Thursday, March 26, 2015
New Video---Right Down The Middle Of The Horn
I talk for 15 minutes in this video, but it's all about playing right down the middle of the horn. For me, this is the sweet spot on the instrument. Give it a shot, and hear me out...I hope it helps!
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Does Your Setup Really Make A Difference? (No, I mean REALLLLLLLY)
Ok, I really mean it. Does your setup really make that much of a difference? I mean, does your horn to the mouthpiece, ligature and reed actually do something for you?
Yes and no.
Your Horn
Your horn helps you up to a point. Wooden horns sound a little nicer because they are made of wood and have thicker walls. A horn with a larger bore gives you more room to move the sound around. An extended horn allows you to play notes you cannot play on a standard horn. Certain horns have notes that are right in a sweet spot, but most instruments are VERY similar. A new horn or a nicer horn is not going to make you suddenly better. It's great to have a nice horn (I have a very nice horn,) but that horn does not make me a good player. You cannot learn to play with your eyes on another prize. Learn to play what you have, plan to get something better in the future maybe (but never blame the horn as long as it is adjusted properly.) Yes, broken horns suck, but you can even learn to play past certain leaks if you're really dedicated. However, everyone can go to the shop (and most of the time your school band will pay for it.)
Your Mouthpiece
Mouthpieces make a big difference, and they are much cheaper than instruments. You can play any mouthpiece you want, but it has to be the right one for you. You NEVER EVER play a mouthpiece simply because someone told you to. I don't care if Jesus whittled it by hand out of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. I just don't care. The price of the mouthpiece of whatever other marketing they use is NOT helpful to you unless the mouthpiece is actually nice for you to play. This is why you order mouthpieces on approval and try them.
Your Ligature
Ligatures provide response, but they do not make you a better player. They do not allow you to do anything, but they do give you a certain level of response. It is like the ammunition you put in a gun. You can get the regular bullets, or you can get armor piercing rounds or you can go all military and get fragmentation rounds that explode when they hit a target. Your ligature does the same thing, you're in a first person shooter with your ligature. You can use something soft like a Rovner for softer response, or you can use a metal ligature for more crisp response. The metals and materials make a difference, and you could spend a LONG TIME thinking about which one to use. These ligatures do not make you better, but they allow you to do the things you already know how to do.
Your Reeds
Your reeds make a HUGE difference. Go watch my videos and you can tell which reeds were good and which were not. It's pretty obvious. They die, and you have to rotate them. They can make a HUGE difference if they are too hard, and they will squeak at you all the time if they are too soft. You can spend a lifetime finding the right reeds, but they are the biggest predictor of your success because they directly interface with your air to make sound.
Notice how I never said any of these things makes you better. I have actually seen marketing for ligatures and mouthpieces with "testimonials" of people saying that that product "allowed" them to do....whatever. Guess what, if you need a specific product to do something that is relatively standard, you're not practiced enough at it yet. You should learn how to do the thing really well, they you can do the thing on ANY equipment, but you can look for the equipment that makes it the EASIEST to do the thing?
If that made any sense...
Yes and no.
Your Horn
Your horn helps you up to a point. Wooden horns sound a little nicer because they are made of wood and have thicker walls. A horn with a larger bore gives you more room to move the sound around. An extended horn allows you to play notes you cannot play on a standard horn. Certain horns have notes that are right in a sweet spot, but most instruments are VERY similar. A new horn or a nicer horn is not going to make you suddenly better. It's great to have a nice horn (I have a very nice horn,) but that horn does not make me a good player. You cannot learn to play with your eyes on another prize. Learn to play what you have, plan to get something better in the future maybe (but never blame the horn as long as it is adjusted properly.) Yes, broken horns suck, but you can even learn to play past certain leaks if you're really dedicated. However, everyone can go to the shop (and most of the time your school band will pay for it.)
Your Mouthpiece
Mouthpieces make a big difference, and they are much cheaper than instruments. You can play any mouthpiece you want, but it has to be the right one for you. You NEVER EVER play a mouthpiece simply because someone told you to. I don't care if Jesus whittled it by hand out of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. I just don't care. The price of the mouthpiece of whatever other marketing they use is NOT helpful to you unless the mouthpiece is actually nice for you to play. This is why you order mouthpieces on approval and try them.
