need to start putting the puzzle pieces together, and perhaps cut some if there are too many, or one that you just can't find a good place for. Which leads to the next question:

5) How can you arrange the pieces to create a nice flow to the program, providing contrast and taking into consideration your endurance?

     Don't forget chamber music! This is a great way to provide variety for the audience, so it's not all horn and piano. (Unaccompanied works are great for the same reason.) Plus, chamber music gives you the opportunity to play some fantastic pieces, and to make music with others, which is a wonderful thing.
   I actually keep a running list of pieces I want to play. I add to it whenever I hear something on recording or at a horn workshop that I'm interested in. Then when I begin planning my next recital, I start with that list. At this point, I mix in a few pieces that I've played before, and fit them together to make a nice program.

   Next in the series: "Hitting the Woodshed."

Kiss Me, Kate!

2011-03-24T11:21:00.006-04:00

This week I'm playing in the pit for WCU's production of the Cole Porter musical Kiss Me, Kate. I always enjoy working in the pit when I get a chance; it's different than what I do most of the time, and it presents new and interesting challenges. Plus, I get to play great music! In this case, I get to "get my big-band on," which is a style we horn players don't get to play very often.

If you're not familiar with the show, chances are you've heard several of the songs. Here's a quick review from the licensing company's site:

Combine Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew" with Porter's music and lyrics to get KISS ME, KATE an instant success with every cast and audience. This is a play-within-a-play where each cast member's on-stage life is complicated by what is happening offstage. Musical numbers include Why Can't You Behave, So In Love Am I, Wunderbar, Tom, Dick or Harry, Were Thine That Special Face, Too Darn Hot, Brush Up Your Shakespeare, I Hate Men, Always True to You (In My Fashion) and Another Op'nin, Another Show. KISS ME, KATE is fun, melodious and sophisticated.

You can read more about the show at Wikipedia. And, there's a YouTube channel where you can watch the whole show, in 22 parts!

The instrumentation calls for only 1 horn. The rest of the brass section consists of 2 trumpets and a trombone. As is quite common in these types of shows, several of the woodwind players are "doubling" (playing multiple instruments). And Cole Porter has treated the horn player as a variety of instruments, too. At various places in my part, it says "quasi clarinet, quasi cello, quasi trombone," etc. Indeed, I have to listen carefully and blend with the strings or woodwinds at times, and then other times I get to "let it rip" with the brass.
There aren't any real major horn solos to mention, but there are some really nice moments scattered throughout. As always with show tunes, you have to watch out for constantly changing key signatures, and play much of the time with several sharps or flats. Of course, I mark my part if I miss an accidental, and I even sometimes mark one I don't miss, if I think I might miss it next time! The parts that require the most concentration are the "big band" sections. These are also the most fun parts to play! Here's a sample page from the ending to the lively tune, "Tom, Dick, or Harry" (click for a larger image):

You can see, there are shakes, turns, and rips galore! One other challenge about this show is its length: my "book" is 144 pages long!
   This gig is very different from the last time I played in the pit, which was for the Asheville Lyric Opera's production of Carmen. For that production, we used a reduced orchestration--I was the only brass player--and we were in a very small pit. Consequently, I got "the hand" a lot during that run, and had to be VERY delicate with all my playing. For Kiss Me, Kate, we have a large pit, and a fairly large orchestra, so I get to play at much more comfortable dynamic levels--even quite loud much of the time.
   That's one of the things that's so interesting about pit work--every show and theater are different, and you have to figure out how to make it work. While I was in grad school, I played for Jesus Christ Superstar, and the theater didn't have a pit, so the musicians were in a closed room off to the side of the stage! Everything was mic'd, and the conductor followed the action with a TV monitor. It was summertime in Alabama, so we came to the theater in our shorts and sandals, and played the show. It took extra effort to remember that there was an audience listening out there.
   This week, I wish I could see what was happening on stage, but I'm in the back of the pit. It sounds like the Musical Theater students are doing a fantastic job!

The Horn in 'Pop' Music

2011-03-21T15:43:00.012-04:00

   Below is a list of 'pop' songs that have prominent horn parts. Along with each artist and title, I've included a link to YouTube where you can hear the song. The times in parentheses indicate where the prominent horn part begins.  If there’s no time indicated, the horn plays at the very beginning and/or throughout the recording.

   I compiled this list from suggestions by many Facebook friends. I'm sure there are others, and I will be glad to update the list, so if you know of any not included here, please leave a comment! I've included a few names of who the horn players are when I could. Also let me know if you know who's playing.
   The variety of artists is really neat. Just about every genre is represented - it's certainly not limited to pop music. Many of these songs were totally new to me. Enjoy!

(last updated 3/29/11)

Arcade Fire - “In the Backseat”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsmEMk2QOnM (3:18)

Badly Drawn Boy - “The Shining”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4o5tGajfYE (extended duet w/cello in intro)

Beach Boys - “God Only Knows”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOMyS78o5YI

The Beatles - “Good Night”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdRgdiSizFE (0:42, 2:55)

The Beatles - “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOO8-Jp-xsg (0:41)

The Beatles - “For No One”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz8zAijpmwM (1:00)

(Alan Civil played on the original recording. This is Jeffrey Bryant in the video. For more on this video, see Horn Matters) Paul does a horn impression in this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbJrXqrLtMw&feature=related

Steven Curtis Chapman – “The Great Adventure - Prologue”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8Goaxsde7o

Chicago – “If You Leave Me Now”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlKaVFqxERk

Nat King Cole - “Nature Boy”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSLb0Ov-jHU

Harry Connick, Jr. - “When My Heart Finds Christmas”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5CaLcAA7ek

Sam Cooke - “A Change is Gonna Come”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQU4torUz-Q

Sam Cooke - “Cupid”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdTnffOEn7I

The Cranberries - "War Child"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bejlRMzFZoQ

Dream Theater - "Octavarium"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH_9lJxeiXg (22:10)

Yvonne Elliman – “If I Can’t Have You”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCw74x-nD34

Aretha Franklin – “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUf_BmoNGyc

Peter Gabriel - “Flume”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdR3_fTDF4U (0:33)

Peter Gabriel - “Mirrorball”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_qsGP6L9F0 (1:23)

Jimmy Helms - “I’m Gonna Make You an Offer You Can’t Refuse” (Terry Johns)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VGbbTQShrg (1:22)

The Hollies - “The Air that I Breathe”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb7S8-Iewi0 (2:08)

Shirley Horn – “Here’s to Life” (Richard Todd)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmoIkh6BC-g (4:15)

Elton John - “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from The Lion King (Richard Watkins)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8FM8nyy_Fk

Annie Lennox – “Into the West” from Return of the King

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgcoBKWTW14 (1:25, 3:18)

Henry Mancini - “Days of Wine and Roses”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc510bkDJe4

Mannheim Steamroller – “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” (David Kappy)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM2pNLPRsZM

The Monkees - "Shades of Gray”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3e3X5LAB1E (2:01, 3:08)

Jack Nitzsche – “The Lonely Surfer”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-spNkl3So88 (1:04, great rips at 2:10)

Eddie Palmieri – “Deseo Salvaje” (Peter Gordon)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSMKaRDQq5I

The Polyphonic Spree - “Light & Day”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GewbAuTgu5g

