Piano Lessons in Pasadena, TX

Instruments: Trumpet Trombone Saxophone Recorder Euphonium French Horn Tuba

What does a normal practice session look like for you?
It starts with a small warmup. Just enough to recoordinate my embouchure, and set my mind in a musical direction. It has a set of goals I want to accomplish on specific pieces, or musical tasks. It has lots of breaks if it is longer than 30 minutes. Breaks are important for your face, as well as your mind. No matter what I am working on, when I start something new I begin by sightreading it. No stops, even if you have to hold the note and stare at the music to figure out what to do next. Do. Not. Stop. Then isolate hards spots, set goals, and start dissecting the music, first two notes at a time, then 4, then a whole measure, then a phrase and so on. Slowly practice each of these stages, get more succesful attempts than unsuccessful, then move on.

Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
For my beginners I use the Rubank method. The method covers all the bases of the instrument, and does so with a mixture of resources to cater different learning styles, and give the student a comprehensive resource. For all developed brass players, I recommend the Arban Conservatory method. There is a version for every instrument, and Mr. Arban knew what he was doing when he put this book together. Every musical technique fundamental to brass playing is included in that book. It’s almost the last book a brass player would ever need.

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
Tone. It’s the most important part of our sound, and it’s the most widely misunderstood concept of brass playing. So many people have varying opinions on developing it. I approach it like this: be a singer in your head. Hear the music exactly how it sounds, your part included, and sing that message through your instrument. Tone has a lot to do with breath support, and most people will go their whole playing career not using enough air. The lungs get used constantly in our day to day lives, yes, but the need to be exercised. You don’t see someone who doesn’t work out squatting busses, now do you?

What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
My master’s recital was the highest level of musicianship I ever achieved. It was also the most fun! I also had a lot of fun playing both my senior recital and my junior recital at Miami. I was learning lots of new fun music for the euphonium! In 2012 Miami took the entire music department to Carnegie Hall! Fortunately that semester I was principal euphonium of the wind ensemble, and principal euphonium of the orchestra! I got to play lots of good band music, and in the orchestra I played The Planets, by Gustav Holst.

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
Long story short I didn’t, it chose me. The early part of my musical experience was on Saxophone. When I was a freshman in high school, I was helping my father work on a truck when there was an accident, and it left my right thumb in bad shape. I still have my thumb now, but at the time it meant I couldn’t hold up my saxophone anymore and the winter concert was a month away! On one of the pieces we were playing, the lead trumpet player was playing the Euphonium solo, but he didn’t like playing Euphonium. So my band director, a euphonium player herself, taught me to play the instrument, just in time to play the solo on the concert.

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