Your Ligature
Ligatures provide response, but they do not make you a better player. They do not allow you to do anything, but they do give you a certain level of response. It is like the ammunition you put in a gun. You can get the regular bullets, or you can get armor piercing rounds or you can go all military and get fragmentation rounds that explode when they hit a target. Your ligature does the same thing, you're in a first person shooter with your ligature. You can use something soft like a Rovner for softer response, or you can use a metal ligature for more crisp response. The metals and materials make a difference, and you could spend a LONG TIME thinking about which one to use. These ligatures do not make you better, but they allow you to do the things you already know how to do.
Your Reeds
Your reeds make a HUGE difference. Go watch my videos and you can tell which reeds were good and which were not. It's pretty obvious. They die, and you have to rotate them. They can make a HUGE difference if they are too hard, and they will squeak at you all the time if they are too soft. You can spend a lifetime finding the right reeds, but they are the biggest predictor of your success because they directly interface with your air to make sound.
Notice how I never said any of these things makes you better. I have actually seen marketing for ligatures and mouthpieces with "testimonials" of people saying that that product "allowed" them to do....whatever. Guess what, if you need a specific product to do something that is relatively standard, you're not practiced enough at it yet. You should learn how to do the thing really well, they you can do the thing on ANY equipment, but you can look for the equipment that makes it the EASIEST to do the thing?
If that made any sense...
The Second Video Is Finally Ready!
I won't recap 15 minutes of talking, but here it is:
http://youtu.be/q1Tmfh60VLY
Just a talk about extracting as much sound as you can get from your instrument without sounding like a lunatic.
http://youtu.be/q1Tmfh60VLY
Just a talk about extracting as much sound as you can get from your instrument without sounding like a lunatic.
Monday, March 23, 2015
The First Video Is Up (And It's About Tone....Oooohhhhhhh)
I could posted anything for my first video. I could have played some ridiculously high mess, or I could have growled, flutter tongued and techniqued my way through the video, but that doesn't really hold my interest. I can do all those things, but I feel like Quigley. I didn't say I didn't know how to do that, I just said I didn't have much use for it.
So, I started with tone: The video is here https://youtu.be/uK3P3EYSuqs and it's just me playing Amazing Grave at the bottom of the instrument with a lot of resonance, a little volume and many styles and speeds of vibrato. I would never release that as an album, but it is something that I would use to teach.
You have to get all the sound out of your instrument that you can, and it's kind of hard to do that when you are not actually blowing air into the instrument or thinking about it. I blab for like 15 minutes in the instructional video (which is coming soon), so go watch if you want a primer in thinking about your sound (and yes, I've thought about it a lot.)
Happy hunting!!!!
So, I started with tone: The video is here https://youtu.be/uK3P3EYSuqs and it's just me playing Amazing Grave at the bottom of the instrument with a lot of resonance, a little volume and many styles and speeds of vibrato. I would never release that as an album, but it is something that I would use to teach.
You have to get all the sound out of your instrument that you can, and it's kind of hard to do that when you are not actually blowing air into the instrument or thinking about it. I blab for like 15 minutes in the instructional video (which is coming soon), so go watch if you want a primer in thinking about your sound (and yes, I've thought about it a lot.)
Happy hunting!!!!
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Is Anxiety Normal In Music?
The short answer is no, it's not. If you feel extra anxious all the time, you are dealing with a real disorder that a therapist can diagnose. I was anxious nearly all the time for over 30 years before I realized "Hey, that might be a problem." Students today are anxious for a number of reasons, but I was recently reminded of ways in which anxiety is used against people (especially kids.) If you feel like you need someone to talk to, please go to see a licensed therapist or counselor.
#1: Great People Don't Get Nervous
Well, that's not true. Pavarotti used to wretch before every performance because he was so nervous, yet he's considered the greatest tenor to ever live. Hmmmmmmmm. I also once heard someone say that "You know you're supposed to be doing something when you don't get nervous." That could not be further from the truth. People who care get nervous, people who don't care don't feel a thing.