The Polyphonic Spree - "It's the Sun"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9gk1PGZxaE

The Polyphonic Spree - "Soldier Girl"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCI81SghtpU

Lionel Richie and Diana Ross - “Endless Love”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP7m5VqQ6f8 (0:34, 1:20)

The Rolling Stones - “You Can't Always Get What You Want” (Al Kooper)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF6dyZ5AEnM (0:53)

The Shins - “The Past and Pending”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmGSKJJmhDo (0:42, 2:08, 3:45)

Dusty Springfield - “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_AtGUyu64s

Morton Stevens – Hawaii Five-0 Theme Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwhvByj8YG8 (0:33)

Barbra Streisand - "People" (Ray Alonge)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9yepsv842U

U2 - “Unknown Caller” (Richard Watkins)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4knmHjWTz8 (4:31)

U2 - “White as Snow” (Richard Watkins)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLroC6LRRks (2:12)

Kanye West - “All of the Lights”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afvMLRkLY6w

The Who - “Pictures of Lily”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BmkBroiw1s (1:25)

The Who - “Tommy Overture”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cryRk9uyAA (0:38, 1:11, 3:04)

No YouTube videos available:

Hem - “Sailor”

Natalie Merchant - "Life is Sweet" (Tom Varner)

Dawn Upshaw – “My Ship”

Finally...

This would have been SO much better with live horns!!

*UPDATE: Here's a cool arrangement of "The Final Countdown" played by the German Brass!
*UPDATE (12/10/11): Beirut - "The Akara", http://youtu.be/-ZuQolFrVik

Scales Practice Chart

2011-03-17T20:30:00.001-04:00

Here's a handy practice chart to help you stay organized when practicing your scales with a tempo goal in mind. You can check off or color in the boxes as you are able to play each scale at each tempo.
The tempo indications are for quarter-notes. I have my students play their scales with this rhythmic pattern:

They play their scales up and down, 2 octaves, tongued, followed by the arpeggio. Click on the link and you can download and print the chart.

Scale practice chart

Priorities in Performance

2011-03-11T15:21:00.003-05:00

   When you're performing in front of people, your first responsibility is to the audience, then to the composer. So, if the composer wrote something that you can't play without diminishing the experience for the audience, then change it, leave it out, or something! (sorry, composers) Nobody likes to watch/hear someone struggling with their instrument. You have a responsibility to those people who have taken precious time out of their lives (which they'll NEVER get back) to come hear you play. No pressure...

   Your responsibility to your audience also comes before yourself. I'm reminded of Rick Warren's immortal line: "It's not about you." Some performers--especially students--seem to put their own pride first by insisting on performing something that they can't really pull off technically. Ironically, they end up bringing more shame to themselves by trying to be macho. They could retain their pride by altering the music if necessary to allow for a polished performance, and almost nobody would even know they didn't play exactly what was on the page.
   For example, there's this little ditty in the third movement of Mozart 2:

   If you can't play this with all the trills by the time your recital comes along, then it's MUCH better to leave out the trills than to make a mess of it. There are no bonus points for effort in music!
   If you can't gracefully play that low A-flat at the end of Nocturno, then take it up an octave rather than spoil the mood you created by playing the previous two pages beautifully.

   Now, some very important caveats...

   This post is not intended to let you "off the hook." Long before your recital, you should pick your repertoire carefully, so that you don't choose music that you won't be able to play well. Furthermore, you should do your absolute best to learn the music as written, and you should only change something as a last resort.
   Of course, it's always good to pick a piece that will stretch you and help you grow as a horn player and musician. If you chose a piece in good faith, believing that you had a solid plan of attack to conquer all of its challenges before the performance, and you worked as hard as you could but find yourself still struggling with a note or trill just days before a performance, then you should exercise discretion (the better part of valor) and do what's best for your audience.
   I'm curious if anybody feels strongly the other way?

SEHW 2011

2011-03-07T12:54:00.002-05:00

   The 2011 Southeast Horn Workshop was this past weekend in Boone, NC on the campus of Appalachian State University. My students and I had a great time! A big thank you to the hosts, Karen Robertson and her students, for putting on a top-notch event.

   I'm a real sucker for horn workshops, and I love attending the recitals and lectures, and looking through all the exhibits. But, the best part about these events now, for me, is getting to see so many old friends.
   I played on a Regional Artists Recital Saturday morning at 10am. I performed four out of the six movements of "Cornucopia" by Thomas Dunhill. I didn't realize that so few people know about this work. It's a really nice piece that should be performed more often. It works great on recitals, and is a good option for student juries, too. It's published by Boosey & Hawkes, and is available here. Michael Thompson recorded the piece on this CD. Here's a YouTube video of a performance...

   Later that day, I conducted the WCU Horn Choir on two pieces. My students played really well, and I'm very proud of them! On Sunday morning, David Jolley complimented me on the Horn Choir's performance - that was neat!

The "headliners" who performed on the evening concerts were John Ericson, David Jolley and Gail Williams. All three of these players made it look and sound so easy - it was really inspiring! Over the course of the weekend, I had nice conversations with both Jolley and Ericson (who--along with Bruce Hembd--writes the king of all horn blogs, Horn Matters). It's always nice when such great players are pleasant people, too.
If I had to pick just one, the highlight of the workshop for me was the Military Horns Recital. I'm sure this is due, in large part, to the fact that many of my old friends were involved. The ensemble playing was just spectacular, and the programming was really enjoyable. The spiffy uniforms don't hurt! (click for larger images)

Finally, I want to give a shout out to all my fellow professors in the Southeast Region. I heard so much GREAT playing on the regional artists recitals! I am very proud to be part of a group of colleagues who really practice what they preach!

Practice Tips

2011-02-01T12:12:00.002-05:00

This is a list that I gave to my students at one of our weekly Studio Classes last semester. It was partly an outline for the discussion we had, and partly a list that they could refer to as a reminder during their practice time. In many cases, each of these items could serve as the basis for a separate blog post--and I may discuss many of them in greater detail in the future--but here they are all together! We can all use reminders of these things occasionally. I've only given credit on a couple items, but very few of these ideas are original.

If you're a student, I encourage you to read the list slowly, and let each item really sink in - some of them have HUGE implications. If you want further clarification on anything, please ask. Happy practicing!

Get a good warm-up – consistent daily routine

Consistency is the key to consistency. You cannot cram for a lesson or performance.

What is “Deliberate Practice”?

Quality over Quantity

Practice with your brain switched on all the time

You should be drained mentally and physically

Form deteriorates with fatigue – bad habits can creep in

30-45 minutes in a session, maybe an hour

-2 or 3 smaller sessions a day are much better than 1 huge session

Practice efficiently – don’t waste your time

Listen to your body – take breaks, esp. during warm-up

Have a plan – for the hour, day, week, etc.

Schedule your practice time, and stick to it!

Prioritize practice (Beware of Marching Band!)

If you always sound good in a practice room, then you’re practicing the wrong things.

“Failure” is where it starts – it’s an opportunity to improve

Difference between “learning” and “practicing” – Farkas

-You only start “practicing” a passage when you can play it correctly

Use a metronome and tuner

-train your ears & rhythm – don’t become dependent on the tools

Use a pencil

Make a decision, then mark it - you can change your mind later.

