June 2019

Practice

Perspective can be a wonderful thing. I saw this video ad felt it had so many great ideas and answers that many young players would benefit greatly to hear. For those of us further along the journey it can provide positive reflection for those moments when we question why we do trumpet or music. Chris Gekker is an amazing player and person. This interview made me smile and I couldn’t imagine “saying it” any better.

CHRIS – ” a short conversation” with trumpet player Chris Gekker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIGGheAYkUk

Listening

Vladimir Peskin: Trumpet Concerto n. 1 in C minor for Bb trumpet and piano (1948). III. Allegro scherzando. Often when I talk to my students about what are their priorities as they are learning a new piece the list of ideas is something like: the notes, the rhythms, dynamics. I have now gotten most to say sound first. Some will mention pitch or tempo. I keep saying what is the story they want to tell and what is the character or emotion the audience should feel. I think if you start with story and or character it will change your phrasing and the way you use your air. For me, how I phrase and think about the music changes things such as tempo, pitch, endurance, accuracy etc.

The Peskin Concerto is a show stopper type of piece, a great Romantic work in the trumpet repertoire. Often used as a competition require composition, here are two great but very different concepts of that classic tour de force. Consider how you might choose the important items and assembly your performance.

Giuliano Sommerhalder trumpet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HOYT4Anfi0

Timofei Dokshitzer, trumpet. Sergej Solodovnik, piano.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8U5CxMyR8s

Of Interest

Craig Morris flugelhorn Thirteen Melodies by Philip Glass, Chosen Vale 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZqzD3MMEsk

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David Bilger trumpet “Morceau de Concert” by J.G. Pennequin – Ictus International Music Competition

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbEWjjUITOA

Miroslav Petkov trumpet Irina Zahharenkova piano Vincenzo Bellini – “Casta diva” from “Norma”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LngBmvjKRRQ

Pacho Flores trumpet, P. Sarasate: Aires gitanos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7qJHY33V7E

David Krauss & Christopher Martin Trumpet Recital presented by J.LANDRESS BRASS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWAj1gBaMYA

Re Visit

This month I focused on opposites, soft and loud. I spent time doing scales and arpeggios at piano and forte dynamics. I tried to do chromatic scales both in triple and double-tonguing patterns. The multiple tonguing of chromatic scales was not as satisfactory as I hoped it would be even though I come back to them fairly often. I was thinking about the kind of materials I try to maintain and I then remembered how it is always a simple rhythm pattern in a performance that could go less well because of poor focus. This brought me back to the Richard Shuebruk books, “a system of Embouchure Training”. I used Graded Lip Trainer Grade 3 First Chair Men. I have used all three volumes before. Yes, we practice awkward and hard things all the time, but it is so easy to mess up on a simple thing too. I transpose these exercises into different keys and additionally make up my own variations of rhythm patterns from pieces I have played or studied.

Here are two examples from the book. You can see why these would be good to add to your practice routine.

Shuebruk

Ex. 1