#2: You're Just Getting Yourself Worked Up
Well, little kids do that when they don't get what they want, but that ends REALLY quick. They can turn it on and off because they are trying to get what they want. When you are "worked up" and you don't know know why or you can't turn it off, you are most assuredly not "getting yourself worked up."
#3: People Who Use Your Anxiety Against You
I think my college band director was the absolute worst in this area. First, you need to understand that there are band directors out there who think playing mind games with you is going to produce a great band. If you feel like your director is messing with your head, you need to report them. I'm not saying you need to get them fired, but someone needs to sit them down and tell them to stop. Many times, these are well-meaning people who learned this technique from assholes....they don't see the error of their ways because they think it's normal. If they get one talking to about it, they usually realize how messed up it is.
Anyways, people saying things to you like "if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen" is rude, disrespectful, unfounded and unprofessional/unethical. My college band director used to say that to a flutist in the band, and now she has a doctorate in performance. So what if she got extra nervous? Does that suddenly make her a bad person and player? No, but that is exactly how he made it sound, and the pall in the room when he made these comments was apparent. Again, that shit is not right, and it has to stop.
#4: Getting A Little Push
This does not include facing your fears. If you have massive performance anxiety, there are healthy ways to tackle it. If you could never imagine playing a recital by yourself, maybe you could do a chamber recital with a couple friends so you're not alone. You may also want to ask your counselor or therapist what they think would help. Getting a tiny nudge is not abusive...getting shoved on stage by someone is abusive. There's a big difference.
#5: Your Anxiety Is Not A Joke
I will never forget the time I heard a band director tell a girl in the band that she was a good player...until she got a boyfriend. That was in front of the WHOLE band. I recall distinctly that it was a new relationship, and she was trying to juggle that, hoping it would work out (because he really was a nice guy) and all her school/band stuff. Or, my college band director telling me that "If you're so anxious, why do you want to stand on a podium and talk to people?" First, I never said I was anxious, but we had a conversation where I admitted personal things to him that he twisted around to make me feel bad. That's not right.
Anyone who is using your anxiety as a joke or treats anxiety like a joke in general is someone to be avoided. Again, if it is someone in authority over you, you need to report them. In 2015, you are more than likely going to get some kind of relief when you do so.
#6: Can You Be A Good Musician?
I watched people quit their music major left and right when I was in college. They changed majors for a variety of reasons, but I know for sure that many of them just felt this overwhelming anxiety that they did not feel when they changed their major. One girl told me (on changing her major to psychology) that it was just simpler. Since we know that psychology is not simple....you can do the math.
You can be a great musician if you're anxious, you can be the best musician in the world if you're anxious, and you are not broken if you're anxious. Anxiety sucks, and intense anxiety sucks even more, but it is not a catch-all to tell you that you can't do something. The simple fact is that you can do anything you want when you surround yourself with people who understand you.
(This is the point at which someone will say "Well tough, that's the real world and people don't have to cater to you." I never said anyone should cater to you, but being a little understanding is just common decency. If you are confronted with people who suck, you can always turn to your friends at the end of the day for comfort. If you feel alone, the world of Tumblr is pretty big, and there are some nice people on it. If you think you'll never find people who understand you, I promise that you will. It may take some looking, but they're out there somewhere.)
Who you surround yourself with and who you encounter, those are two totally different people groups. The people you surround yourself with are the two, three, four people who know ALL your shit. I mean all of it, and they're still around. Those are lifelong friends. Everyone else is someone you encounter. You can deal with the people you encounter when you have people surrounding you. Just don't forget the difference, and don't think you have to do it alone, because you don't. You're not broken, anxiety is real and it is crippling for some. We should all have a little compassion where it's concerned.
#1: Great People Don't Get Nervous
Well, that's not true. Pavarotti used to wretch before every performance because he was so nervous, yet he's considered the greatest tenor to ever live. Hmmmmmmmm. I also once heard someone say that "You know you're supposed to be doing something when you don't get nervous." That could not be further from the truth. People who care get nervous, people who don't care don't feel a thing.