Take notes during lessons and practice – keep a notebook/log/journal

You have to have the ideal performance in your mind with crystal clarity, then listen intently to compare what you’re playing to that.

-"You must sing all the music in your imagination, as you play, with such intensity, conviction and energy that the little that "leaks" out into the music as it is heard will ravish the listener." - Keith Hill and Marianne Ploger (www.musicalratio.com)

-Listen to great players for tone and technique.

-Listen to a recording of your piece over and over

Record yourself

Get outside opinions

Be hard on yourself, but also patient with yourself

Be your own worst critic, and your own biggest fan!

Go sloooooooooooooow!

Play it right many more times than you play it wrong

Do whatever you have to in order to have success (i.e. play something "perfectly") then build on that foundation (add notes, get faster, etc.)

Practice small chunks

Keep score – penny game

Balance detail work with “continuity” work

Break it down, build it up (out of context, then work it back in)

Use a good airstream always!

Invent abstract exercises to overcome obstacles

Practice extremes – play it even faster, higher, louder, etc.

Resources

Books: Practiceopedia and The Practice Revolution by P. Johnston

The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle

Talent is Never Enough by John Maxwell

The Art of Practicing by Madeline Bruser

Web: http://www.essential-music-practice.com/

http://www.insidemusicteaching.com/ (by Philip Johnston)

http://www.practicespot.com/home.php (by Philip Johnston)

http://www.howtopractice.com/

http://www.howtopractice.com/content/50-websites-will-improve-your-music-practice

http://www.usma.edu/band/Resources/practice.htm
“The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance” (article by K. Anders Ericsson, Ralf Th. Krampe, and Clemens Tesch-Romer) available as a PDF download at: http://projects.ict.usc.edu/itw/gel/EricssonDeliberatePracticePR93.pdf

Raise Your Expectations

2010-12-03T12:49:00.001-05:00

I have a sign in my studio that says

Raise your expectations

   This is as much a reminder to me as to my students. Too often, I find myself settling for less than my best because I simply forget how good it could be! Sometimes I'll be listening to one of my favorite horn recordings that I haven't heard in a while, and I think "Oh yeah - I want to sound like THAT!" I get inspired all over again, and my expectations are raised. Here are some tips to make sure you're not settling for less than your best:

   1) Listen to lots of great horn playing, so you're constantly reminded of what's possible on our instrument (the greatest instrument of all!).

   2) Get inspired by great musicians on every instrument. Don't accept the "limitations" of the horn. Try to play the Bach Cello Suites like Yo Yo Ma!

   3) Acknowledge when you do something well, but always ask "how could it be better?"

Now, here's something inspiring!

Know the Score!

2010-12-03T12:18:00.000-05:00

   Here at Western Carolina University, my students are fortunate to be accompanied by piano faculty when they perform in recital. Whenever possible, I like to attend their rehearsals so I can help them through any ensemble issues that might arise and offer feedback to the student on how to improve their performance before they take it to the public. Many of my students have never performed with a piano until they get to college.
   The number one piece of advice I would give to any student preparing to rehearse with an accompanist for the first time is: Know the score! You really need to know the piano part in great detail. (Obviously, before you get with your accompanist, you better have YOUR part absolutely nailed!) Knowing the score, and how your two parts interact and fit together, will make rehearsals run MUCH smoother, and will allow you to actually play as an ensemble rather than as a soloist with some nice piano music playing along.
   So, how do you get to know the score? Spend some time looking at it while listening to a recording of the piece, and notice how the parts interact. Yes, you are the soloist, but there are times when you will need to listen and react to what the piano is playing. This is especially true if you're playing a sonata, like the Beethoven, where the horn and piano are more equal partners. As you're listening, mark some cues in your part that tell you which beat the piano plays on, or what rhythmic pattern they have. This will save valuable time during rehearsals (rehearsal time is money!). Also, listen to the piece over and over even without looking at the score, so you get the music inside you, and you can hum the piano part while the horn part is resting. When you practice, have the accompaniment running in your mind vividly, like a soundtrack.
   In addition to knowing the score, the next best piece of advice I can give for playing with an accompanist is to lead. Play with confidence, and establish your tempo, and your accompanist will fall right in line. This assumes that you have a clear musical plan, and that you have practiced enough that you can execute it. (Remember, you also need to know when to follow, and that comes from knowing the score.)
   The best part about making music is making music with other people. So, know the score, and you'll be able to make music with your accompanist instead of just making music next to them!

Ugly Soft, Ugly Loud

2010-10-10T11:32:00.000-04:00

   A point that I have to make often in lessons with my students is that in order to expand your dynamic range, you have to go beyond the point where it sounds good. Get out of your comfort zone. I call it "ugly soft" and "ugly loud." If you don't push your limits, you won't improve. This is true for most things in life.

If we keep doing what we're doing, we'll keep having what we're having.

   Related to this topic is the "Someone Might Be Listening Syndrome," which causes students to play things they're good at over and over in the practice room, while ignoring the passages or aspects of their playing that really need work. I don't know who said it first, but "if you always sound good in the practice room, then you're practicing the wrong things." Maybe it was Tuckwell. (He's kind of the Mark Twain or the Yogi Berra of the horn world; most clever quotes are attributed to him!)

   Let me be clear: I'm not advocating playing with an ugly sound in performance. This is merely a practice tool. The goal is not to achieve an ugly sound! The goal is to be able to play louder and softer with a beautiful sound. In order to achieve this, you have to spend time practicing in the "Ugly Zone."

   The traditional long tones with crescendo/diminuendo are the #1 best way to expand your dynamic control, because they take you gradually into and out of the "Ugly Zone," and it's easy to track your progress as the "Ugly Zone" gets pushed farther and farther in either direction. I know what some of you are thinking, but if you're focused on everything you should be focused on while practicing long tones, they are NOT boring!

   Besides these long tones, another great place to practice these "extreme dynamics" is in etudes. I'm a big fan of Kopprasch (my students don't always share my enthusiasm), and I always write something at the top of the first page in my students' books that my first teacher wrote in mine:

p=ppp
f=fff

   Too often, students are afraid of getting outside their comfort zone, and therefore they don't improve as fast as they might.   There is always an adjustment period, whenever we're trying to build new skills or expand existing ones. Think of a baby learning to walk. It looks pretty awkward when he/she tries taking their first steps, and there will be stumbles and falls. But, they can't go on crawling forever!

   Don't be afraid of sounding bad in practice. Be more afraid of sounding bad in performance! Attack your weaknesses!

The Power of Yielding

2010-06-14T15:51:00.002-04:00

The idea of yielding is a powerful image for me in many areas of life, but it also has applications in horn playing. I first came across this idea in college, in the book Thinking Body, Dancing Mind, by Chungliang al Huang and Jerry Lynch. To me, this book is right up there with The Inner Game of Tennis on the list of must-haves for performing musicians.

The authors discuss yielding mostly as it relates to slumps or injury. In my horn playing, the idea of yielding reminds me not to fight it when my chops are a little "out of whack." Maybe I'm stiff from too much playing the day before, or maybe my lips feel a little puffy from allergies, or a little thin from taking decongestants. Instead of struggling to get it to feel "normal," I can yield a little--meaning work with what I've got--and get a perfectly acceptable result (sometimes a better result) with much less effort and frustration.

