Saturday, July 30, 2011

FBSMC 3, Instruction 4, Part 1

More On Personal Art

This video starts to deepen and gives insights into the huge possibilities and benefits of discovering one's Personal Art.

In the course of these videos on Personal Art, we will look into different angles of approach. The most important thing in this for those who are interested, is to just try. To spend a little time each day in our free expression time and just play. See if you can play without music. If this is too difficult, then find a piece that matches how you are feeling at the moment. If one is not available, play a piece you have on hand but play it from how you are feeling. Try to let go of expectations. In part 2 of Instruction 4, more will be said to help you on your way into this amazing territory. I hope that you are also spending some time with each of the contemplations as they appear. They are also there to help and encourage you in the unfoldment of your own special art.

Friday, July 29, 2011

FBSMC 3, Contemplation 4



Close in..


Urge to find

What stops?

What urges?

Give it time... personal time.. your time..

You to you... and watch it unfold.. it will if you keep at it

'It' wants you to..

You want 'It' too..

To stand in your own treasure and not know 'It'.. why?

Give a little time for 'It'..

'It will make itself known to you..

You making yourself known to you..

Sounds like a good start doesn't it?

Thursday, July 21, 2011

FBSMC 3, Instruction 3, PERSONAL ART

This is the first approach into the fascinating, wonderful and curious realm of Personal Art.

It is so easy to get lost in all of the things we think we should be doing that we can loose ourselves sometimes in the process. This can be very useful in certain processes and not beneficial in others. See what Video 5, Instruction 3 can do to enliven this vital territory in your music QUEST!

Friday, July 15, 2011

FBSMC 3, Contemplation 3

The law of accumulation is different to that of growth and refinement.

One can accumulate all sorts of things. Just go into peoples attics, basements or garages! You will see much that has accumulated over the years. Much of those items have a history with them that might have significance in one's past. But accumulation of experiences do not equal growth unless there is thought and direction that can sort out what needs to be dropped off and what needs to continue  and what needs to go through a refinement process and journey. This is governed by the motivating force of one's musical or life goals at any given time throughout a person's life.

So, there is a natural discarding or letting go that takes place on the journey-quest isn't there?

Like, maybe we don't have to write the slide positions over all the notes anymore.
Maybe we don't have to take a certain breath in a piece we've been working on anymore because our breathing has changed and we have more embouchure efficiency. But, maybe we still find mouthpiece playing useful so we continue it and find more effective methods in it's practice and further applications.

Think of the things we will always need as brass players.
-Air (lungs and diaphragm, etc.)
-Embouchure (teeth, lips, facial muscles etc.)
-a body…
-a mind...

Those aspects will certainly change throughout our playing career so don't be alarmed when they do! Good MAINTENANCE PRACTICE will keep you in touch with your needs.

Change can really alarm people when it seems to threaten their playing for example. Maybe we are not supposed to play the same our whole lives. Maybe our view of what is good playing needs to find a new outlet and viewpoint so we can continue to the next levels. Maybe those levels are UNKNOWN and they are not based on the criteria of what we thought good playing was or is.

Think on this: Our bodies do not maintain a youthful form forever. (I know that!) Either do our sounds, ranges and technical facilities stay youthful forever. Can we find the expression through what we can do at any given level? This is really a contemplation for players who are feeling the effects of 'age'. You do not need to be 65 to feel this change. It can happen at anytime. This is the value of 'playing' with the territory and being in touch with our physical, emotional and mental selves, (a three overlay system) so we can move with the changes and make course directions, pit stops and tune-ups along the way. It is vital to EMBRACE these changes and not AVOID them.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Frequency Bone Summer Music Connection 3, another take in case it helps!

Here is another take on Instruction 2 in case it helps. Plus there are some extra points to consider and 'play' with!

Friday, July 8, 2011

Frequency Bone
Summer Music Connection 3

Instruction 2

This video will expand the territory of discovery further with more demonstrations and insights to encourage your own process.

Letting go. What does this mean and when is it or can it be important? In this video, I am wanting people who are interested in discovering more about their playing, and themselves in it, to drop some of the bias we can build up over time. If I give a student who is studying with me a task to work on, it is important that they do it and see what that process does to them. Part of discovery is letting ourselves get out of the way, usually letting go of certain concepts like: never use alternate positions in the orchestra, or never think 'er' for a syllable in our tone, or our tongue should never change positions for different registers. The list goes on and is not the same for everyone. Let yourself feel what you need and that discovery can take time. But! If you let yourself 'play' by taking away worry, by not thinking of right or wrong based on some previous conditioning, things will start to unfold. But! Don't put a time expectancy on it.

Remember, everything has a spectrum of expression. Make sure you give yourself room by balancing between what you will allow and what you will not. This is part of the process. Breath the freshness of new possibility into yourself!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Frequency Bone
Summer Music Connection 3

Contemplation 2

Let it
Direct it
Drop it
Stop it
Keep it
Do it

Which one or ones applies to you at this moment?

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Frequency Bone
Summer Music Connection 3


Knowing ourselves is a process that does not happen overnight. The same is true about our playing. In the hustle and bustle of practicing to get better, to win auditions, to keep up our skill for the job, how much time do we allow ourselves to 'play'? Oh, we probably play the horn a lot! But, what about letting ourselves explore the territory of our instrument. The sandbox of tone color, syllables, articulations. To let ourselves play with our sounds like a kid plays with silly putty. Yes it can bend, make shapes, be thin or fat. If we would only let ourselves discover it. Not just tone of course, but every aspect of our art. How could this not help us in discovering ourselves and our own wonderful uniqueness? This video takes a look at discovery and 'playing' with our sounds.

After watching this video, I hope you also take some time to do the Contemplation 1 that is on the post before this one. Build an attitude that loves discovery! It will open up so much new territory for you!

Friday, July 1, 2011

Frequency Bone
Summer Music Connection 3:
Contemplation 1

Discovery… uncover… find, look, play with

don't wait for someone else to do it for you
most lessons with people can be that way
they wait to hear the next bit, BUT!

are they/we awake during the practice?

feeling, noticing, sensing trying and waiting…
BUT! not impatient or in boredom



Children play.. they are serious about their play
Really IN IT they are.. lost to the world
this is the state of concentration, one pointedness

Or a mother lion protecting her young..
there are many examples..find some examples and ask yourself:

How does my focus compare in it's intensity to the examples I've found?