#2: You're Just Getting Yourself Worked Up
Well, little kids do that when they don't get what they want, but that ends REALLY quick. They can turn it on and off because they are trying to get what they want. When you are "worked up" and you don't know know why or you can't turn it off, you are most assuredly not "getting yourself worked up."
#3: People Who Use Your Anxiety Against You
I think my college band director was the absolute worst in this area. First, you need to understand that there are band directors out there who think playing mind games with you is going to produce a great band. If you feel like your director is messing with your head, you need to report them. I'm not saying you need to get them fired, but someone needs to sit them down and tell them to stop. Many times, these are well-meaning people who learned this technique from assholes....they don't see the error of their ways because they think it's normal. If they get one talking to about it, they usually realize how messed up it is.
Anyways, people saying things to you like "if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen" is rude, disrespectful, unfounded and unprofessional/unethical. My college band director used to say that to a flutist in the band, and now she has a doctorate in performance. So what if she got extra nervous? Does that suddenly make her a bad person and player? No, but that is exactly how he made it sound, and the pall in the room when he made these comments was apparent. Again, that shit is not right, and it has to stop.
#4: Getting A Little Push
This does not include facing your fears. If you have massive performance anxiety, there are healthy ways to tackle it. If you could never imagine playing a recital by yourself, maybe you could do a chamber recital with a couple friends so you're not alone. You may also want to ask your counselor or therapist what they think would help. Getting a tiny nudge is not abusive...getting shoved on stage by someone is abusive. There's a big difference.
#5: Your Anxiety Is Not A Joke
I will never forget the time I heard a band director tell a girl in the band that she was a good player...until she got a boyfriend. That was in front of the WHOLE band. I recall distinctly that it was a new relationship, and she was trying to juggle that, hoping it would work out (because he really was a nice guy) and all her school/band stuff. Or, my college band director telling me that "If you're so anxious, why do you want to stand on a podium and talk to people?" First, I never said I was anxious, but we had a conversation where I admitted personal things to him that he twisted around to make me feel bad. That's not right.
Anyone who is using your anxiety as a joke or treats anxiety like a joke in general is someone to be avoided. Again, if it is someone in authority over you, you need to report them. In 2015, you are more than likely going to get some kind of relief when you do so.
#6: Can You Be A Good Musician?
I watched people quit their music major left and right when I was in college. They changed majors for a variety of reasons, but I know for sure that many of them just felt this overwhelming anxiety that they did not feel when they changed their major. One girl told me (on changing her major to psychology) that it was just simpler. Since we know that psychology is not simple....you can do the math.
You can be a great musician if you're anxious, you can be the best musician in the world if you're anxious, and you are not broken if you're anxious. Anxiety sucks, and intense anxiety sucks even more, but it is not a catch-all to tell you that you can't do something. The simple fact is that you can do anything you want when you surround yourself with people who understand you.
(This is the point at which someone will say "Well tough, that's the real world and people don't have to cater to you." I never said anyone should cater to you, but being a little understanding is just common decency. If you are confronted with people who suck, you can always turn to your friends at the end of the day for comfort. If you feel alone, the world of Tumblr is pretty big, and there are some nice people on it. If you think you'll never find people who understand you, I promise that you will. It may take some looking, but they're out there somewhere.)
Who you surround yourself with and who you encounter, those are two totally different people groups. The people you surround yourself with are the two, three, four people who know ALL your shit. I mean all of it, and they're still around. Those are lifelong friends. Everyone else is someone you encounter. You can deal with the people you encounter when you have people surrounding you. Just don't forget the difference, and don't think you have to do it alone, because you don't. You're not broken, anxiety is real and it is crippling for some. We should all have a little compassion where it's concerned.
Surviving Band: Part Two (Your Mental State)
I want to refer to my previous disclaimer...I hope your band is filled with cool people and your band director is the nicest person in the world, but I have met too many jackasses to believe that it's all sunshine and roses :) If the negative portions of this do not apply to you, that is a good thing. I just want to help people who are struggling with music.