"Do the best you can with what you've got."

"Don't work the horn, play the horn."

   When it's time to play the big solo, or time for the recital to begin, you have to choose your battles, manage your energy, and do what's necessary to get the best result you can, at that moment.

   Yielding is about being flexible, and letting go of the need to be "right." This comes much easier to some personality types than others.

   Beyond horn playing, yielding has many useful applications in life. In many circumstances, there is great power in yielding. Yielding is not the same as simple weakness, or defeat, because it is proactive. Yielding does NOT mean giving up. When you encounter an obstacle or opposing force--whether you have the upper hand or not--by yielding, you can exert control over the situation. Thus, the power of yielding.

   I remember a really great analogy that relates to the power of yielding; I just don't remember exactly where I heard it or read it. I think it was in Thinking Body, Dancing Mind, but I couldn't find it when I quickly skimmed back through the book. It goes something like this...

   Suppose that a small river is flowing toward something you don't want to get wet. You can stand in the way of the river, perhaps with a large timber, and try to stop it. But you will quickly become exhausted, and the river will inevitably overwhelm you and continue its course. However, imagine that you yield to the force of the water, and angle your position. Then, you can alter the course of the river, and accomplish your goal even while the river continues flowing.

   I could ramble on about that little story for a while, but I don't want to go on too long. I hope that image will stick with you like it does me. I love the idea that yielding doesn't mean a lack of effort, it means less effort, and using your energy more efficiently and for better results. By yielding, you can confront obstacles that at first seem overwhelming, and actually achieve your goals.

   Remember, this involves letting go of the need to be right, and the need to have it your way (sorry, Burger King). Is it more important that you were the first one at the stop sign, or that you not have a fender bender in the intersection? Is it more important that your spouse see it your way, or that you have peace in your home? Is it more important that your horn students play from a particular etude book (Kopprasch rules!), or that they learn to be better horn players?

SMBQ China Tour 2010

2010-06-10T22:27:00.003-04:00

   This has been a record-setting year for me, as far as travel is concerned. I just got a passport for the first time back in the Fall, and now I've been to Argentina and China in the past 3 months!
   The SMBQ had a 2-week tour of China from April 27th - May 10th. I couldn't possibly relate all the amazing experiences we had in this blog - I don't know where to begin! I think I'm still processing it myself, in some ways. Looking back at the pictures, it's hard to believe that we lived all those great moments.

   We played 8 concerts in 8 days, in 8 different cities. In one stretch, we flew 5 days in a row! The people, sights, and food were all incredible. Words really can't describe my impressions of the trip. We ended the tour with a couple days in Beijing - no concerts to play, just sight-seeing.

Here are a few of my favorite highlights:

The Terra cotta Warriors in Xi'an

Touring the Li River in Guilin

Tiananmen Square

Overlooking the Forbidden City from the top of Jingshan Park

The Great Wall

The trip has been well-documented on the SMBQ site, thanks to the Herculean efforts of David Ginn, one of our trumpet players. See this page for a sampling of the 45 GB (!) of pictures and video that we took between all of us. And, David also put together a really fantastic photo journal of the tour, where you can read some commentary to go along with the pictures.
I also wrote an entire blog devoted to our food experiences on the trip, which can be found here. Ever heard of Drunken Shrimp? You've got to read about it (and watch some video) to believe it! For further reflections about the trip from various members of the group, browse the blog section of the SMBQ site.

Isla Verde Bronces 2010

2010-03-03T14:30:00.001-05:00

During the first week of February, I had the opportunity to travel to Argentina to be the "Profesor de Corno" at the 4th Annual Isla Verde Bronces. This international brass festival was created by Fernando Ciancio, Principal Trumpet at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.

What an amazing experience!

This was actually the first time I ever had a reason to use a passport. The only other time I've been out of the country was on a cruise to Mexico. So, this was an epic adventure, full of many "firsts."

I flew into Buenos Aires, where I was greeted by Fernando, Alex Rodriguez (from Venezuela), and Brandon Craswell (from UGA) - all 3 trumpet players, but very nice guys nonetheless! After a brief respite at Fernando's house, we crammed into a van and rode 5 hours toward the middle of the country, to a small town called Isla Verde.

It was the middle of summertime in the southern hemisphere, and very few of the places in town had air conditioning. We sweated. While I was sweating, my wife, son, and mom were snowed in without power for almost 3 days!

Isla Verde is a VERY friendly little town, and the support for the festival is really amazing. Everyone involved with the festival (more than 50 participants, plus faculty) stays free of charge in a host home, and all the food and drinks for the communal meals are donated from the townspeople!

Speaking of food, you may have heard something about Argentinian beef. Well, they know meat. We ate more meat that week than I think I usually do in a month - but it was all delicious! It was not uncommon for 1 meal to include chorizo, pork chops, steak, lamb ribs, and more! Occasionally we had a little salad or pasta with our meat. Here's what my plate looked like one night AFTER I had finished eating all the meat...

The grill where all the magic happened...

There were many remarkable things about the meals. Breakfast was very small, usually just a type of square biscuit, and some coffee. Most days I supplemented this with a granola bar I brought from home or a banana, because we didn't have lunch until 2pm! After lunch it was time for a siesta, which we needed, because we didn't sleep very long at night. Concerts didn't start until 9:30pm, then we ate dinner AFTER that, usually at 11, but sometimes as late as 12:30am!!

Each morning was full of teaching in a group setting. We usually did a group warm-up and technical exercises, then had individuals play in a masterclass setting. After a break, we'd read horn ensemble pieces, or play orchestral excerpts. One of the best things about this week was the quality of the "students," who were mostly already playing professionally in Argentina and the surrounding countries. They were phenomenal, and had chops of steel (labios de acero)! Whenever we took our "breaks," they kept right on playing! When it got too stuffy in the classroom, we moved out to the breezeway...

Second from the left in the above photo is Edward Brown, an American who has been playing professionally in Santiago, Chile for nearly 40 years! He was in charge of the chamber music groups for the festival participants. It was really a pleasure to get to know him and make music with him. He has all kinds of great stories about many great horn players of old!

I had 4 years of Spanish in high school, but had forgotten most of it. In the weeks leading up to the festival, I refreshed my memory using LiveMocha.com, a very useful website. I also had a few email exchanges in Spanish with some of the folks associated with the festival. So, it was a real treat to be able to use some Spanish while I was down there, although I was extremely grateful for the translators they provided for the American teachers! I knew just enough Spanish to get some help from some locals when I walked about a half-mile in the wrong direction on my way to one of the concerts!

Each of the professors played some solo works with piano on one of the concerts. I played a few short selections: Adagio and Presto by Carlo Tessarini, Gliere's Intermezzo, and Alla Caccia by Alan Abbott.

We also had an ensemble of the professors, which was a lot of fun! I got to stand in front and play solo on Stardust!

Besides being the farthest I've ever been away from home, this was also the longest I've been apart from my bride since we were in high school! I missed home terribly, and used some high tech stuff to keep in touch. The first few days were the toughest, when they were without power and internet at home! This was my command center that I'd set up in the corner of the dining hall.

