In the beginning there was the smile. I was first introduced to the smile embouchure by my first cornet teacher, Mr.Earl E. Youngdahl in Moline, Illinois when I was in fourth grade. The lesson went something like this- “Mr. Youngdahl, how can I play the high notes”? His response went somewhat like this- “When you play the high notes, you need to stretch the corners of your lips outward as if you are stretching a rubber band by pulling on both ends at the same time”. And now you know why I have never been able to play with ease…

A shofar (pron. /ʃoʊˈfɑːr/, from Hebrew: is an ancient musical horn typically made of a ram’s horn, used for Jewish religious purposes. Like the modern bugle, the shofar lacks pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player’s embouchure. The shofar is blown in synagogue services on Rosh Hashanah and at the very end of Yom Kippur, and is also blown every weekday morning in the month of Elul running up to Rosh Hashanah. Shofars come in a variety of sizes and shapes, depending on the choice of animal and level of finish. You may ask, what is information about a Jewish instrument doing on a trumpet player’s blog? Especially due to the fact that the host of this…

So, why don’t we jump right in and begin our quest for that perfect job that you are looking for in music. Different forms of teaching College/University- Teaching at the University or College level can be very satisfying for you are usually working with focused and dedicated students. Working with this type of person is much less frustrating than teaching at lower levels of students. A definite advantage of this level is that you are working with more developed musicians which is a challenge all of its own. Your teaching schedule is more like most regular work schedules. Although you…

Having a full time job in music is very appealing to many young people. They view their local band director as a leader in the community who apparently enjoys his/her position and is content getting up early every morning and going to work. Or, the young person sees an entertainer on TV who is doing what they enjoy and making vast sums of money doing it. Or it might be a person interested in teaching at the university level. All of these positions may be of interest to a young person but as in all professions, there are many things…

How many times we have heard this mantra about inhaling before playing a note on a brass instrument? Until recently, I have been one of those practitioners. Lately I have begun to waver in my staunch attitude towards this practice. Now before you get all hot and bothered and start ranting about, “You can’t get enough air in if you breath through your nose” or “your sound is darker and more improved if you breathe through your mouth” or “breathing through your nose is too slow”, let me explain a couple of instances that taking a breath through your nose…

From time to time this fine source of information for music educators features its members and today I discovered that they included me in the eight who have been selected to be featured. Check out their page and share it with your friends. MS Band Director

Thanks Paul……

Seldom in our lives do we meet a person who seems to have abilities far above the norm and as you view these two videos, I think you will agree that this young man is at a level far greater than the average musician. I have perfect pitch but when viewing his instant pitch recognition and vocal duplication I am greatly humbled. Jacob is an individual so talented that one cannot even understand, lest appreciate all that he has and is accomplishing musically. Jacob Collier is definitely “one of a kind”! Fascinating Rhythm – Jacob Collier Music Theory Interview: Jacob…