This is an essay for ALL music students, music majors, band students in high school or college. This is the most important essay, in my opinion, because it deals with your mental state. Music is not supposed to make you crazy, and it is not supposed to make you doubt yourself. I just want to cover some myths that are wrong.
#1: Real Music Teachers "Guide" You To Learning
This is utter nonsense. A real music teacher is going to actually teach you. Sure, there are things that you have to go off and do on your own, and you would have likely done that anyway. But, you cannot do everything on your own. Your teacher has to give you real information. Someone told me recently that real music school is frustrating and that's ok. Uh, no it's not. You are paying good money for an education. If your teacher or professor is too lazy to give you clear answers to your honest questions, they need to get another job.
#2: It's All For The Band
Yes, there is a lovely knitting together that goes on in your band. Your band director likely preaches about doing things for the good of the band, and that is a noble ideal. I love it. You simply need to make sure that what you do for the band does not crush your own spirit. If doing things for the good of the group is killing you in the inside, it's time to stop. There comes a time when you have to take care of yourself. There has to a balance, and bending over backwards for the band (or your band director) can get very unhealthy.
#3: What About Your Resume?
Never ever ever ever ever ever ever skip out on things that would go on YOUR resume for something that will go on your band director's resume. Your band director gets to take credit for everything that the band does, but you need to make sure you are doing things that you can take credit for, as well. I did one thing in high school that I could actually put on a CV. One. And believe me, I did A LOT of playing. I only did one thing in college that I can put on a resume. One. So, I won 42 auditions in seven years, but only one of them actually helps me today. There are MANY things I skipped out on for the band (or some such thing) when I should have doing things for myself. Yes, do things for the band, but make sure you are doing things for you, too. This is where people get burnt out.
#4: Music Is Not Depressing
Sure, some music sounds depressing, but music itself should not be depressing. Music school should not be depressing. You should not be crying in a practice room, and you should not dread rehearsal. This is not an accusation, let me be clear. I am merely saying that something is out of balance if you feel dread and depression around your music career. It's ok to be a little discouraged now and then. That happens. But you should not feel this way ALL the time, and it is not a #musicmajorproblem. That's bullshit, and it's unhealthy. If it's a professor or teacher that makes you feel this way, you need to run in the other direction as fast as you possibly can.
#5: Help People
Music is not a kill or be killed proposition, but some teachers pit students against one another. You can easily find yourself hoping that other people fail, and that is not cool when you step back and think about it. Band or orchestra is not dog eat dog. Yes, someone will win an audition, but it is not a good thing that someone played badly, or didn't like the way they played or placed in a low chair that they are unhappy with.
Music is not mean in any way, and you should NEVER get on people about how they play. If you have perfect pitch, for example, you cannot be a jackass about it. Your observations have to be helpful. Trust me, I've seen it used badly. If you are first chair, help the last chair person in your section, they will be forever grateful. If someone is scared before an audition, comfort them.
#6: If You Don't Like It Anymore, You Are Not A Bad Person
If you wake up one day and you just cannot stomach band or chorus or whatever, it's ok to walk away. There may be something else that you want to do instead. You should not feel the pressure to stay if you are TRULY not enjoying it. One bad day is one thing, but months of dread and sadness should be a sign that might need to reevaluate. Never judge someone who needs to walk away from an activity, and support them after they leave. I have heard band directors characterize this move as selfish, rude and disrespectful. It is none of those things. You are doing what is best for you when you know you have run out of options.
#7: Teachers Get To Be Rude
Um, no. I could shock you with some of the things I have heard and been told. That's that. Rude teachers are still assholes. The title teacher or professor does not wash them clean. I have worked with emotionally abusive people, and they can make you think it's YOUR fault. It probably isn't. Most teachers are well meaning people, but you need to realize when you have run into someone who is messing with your head because they will do it to somebody else after they're done with you.
Again, I hope this is not happening to you today, but I see enough posts on Tumblr to make me think it's a real problem. I hope all is well, but if it isn't, I hope these words can help you move in the right direction. I can help if you need, but if you don't talk to me (which is totally cool and understandable since I'm a total stranger) then you need to talk to somebody.
Peace.