I'm fairly tech-savvy, but there were some tough obstacles to overcome. The best solution we ended up with was using Skype on my ipod touch for the audio, and LogitechVid on the laptop for the video. If you look carefully at the above photo, you can see Julie and Tyler on the screen!

The final day, we were able to spend the afternoon walking around Buenos Aires, which was another highlight of the trip! It was also a bit of a shock to be in such a metropolitan place after spending a week in such a small town. Special thanks is due to our translator Ximena, who lives in Bs As and guided our tour. She was a tremendous help the entire week!

I made many new friends, and had so many amazing experiences on this trip. I was really enamored with the spirit of the Argentinian people, and their boundless zest for life! For more pics, see my Facebook profile.

Little Einsteins

2009-11-03T10:27:00.006-05:00

My 3-year old son, Tyler, loves this show - "The Little Einsteins." Each episode features a piece of visual art, and a piece of classical music. I was very pleasantly surprised one day to hear Mozart's 2nd Horn Concerto coming out of the TV - who says TV is bad for kids?

This especially caught my attention, because I'm currently working on memorizing Mozart 2 for a performance at the end of the month with the Western Carolina Civic Orchestra. But the more I watched, I realized they were doing some funny things with our beloved Mozart. The featured piece is billed as the Rondo from K. 417, but they freely mix in a couple other familiar Mozart movements, including the 2nd movement of Mozart 3, the 3rd movement from Mozart 4, and a couple tunes I don't even recognize!

Other fun highlights include when the Little Einsteins sing the tune, and one of the characters (Quincy) plays the horn. My favorite is when they follow the swimming "French Horn" through the ocean in YouTube Part 3! In Part 4, they play a clever countermelody on the conch shell.

Here's Part 1. I highly recommend watching all 4 parts, but if you're pressed for time, Part 3 is my favorite.

Unfortunately, I can't find out who the horn player is. Some of it sounds a lot like the Alan Civil recording I have. Anybody have any other guesses?

On a somewhat related note, I came across this other gem on YouTube...

Hindemith's Horn Sonata

2009-09-24T15:39:00.005-04:00

Tonight I'll be performing the Hindemith Sonata in F (1939) on a faculty recital. Each of our brass faculty are performing a solo piece. While doing a little fast and dirty "research" to find some things to say about the piece before I play it, I came across some interesting stuff.

In my approach to this piece, and in my teaching, I've always said that this is generally not "happy" music. And that has always made sense to me, considering that Hindemith was German, and this piece was written in 1939, just before WWII broke out. The Nazis were in power, etc.

Well, I found out that Hindemith's wife was Jewish. This was news to me. In 1938, Hitler's anti-Semitic campaign was already well under way, and Hindemith and his wife emigrated to Switzerland. Then in January of 1939 - the year the Horn Sonata was written - Hitler officially announced his plans to exterminate all European Jews.

In light of these facts, it really is no wonder that the Sonata has always seemed a bit dark and aggressive to me. There were some interesting things I came cross about Hindemith's relationship to the Nazi party, too. It seems he even wrote some music for them - I can only imagine that it was done under duress or in fear. But that's all beyond the scope of this blog for now.

Plan Your Work; Work Your Plan - A 3-Step Plan

2009-09-05T14:27:00.008-04:00

This post is inspired by the "beginning of the semester pep talk" I've been giving to my students lately.

1) Plan your work.

Plan when you are going to practice. Don't expect practicing to "just happen!" Look at your planner for the week, and make "practice appointments" with yourself. (Btw, you should have a planner/calendar of some kind - paper or electronic.)

Plan what to practice. Prioritize your practice based on what needs the most attention, or what needs to be learned the soonest (for an upcoming performance or lesson). Don't just sit down and start making noise. Your time is extremely valuable; use it wisely! Don't waste all your time playing the stuff you already do well. I think it was Tuckwell who said "If you always sound good in the practice room, you aren't practicing the right things."

2) Work your plan.

Once you've looked at your planner and made those practice appointments, KEEP them! Stick to your plan, unless there is a legitimate reason to change it. (An invitation to join some friends on a Starbucks run is not a legitimate reason.)

3) Make sure some things are more important than work.

Faith, family. The best musicians I know lead full and balanced lives. They do lots of interesting things besides practice. This post is basically about priorities. Of course, to be successful as a musician, you must make your practice time a very high priority. Nevertheless, sometimes life gets in the way. And sometimes, the best thing for your playing is to rest. Be flexible when you have to.

Let's Get Physical

2009-07-29T15:58:00.016-04:00

I hope the title of this blog entry reminds you of the Olivia Newton John song. :o) Alas, I'm showing my age. I did just have a birthday recently. I actually got to perform with her a few years ago, when she did a pops concert with the Macon (GA) Symphony - that was fun! It was the biggest crowd we ever had! She didn't wear the 1980's work-out gear, though.

Anyway, besides having a birthday recently, I also had surgery on my left shoulder to repair some cartilage that was torn in my car accident last September.

So, my left arm is in a sling for at least a couple more weeks. This makes my life VERY hard and frustrating, but I'm doing my best to maintain a positive attitude.

I started trying to play the horn again a few days ago, after an 11 day lay-off. I've had several of these little "vacations" from the horn in the past; getting my chops back is only a small part of the equation this time. That is usually frustrating enough by itself. But this time, I've got my left arm to rehab at the same time. At first, I could only play for 15 or 20 minutes; not because my chops were so flabby, but because my arm and shoulder hurt. Today, I've practiced 2 sessions, totaling a little more than an hour, and my arm has improved. But, it's still uncomfortable to play, and I have to be careful to keep as much weight as possible off my left arm. I've found that I can turn 90 degrees to the left in my chair and rest my left elbow on the back of the chair. Sometimes I also cross my legs (don't tell my students!) so I can actually rest the bottom of the bell tail on my left thigh. This allows me to play the horn, but my posture--and breathing--are greatly compromised.

My chops will bounce back much sooner than my shoulder. I started physical therapy this week, and will have to do it for 3 to 6 months! Hopefully, by the time I'm given the OK to quit wearing the sling, I'll be able to hold the horn in my usual posture.

Anyway, the inspiration for this post is that I was reminded in a big way that playing the horn is a physical activity. I would be willing to bet that many students don't ever think much about physical exertion below their chin while playing. The truth is, we're using a lot more muscles than just those in our embouchure when we play. We use our arms. (I don't think of the horn as a heavy instrument, but now I can hardly hold it!) And, we use muscles throughout our torso, front and back, to inhale and exhale properly. (At least we should!) We can get so wrapped up in thinking about what's happening in the mouthpiece that we take the rest of our bodies for granted. Pay attention to your shoulders, your arms, even your legs and feet if you're standing, and of course, your breathing. Make sure everything's working efficiently, and not detracting from your music-making. When you're performing, how you look matters too, but that's a topic for another time.

So, the REAL reason for this post is to remind us that we need to work hard when we breathe and when we play. I don't mean the kind of hard work that creates unnecessary tension. I just mean don't be lazy! Even when I'm not recovering from surgery, I can sometimes get lazy with my breathing. I know I've asked every one of my students to "take a bigger breath" and "blow faster air" many, many times. After a long rehearsal, concert, or practice session, you should be worn out - and not just in your face!

