Using Technology to Improve Your Trumpet Playing- Video Recording

Some might ask why video recording is important when preparing a performance and to that I say “Your audience not only has to hear you play but also see you perform”. The video recorder can be a great tool when preparing your recital or any other solo performance for after reviewing your video recording, you will be amazed at how much you really don’t know about your up coming performance.

A video recorder will show you how you enter the stage, how you present yourself to the audience as well as let you know what visual bad habits you are doing while you play. Many people find emptying the water key is offensive and after watching myself during those unpleasant yet necessary moments, I began to add a small section of cloth to my equipment to soften the sound and absorb the moisture during a solo.

Entering the stage is seldom taken into consideration and is usually the first impression the audience gets of you. If you enter in a “don’t give a #%$@ manner, your audience will think you don’t care how you perform. Practice with the recorder to help you give the appearance that you are not only prepared to perform but you are also looking forward to it.

Many times performers play a complete recital not knowing that the audience was unable to see their face. Your recording will let you know just where to place your stand so that everyone will be able to see your face turn red on the last high C.

Another example of the importance of video recording was brought to my attention when I realized how many times I had to bend over to pickup a mute from the floor during a rehearsal. After realizing how distracting this extra movement was to the audience, I began using a small table to make my mutes more accessible during my performance. These are the small details which can distract from your performance.

In closing I would like to mention another use of a video recording which happened many years ago. I was judging a jazz festival somewhere in Iowa and was approached by a director wanting some advice. He told me that he was from the same town that the previous jazz band director and asked if I remembered the band. I did remember the band as well as its director; a very large woman who jumped around the stage so much that it was a distraction to everyone in the room. His concern was that his department did not know how to approach her about her size and movement on stage. This was a tough situation for him and I suggested that all they had to do was video tape her and have her sit down and watch herself on stage. I received a letter weeks after that from the director thanking me for the suggestion. They recorded her on the next concert and said nothing until she was shown the video. She was shocked to see how she was presenting herself to the audience and nothing more was said.

I would like to suggest that the next time you have a solo performance coming up, video tape yourself and see what the rest of the world sees.