Many may not know the name Keith Johnson but to trumpet players who have attended the University of Northern Iowa and the University of North Texas this name is well known. Our good friend Prof. Keith Johnson past away this morning and when more information is available, I will share it with you.
Thanks to our good friend (Corky Maschinot) from The Villages in Florida for sharing this with us. NHIMA New Horizons International Music Association Aerosol Studies Preliminary Results, July 2020 Below you will find 2 links to very important studies to provide information about aerosol distribution for wind instruments. The first link shows the preliminary results (July 10, 2020) of the “Performing Arts Aerosol Study” conducted at the University of Colorado. NHIMA has provided financial support for this study. These preliminary results are for woodwinds and brass only, future results will be posted for vocalists. Final results (peer reviewed) are not…
In the previous post we discussed the advantages of private lessons on a student’s development as well as the contributing factors to the development of the self-motivated student. Self motivated students , as I will discuss will begin to have a profound effect on the players around them. This influence will be the factor which will advance his/her fellow students in their improvement in addition to their private instructor’s help. The question will be this- will this influence have more affect on the other students than the one on one influence the private teach has on the same students? Pier…
Starting to Meditate Now that you have decided on a mantra to use, we will now begin our crash course in general meditation. I am in no way instructing you to use the Transcendental meditation form for I am not a qualified instructor and to do so would be against my better judgment. What I will share with you is a similar exercise which has been published in magazines and newspapers around the world. This is a very general yet effective exercise which can be used by anyone. 1. Sit comfortably in a chair which is for the time isolated…
A Little Information and History about Meditating Meditation is many things to many people. Some think it is a religious experience. Some think it is a cult. And some, including your author are aware of its benefits to better health. I will try to summarize the technique and benefits of meditation as completely as I can in this post. Meditation From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The term meditation refers to a broad variety of practices (much like the term sports), which range from techniques designed to promote relaxation, contacting spiritual guides, building internal energy (chi, ki, prana, etc.), receiving psychic…
The importance of personal contact on a regular basis cannot be over stated for the concentrated time given on a one to one basis is fundamental in the concept of private lessons. During a lesson, the instructor is able to listen, evaluate and make recommendations to the student drawing from the instructor’s personal experience. This one on one environment in most cases builds confidence in the student and the knowledge shared can be of great benefit to the student. Private lessons can be a non-threatening encounter where the students problems are observed, analyzed and through carefully planned assignments, improve the…
This post has not come easily for I’m not sure that I will be able to articulate my thoughts effectively. The ultimate goal will be to cause thought, evaluation and deep reflection on a very debatable issue which is “Does a student’s improvement depend on the ability of the teacher, or is success more dependent on competition from the student’s environment”? One of the greatest benefits of advanced age coupled with retirement is the fact that one has time to sit back and reflect on issues which are seemingly important to the retiree, even if not as important to his/her…
After relocating to a new area, whether it be for employment, school, or just to move, we are faced with a similar problem- How do I get established in this new area? For a musician to get established is different from other activities. If you want to play baseball, you visit the cities Recreation Department. If you were active in your local Boy Scouts programs, you make calls to that organization. But where do you go and who do you contact to start playing music with others on your instrument in these new surroundings? To a seasoned veteran, we have…
As a member of the group listed as male, old, and heart issues, I for some reason fell into the central sleep apnea category. And as a candidate with all of these factors, of course I ended up as an “extreme case” of central sleep apnea. I am the posted child of this disorder and as a trumpet player, I was concerned as to how it would affect my chosen field of entertainment. Here is a short history of what has transpired in the past few years. Heart attack while playing a show in Branson. Left the stage at intermission…
Causes Obstructive sleep apnea This occurs when the muscles in the back of your throat relax. These muscles support the soft palate, the triangular piece of tissue hanging from the soft palate (uvula), the tonsils, the side walls of the throat and the tongue. When the muscles relax, your airway narrows or closes as you breathe in. You can’t get enough air, which can lower the oxygen level in your blood. Your brain senses your inability to breathe and briefly rouses you from sleep so that you can reopen your airway. This awakening is usually so brief that you don’t…