"Work hard" is sort of a mantra of mine. A "swing thought." I used to have a small piece of paper taped to my practice stand that had 3 of these swing thoughts on it: "No Bumps" reminded me to play with smooth slurs, "Lock it in" encouraged me to fix mistakes only once, and "Work Hard" kept me going when I felt lazy or tired. I want to work hard by giving everything I've got to my practicing and playing--physically, mentally, emotionally.

Actually, "work hard" is a phrase that serves me well in many areas of my life. Like I said, I can be lazy if I'm not careful. When I go to throw something away and the garbage can is full, instead of cramming it in there, I can work hard and take it out. Instead of leaving my cereal bowl on the counter, I can work hard and put it in the dishwasher (why are you snickering, Mom?).

And it's not just about chores. I plan to work hard at my physical therapy exercises to get my shoulder back to 100%. If you're a student, you should work hard on all your assignments. It's about having higher standards for yourself than anyone else sets for you. It's about enduring a little unpleasantness now to achieve a worthwhile goal later.

Any level of excellence or success that I've achieved is because I made the choice to work hard instead of taking the easy way. I hope you'll do the same.

Teach technique or music?

2009-07-12T11:25:00.005-04:00

I recently took Nathan Stark's survey about accuracy on the horn. Any horn players/teachers are invited to participate. Some of the questions and response choices got me thinking about the different approaches some teachers take.

Some teachers are very "technique-oriented." They spend lots of time explaining things like airspeed and tongue position, and how the lips should move a certain way, etc. Others are very "music-oriented." They spend most of their lessons talking about what the mood of this piece is, and what childhood memory that brings to mind, and telling students to close their eyes and imagine the scene - then "play the scene," or to play this like your girlfriend just dumped you, etc.

Truthfully, most of us fall somewhere in between. In my own teaching, I make use of both tactics, but I definitely lean strongly towards the "technique-oriented" model. This is certainly influenced by the fact that most of my students are young undergraduates who have had little private instruction before they get to me. If I were teaching mostly grad students with already polished technique, then I'm sure I would spend more time waxing poetic about musical metaphors.

However, even in my own practicing, I am very "technique-oriented." I know many musicians believe that if you focus on the music, the technique will take care of itself, but I believe if you focus on the proper technique, then the music will take care of itself - sort of. Please keep reading...

We've all heard technically impeccable performances that were extremely dull and boring. That certainly isn't what I want. The desired result is a musically moving experience for your audience (if you enjoy it too, that's a bonus). The technique must serve the music. The technique is a means to an end. If I have the greatest musical intentions in the world, but I don't have the technique to execute them, then those intentions are useless.

I remember reading an article by Pip Eastop a long time ago that stuck with me, called "Vanishing Technique." In it he talks about his obsession in his own teaching with technique, so that his students can make whatever music they want, and neither they nor the audience is distracted by the technique involved. His website is really great, and I highly recommend that you check it out.

Focus obsessively on technique in your practice, so that your performance can be as musical as possible.

(Disclaimer: My primary job is to help my students become good musicians. Since they've chosen the horn as their musical medium, I must help them become good horn players in order to make good music. I do spend time equipping them with good musical sense, and helping them develop their musical instincts.)

When I'm performing, music is much more my focus (as long as I've practiced properly), but I'm also thinking lots of technical thoughts, too. There are times when I get so "in the zone" that it's like I'm a member of the audience, just enjoying the music like everyone else, but this is the minority of the time. My job is to give the audience a good musical experience. Like I said before, if I enjoy it too (which I usually do), then that's a bonus.

The magician isn't as spellbound as the audience, because he knows how the trick is done. And he's busy doing it!

SEHW 2009

2009-04-01T09:41:00.015-04:00

I’m finally getting around to putting down some of my thoughts about the 2009 Southeast Horn Workshop, which I hosted at WCU March 6-8. When I first took the job at Western Carolina University in the Fall of ’06, my predecessor (Alan Mattingly) told me that he was scheduled to host the workshop in ’09, and that I was welcome to take it over, since he was moving outside the region to the University of Nebraska. I was excited by the idea, and jumped at the opportunity. So, in some ways, this workshop was 2 and a half years in the making! I can say now that I didn’t really know what I was getting into!

By January ’08, I was really getting serious about the planning, because I wanted to be able to announce the dates and guest artists at the ’08 SEHW in Columbus, GA in February. For over a year, hardly a day went by that I didn’t take some steps toward putting this thing together. I didn’t have a graduate assistant in the horn studio, so almost every detail of the planning was up to me. On top of all the work that was going into the SEHW, my wife and I decided to build a house (we move in May!), and I had to deal with the aftermath of a car accident on September 1st, ’08. It wasn’t my fault, and I still haven’t settled with the other party’s insurance. Both of these major life events have meant tons of phone calls, faxes, meetings, physical therapy, and stress! I don’t recommend mixing either of these things with trying to plan a workshop!!

As the event got closer, I did get some excellent help from some of my students, who sorted through the registrations and assigned competition times, helped coordinate the T-shirt orders, and made signs for the building and the road pointing people in the right direction. During the workshop weekend, my students, and my Phi Mu Alpha brothers, were AWESOME!! They took care of anything that anybody needed, and did it with a terrific attitude. I can’t thank them enough for their work!

Also, my parents deserve a special mention, because they came up from Florida, and stayed the entire week. They worked extremely hard, and also took care of Tyler, allowing Julie to come to some of the events of the workshop. I’ve known for a long time that I am incredibly blessed with awesome, loving parents, and they proved it again. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Now, about the weekend itself… It exceeded my expectations! We ended up with over 300 registrants, which is a SEHW record! All my advance planning paid off in that once things got started, the workshop pretty much ran itself. One of the best parts of the weekend was getting to see a lot of old friends again, and getting to make some new ones. The horn world really is a small one. It pays to be nice to everyone, b/c you will see them again!

Another nice thing about being the host, is getting to spend some more time with the guest artists. I’ve known Jeff Nelsen for a few years, but this was the first time I’d met Roger Kaza and his wife, Patti Wolf. Besides being world-class musicians, all three of them are super nice, and fun to hang out with! Julie and I met them for some North Carolina barbecue at the Dillsboro Smokehouse Thursday night when they arrived. Roger and Patti warned me that this was risky, taking a couple Texans out for barbecue! In the end, I think the NC ‘cue won their approval. Or maybe they were just being polite?

One of the downsides to being the host is that I couldn’t attend everything I wanted to, because I was running around taking care of things. Some of the highlights of the weekend for me were (in chronological order):

1) Roger Kaza’s recital Friday night. Wow! What GREAT playing (Patti too)! As one of my colleagues said: “Roger may be the best horn player in the world and nobody knows it.” It’s true that he’s kinda under the radar as far as horn soloists go, but his playing is superb.

2) The military horn players’ recital Saturday afternoon. Most of these guys are great friends of mine, and I was thrilled that they were able to come be a part of the SEHW. They all sounded awesome, and they ended the program with “Fire in the Hole” for 5 horns. This was just a really pleasant program, with great playing, good variety, an exciting finish, and…the whole thing was under an hour, which was appreciated at that point in the weekend!

