Could Meditation Help In Playing the Trumpet? Part 2

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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…

Could Meditation Help In Playing the Trumpet?

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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…

Which is more important in the development of a student- the teacher or the environment? Part 2

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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…

Which is more important in the musical development of a student- the teacher or the environment?

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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…

How to Get Established in a New Area

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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…

Sleep Apnea Part III

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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…

Sleep Apnea Part II

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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…

Sleep Apnea; Does It Help Or Hurt Your Trumpet Playing?

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Overview Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If you snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night’s sleep, you might have sleep apnea. The main types of sleep apnea are: Obstructive sleep apnea, the more common form that occurs when throat muscles relax Central sleep apnea, which occurs when your brain doesn’t send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing Complex sleep apnea syndrome, also known as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea, which occurs when someone has both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea If you think you might have sleep…

Doyle Miller Has Left the Bandstand……

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My very good friend and fellow trumpet player Doyle Miller has past away and I will miss him greatly. Doyle Miller and I played together from the first show I played when moving to Branson and we played together until the last show I played in Branson. During that time we traded jobs and performed in my trumpet ensemble for many years. To better understand how I felt about performing with him, please read an earlier post I did about him and you will understand why I miss him. http://www.thetrumpetblog.com/who-is-my-favorite-trumpet-player/ PS Doyle, keep a chair open for me….

We Did It Again!

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I would like to thank all of our supporters who have been following our site for the past 10 years. It seems only yesterday that we started and this week we were honored by being chosen “The Top Trumpet Blog and Web Site to follow in 2020“! That make three years in a row! Thank you all.