This is an essay for ALL music students, music majors, band students in high school or college. This is the most important essay, in my opinion, because it deals with your mental state. Music is not supposed to make you crazy, and it is not supposed to make you doubt yourself. I just want to cover some myths that are wrong.
#1: Real Music Teachers "Guide" You To Learning
This is utter nonsense. A real music teacher is going to actually teach you. Sure, there are things that you have to go off and do on your own, and you would have likely done that anyway. But, you cannot do everything on your own. Your teacher has to give you real information. Someone told me recently that real music school is frustrating and that's ok. Uh, no it's not. You are paying good money for an education. If your teacher or professor is too lazy to give you clear answers to your honest questions, they need to get another job.
#2: It's All For The Band
Yes, there is a lovely knitting together that goes on in your band. Your band director likely preaches about doing things for the good of the band, and that is a noble ideal. I love it. You simply need to make sure that what you do for the band does not crush your own spirit. If doing things for the good of the group is killing you in the inside, it's time to stop. There comes a time when you have to take care of yourself. There has to a balance, and bending over backwards for the band (or your band director) can get very unhealthy.
#3: What About Your Resume?
Never ever ever ever ever ever ever skip out on things that would go on YOUR resume for something that will go on your band director's resume. Your band director gets to take credit for everything that the band does, but you need to make sure you are doing things that you can take credit for, as well. I did one thing in high school that I could actually put on a CV. One. And believe me, I did A LOT of playing. I only did one thing in college that I can put on a resume. One. So, I won 42 auditions in seven years, but only one of them actually helps me today. There are MANY things I skipped out on for the band (or some such thing) when I should have doing things for myself. Yes, do things for the band, but make sure you are doing things for you, too. This is where people get burnt out.
#4: Music Is Not Depressing
Sure, some music sounds depressing, but music itself should not be depressing. Music school should not be depressing. You should not be crying in a practice room, and you should not dread rehearsal. This is not an accusation, let me be clear. I am merely saying that something is out of balance if you feel dread and depression around your music career. It's ok to be a little discouraged now and then. That happens. But you should not feel this way ALL the time, and it is not a #musicmajorproblem. That's bullshit, and it's unhealthy. If it's a professor or teacher that makes you feel this way, you need to run in the other direction as fast as you possibly can.
#5: Help People
Music is not a kill or be killed proposition, but some teachers pit students against one another. You can easily find yourself hoping that other people fail, and that is not cool when you step back and think about it. Band or orchestra is not dog eat dog. Yes, someone will win an audition, but it is not a good thing that someone played badly, or didn't like the way they played or placed in a low chair that they are unhappy with.
Music is not mean in any way, and you should NEVER get on people about how they play. If you have perfect pitch, for example, you cannot be a jackass about it. Your observations have to be helpful. Trust me, I've seen it used badly. If you are first chair, help the last chair person in your section, they will be forever grateful. If someone is scared before an audition, comfort them.
#6: If You Don't Like It Anymore, You Are Not A Bad Person
If you wake up one day and you just cannot stomach band or chorus or whatever, it's ok to walk away. There may be something else that you want to do instead. You should not feel the pressure to stay if you are TRULY not enjoying it. One bad day is one thing, but months of dread and sadness should be a sign that might need to reevaluate. Never judge someone who needs to walk away from an activity, and support them after they leave. I have heard band directors characterize this move as selfish, rude and disrespectful. It is none of those things. You are doing what is best for you when you know you have run out of options.
#7: Teachers Get To Be Rude
Um, no. I could shock you with some of the things I have heard and been told. That's that. Rude teachers are still assholes. The title teacher or professor does not wash them clean. I have worked with emotionally abusive people, and they can make you think it's YOUR fault. It probably isn't. Most teachers are well meaning people, but you need to realize when you have run into someone who is messing with your head because they will do it to somebody else after they're done with you.
Again, I hope this is not happening to you today, but I see enough posts on Tumblr to make me think it's a real problem. I hope all is well, but if it isn't, I hope these words can help you move in the right direction. I can help if you need, but if you don't talk to me (which is totally cool and understandable since I'm a total stranger) then you need to talk to somebody.
Peace.
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