3) Jeff Nelsen’s recital Saturday night. This was a huge highlight for me, because Jeff decided to do a lot of chamber music on his program, and I got to play on several tunes! He is such an awesome player—and such a great showman—all the crowds love him! He played some solo stuff, some duets with Roger, and then I got to join them for a trio. I almost passed on this opportunity, b/c I knew I’d be super busy with hosting duties, and I thought it would be nice to be able to just sit and enjoy the evening concert, but I’m sooooo glad that I decided to do it. I finally realized that if I have the opportunity to play with Jeff Nelsen and Roger Kaza, I should definitely take it! I was thrilled and honored to share the stage with them—it was a blast!

Then Skip Snead joins us for a 4tet arrangement of Bach's Air on the G String. Skip was my teacher in grad school, and is Jeff's cohort in the TAHQ.

Finally, 2 of my students (Ashleigh and Lizzie) came out, and we ended the program with a great arrangement of Ashokan Farewell for 6 horns.

Oh yeah, and in a gag to be talked about in horn gatherings for ages, Roger stepped in and played the accompaniment to Strauss 1 (quite well, I might add)!!

4) "Bohemian Rhapsody" on the final concert! I am really happy that this came together. I know from past experience that these Artists Ensembles can be hard to pull off, mostly because it's hard to get us college professors to commit. But, as my friends will tell you, I'm persistent! So, I was able to assemble more than enough people to play this, including a full rhythm section, and it was a perfect ending to a great weekend! Jeff Nelsen generously agreed to play 1st, and Roger Kaza conducted! I'm playing 15th part, on an F Wagner tuba rented from the Atlanta Symphony!

All in all, I had a blast during the workshop! But, I'm glad I won't be hosting again for a while!

Recital vs. Road Race

2009-02-07T13:45:00.008-05:00

I'm such a bad blogger! It's been 6 months since my last post! (I realize the date above says February, but that's just when I started the draft - the publishing date is June 12, 2009) But, I've had several ideas started as drafts, and hopefully over the summer I can be more productive. Thanks to John Ericson for giving me a little nudge over lunch at the IHS workshop in Macomb. If you haven't looked at his blog, it's WAY better than mine!

In May of 2008, I took up running for fitness. I still consider myself a beginner. In my typical fashion when getting into a new interest, I've been reading a lot about running over the past year. One of my favorite resources is runnersworld.com. If you're into running, and you haven't looked at runnersworld.com, you MUST check it out! They have an unbelieveable amount of information about all things running-related. For a long time, I didn't subscribe to the magazine, because they had so much great stuff on the web! Finally, I gave in and subscribed, because it was only $1 an issue.

One interesting thing I've picked up on is that runners seem to run harder in a race than they ever do in training. I understand giving that extra effort on race day, but the distance shouldn't be anything new, right? For a lot of marathoners, the longest training run they ever do is 20 miles. A marathon is 26.2 miles - no wonder so many people say those last 6 miles are so hard!

I think of a recital as a marathon of sorts. It can be very tiring physically and mentally. But I wouldn't dream of going onstage without having "covered the distance"several times in training.

I don't recommend doing anything on stage that you haven't practiced A LOT!

In fact, I believe in "over-preparing"--by skipping intermission in my trial run-throughs, or getting to the end of the program, then practicing some more--just so I know that I can finish strong on the performance, even when the nerves are in high gear.

Now, I've never run a marathon, so I don't know firsthand what it feels like. But, if I were a serious marathoner, I'd want to know that I could run 30 miles if I had to, so that I could toe the starting line on race day with complete confidence that I can cover the 26.2 miles that lie ahead.

Of course, most marathon runners are amateurs, just doing it for the thrill and the finisher's medal. I have much more at stake when I play a recital - I'm "going for the gold!"

It's also important to remember that there are no style points in running - all that matters is that you finish the course and do it in as little time as possible. You can't "limp across the finish line" of your recital - that would be a terrible way to end!

May you always finish strong!

Wine Tasting and Listening (to the Horn, not the wine)

2008-12-03T22:41:00.000-05:00

I don't know much about wine. I know when I taste one I like, and when I taste one I don't like, but that's about it. The following is a description from wine.com of Wynns Shiraz 2005...

The nose shows intense dark fruit aromas, dominated by plums, raspberries and stewed rhubarb. Well integrated oak components add vanillan depth and eloquence.

If you're like me, your forehead is wrinkled after reading that. And that's just the "nose," or how the wine smells; they haven't even gotten to the complex flavors yet. "Stewed rhubarb!?" I don't have the slightest idea what that smells like, and I'm not sure I want to. Obviously, the wine expert who wrote that review recognizes a LOT more detail in the aroma and flavor of wine than I do.

In the same way, there is a big difference between the way I listen to horn playing, and the way my students listen. Too often, they are content just to hit the right notes in the right rhythms, when I can't help but notice the "crud" between the notes, the lack of air support, the bumpy slurs, the inconsistent attacks, the uneven tone color which is generally out of character for the piece anyway, and so on.

To progress to the next level as horn players, or just as musicians and future band directors, my students need to "train their palate" to be more sensitive to these finer details. A big part of my job is to help them develop this sensitivity. One of my basic philosophies of teaching is that my goal is to make myself unnecessary. In other words, I want to give my students the tools they need to be their own teacher.

I don't like to make things unnecessarily complex. There is a time to keep things simple (that's the subject of my next blog), but when we practice - or teach - we need to strive relentlessly for perfection. And that means examining EVERY nit-picking detail. Don't settle!

A Perfect Performance is a Hole-in-One

2008-12-03T21:54:00.000-05:00

This is an article that I wrote for a class in grad school, and was later published in The Horn Call XXXV, No. 1 (October 2004): 107. I like golf a lot, but I only play a couple times a year. I see a lot of parallels between golf and horn-playing: two very difficult pursuits. Please comment and tell me what you think!

Every musician understands that no matter what degree of perfection and consistency has been achieved in the practice room, the actual performance of a piece of music is full of certain unpredictable, uncontrollable elements that can render the final effect anywhere from exquisite to abysmal. These include external variables such as the audience, the environment (temperature, lighting, noise), or the time of day, and internal variables including anxiety, fatigue, and mental distractions. There are also other, more intangible factors, which we horn players often describe in terms of “the lip,” as in “my lip feels great tonight,” or “my lip just doesn’t feel right.” Nevertheless, these intangibles can have a significant impact on the performance.

Golf is much the same way. Just as different musical performances can vary in their effectiveness, playing a hole on the golf course can result in a birdie, par, or bogey (or worse!). For the readers who are not “golf-literate,” a par is achieved by reaching the hole in the expected number of strokes, a birdie is one stroke less than par (3 strokes on a par 4 hole), and a bogey is one stroke more than par (5 strokes on a par 4 hole). Keep in mind that the lower the score, the better. The premise of this article is to examine the similarities between playing a piece of music and playing a hole on the golf course, envisioning a “perfect” performance as a hole-in-one.

For the purposes of this article, a “perfect” performance will be defined as one that fulfills the performer’s expectations as an ideal execution of the piece of music. It is necessary to specify the performer’s expectations as the ones being met because evaluating a musical performance is much more subjective than evaluating someone’s performance on the golf course. Every witness to a hole-in-one would easily agree that a golfer’s ball went into the hole on his first stroke and that it is impossible to achieve a better score on that hole. However, even after hearing a musical performance in which not a single note was missed (I know, rare indeed!), every member of the audience may have a different idea of what constitutes a perfect performance of that piece of music, due to different tastes and preferences regarding tempo, dynamics, articulations, tone colors, etc.

Before the golfer ever schedules a tee-time, and before the musician books the concert hall, there is a great deal of preparation that takes place. Whether on the driving range or in the practice room, the approach and methods are very much the same. The focus is on the fundamentals: the building blocks that make good horn playing, or a good golf game. The horn player will practice long tones, scales, arpeggios, articulations, lip trills, flexibility exercises, high notes, low notes, loud playing and soft playing. The golfer will practice hitting a variety of shots with a driver, a 3-wood, the long irons, and the short irons, as well as chipping and putting. In short, both the musician and the golfer will practice all aspects of their respective endeavors in a generalized way, in order to transfer those skills later to a more specific setting: a particular piece of music, or a particular hole on the golf course.

Different holes on the golf course are labeled a par 3, 4, or 5, depending on their length and difficulty. In the same way, the performer has a concept of the relative difficulty of different pieces of music. For example, Mozart’s Concerto No. 1, K. 412, might be considered a “par 3,” the Saint-Säens Morceau de Concert would be a “par 4,” and Richard Strauss’ Second Horn Concerto would certainly be a “par 5.” On the stage or on the tee, a hole-in-one is much more likely on a par 3, and would seemingly require super-human abilities on a par 4 or 5.

An important thing to remember in both golf and music is that there is more than one way to achieve equivalent results. Even if you hit your first shot into the trees it is still possible to save par, which would be comparable to a satisfactory, but not exceptional, performance. Indeed, two golfers could both get holes-in-one on the same hole, but could have approached it in very different ways, even with different clubs. Going even further, it is safe to say that no two golf balls would take the exact same path to the hole.

Whether performing a piece of music, or playing a hole on the golf course, there are going to be hazards along the way. There is a lot to be said for practicing how to get out of trouble once you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation. The golfer who always picks his ball up and tosses it out of the sand trap while practicing is not going to be well prepared if he finds himself in the sand during a tournament. It is very important to practice complete run-throughs, without stopping, to learn how to deal with mistakes as they come. These dress rehearsals, along with visualizing the audience and the actual performing conditions, will result in a much better prepared golfer or musician.

Despite careful preparation, there are times when everyone will make mistakes, partly due to those intangibles mentioned earlier. For the golfer, this means sending your ball into the sand, or the deep grass, or worse yet to be lost forever in the woods, or the lake! For the horn player, this may mean botching the “big lick,” miscounting the rests, having a memory lapse, or finding yourself so far off-track in a passage that you are unable to recover. In these extreme cases, the best thing to do is to take a deep breath, drop your ball in the fairway, and play your best for the remainder of the hole. It is important to be able to put your mistakes behind you, and not let them interfere with the rest of the performance. Otherwise, thinking about those mistakes while trying to continue playing will only serve as a distraction, creating a snowball effect that could turn into an avalanche.

In summary, I recommend that every horn player find some time on occasional weekends to play golf. The two pursuits share countless similarities, probably because they are both so difficult to master. Analogies between playing golf and playing the horn, such as those discussed here, could fill a small book, and advances made in one can lead to a greater understanding of the other. When that little white ball frustrates and exasperates you (which it will), just remember how much time you’ve put into the horn to achieve a level of comfort and skill. But be advised, too much time golfing and not enough time playing the horn will certainly not help the latter!

In both golf and music, a hole-in-one is elusive, yet attainable. However, if this level of performance has been achieved once, it can sustain our spirits through several “bogey” outings.

What is Your Swing Thought?

2008-12-02T12:22:00.006-05:00

OK, here comes another one about golf and horn playing!

Both pursuits involve complex physical and mental processes. But, in both cases, the complexity can really get in the way of what you're trying to do, whether you're 90 yards out, trying to land the ball 10 feet past the hole and have it spin back to within 5, or if you're staring at 2 measures of rest followed by a high F entrance marked "Solo," as in the opening of Bruckner's 4th Symphony.

If the golfer gets bogged down by all the little things that he needs to get right--keep your head still, set the ball back in your stance, choke down on the club, get a good shoulder turn (but not too much!), release your wrists through the ball, follow through, etc--then he's going to find it very difficult to swing the club with the free, fluid motion that's required. Since there are about a million little things the golfer could try to think about as he swings the club--but doing so would leave him utterly paralyzed--golfers have what they call a "swing thought." This is a single word or short phrase which serves as a kind of mantra, that they can focus on, thereby clearing their mind of all the other stuff. This might be "stay on plane," "release the clubhead," "easy," or as Chevy Chase said in Caddyshack, "be the ball."

I really like this idea of a swing thought, and I apply it in my horn playing and teaching.

Why? Because having a cluttered mind is a hindrance to a good performance. You need to be relaxed mentally, and as relaxed as possible physically, for optimum performance. I firmly believe that a "relaxed" performer will put the audience at ease, and enable them to enjoy the performance more. Besides the benefit to the audience's attitude, the performance will actually be better, if the performer has a clear mind and relaxed body. By "relaxed," I don't mean you're not nervous, or under pressure. Perhaps a better description would be "in command." It certainly makes the audience uncomfortable when the performer is obviously struggling with the physical demands of the instrument.

Keep in mind, there are no magic words (except "please," like your parents taught you). No "abra-cadabra," or "Kopprasch-cadabra." The swing thought needs to be a sort of trigger so that, if you get that right, most other things will take care of themselves. Those other things will only take care of themselves if you've honed those skills through hours of diligent practice.

(As I'm writing this right now, I'm keeping one eye on the TV as Tiger Woods plays his first tournament in 9 months after knee surgery. He, of course, is playing well. Wouldn't you love to know what goes on in his head as he makes some of those shots?)

So, how about a concrete example of a swing thought for horn playing? One of my favorites applies to the scenario of a soft entrance in the mid-high to upper register. In this situation, the most common pitfall is trying to sneak in, and then the anemic squeak that comes out (usually late, and preceded by some airy fuzz) is a result of not having the airspeed fast enough at the outset of the note. So, the swing thought that gets me through is the idea of launching a paper airplane. Your fingers grip the plane lightly but securely. Your arm moves forward swiftly, yet gently. At just the right moment, your wrist articulates the release of the plane, and it sets sail. If your arm hesitates, or moves too slowly, or you let go too late, the plane dives for the floor. I just have to release the note like I release the airplane, and it will soar gracefully.

More often than not, my swing thought is really just a feeling, with no words attached. A feeling that can't be put into words, or doesn't need to be--or shouldn't be. These feelings come from many hours of practicing certain passages or techniques. These kinds of swing thoughts allow for the most free mind during performance. Ideally, what's going through my mind while I'm playing is music, not words, or clever analogies. I can focus my mind completely on the MUSIC, and trust my body to turn those thoughts into sound through the horn. Now, that's ideally. In reality, I usually need a little help in certain passages, in the form of words, reminders.

So I think I have an idea what goes through Tiger's head as he swings the club. It's most likely just a vision of exactly how the ball should fly, or how that swing should feel.

Now we need our own name for a swing thought. Play thought? Sound thought? Blow thought? Hmmm. Any ideas?