Monday April 18, 2016 “If you want to be constantly employed, you must be constantly increasing your value.” - Byron Stripling I am writing this post because it is near and dear to my heart. One of the things I hear trumpeters say is "I don't/can't do that. I only play jazz/legit music!" What a way to to sell yourself short. In 2015, Byron Stripling gave a masterclass at my Alma Mater. Of the questions asked of him, one of the best ones was "how do you keep getting gigs?" His response wa...

Wednesday April 6, 2016 This is a topic frequently discussed in the music community, particularly when addressing students burgeoning into the world of music. What we do as musicians is a legitimate profession, and we must be paid FAIRLY for our services.  This is a hard sell when there are many amateur start-ups willing to play a club for drinks, $40, or even worse...free. The inspiration for this one came from a tremendous comedy of errors wherein a well-respected musician and professor was...

Monday March 14, 2016 Here it is...my First Blog request! Things are going to start happening to me now! Stage fright leading to total fatigue on stage is a reality for many performers.  Now, I don't have the statistical data to back this claim up, but I'm putting my money on the assumption that just about everyone that plays a brass instrument has experienced this in one form or another. Remaining cool under pressure is an acquired skill for many of us. Some prefer the use of beta-block...

Monday March 7, 2016 Getting funding for projects, conferences, or your music program can be flat out maddening.  Required of you is tenacity, courage, and often the ability to weave gold at your fingertips. The larger your financial needs are, the heavier the weight will seem on your shoulders. Obtaining grants is an art all in its own. Below, I will outline some of the necessary skills when embarking on down this path. Identifying Needs "Why exactly is it that you need funding, and wh...

Wednesday March 2, 2016 “The mind can hurt as much as the body.” - Marcel (Anthony Oseyemi) from the Movie Hector And The Search for Happiness. Yesterday I overheard a crowd of Doctoral Candidates discussing the woes of the dreaded COMPS! It's no secret that as a music major, one can endure great amounts of stress due to obligations. In the past five years, I have seen streams of majors come and go. It always made me sad to see someone with tremendous talent buckle from the pressure. Keep...

Wednesday February 24, 2016 Welcome, this post merely scratches the surface a rather complex subject. This article, while mainly aimed at trumpeters, contains information that any musician can use. Please note that what I include below is a culmination of what I learned out there. Things can change over night, so to the best of my knowledge the following is an accurate representation. If you see anything that has changed, shoot me a message and I will update this article.  Now, let's get to t...

Tuesday February 23, 2016 This post is a culmination of  the tools I learned over the years, much thanks to professor Michael Anderson and his dedication to his students at Oklahoma City University. It's no secret that developing great time is a crucial to success in music, especially in the professional world. As an adult, it can be rather challenging to overcome years of self-taught habits.  The journey of correcting these habits becomes more arduous the longer one waits to fix it. Altho...

Monday February 22, 2016 Recently, I gave a masterclass to some young players. When I asked them who they listen to, I received mostly blank stares. As I live infinitely in my head, it got me to thinking about the things I did at their age, and much later on, to develop my sound. Some may argue that physiology is the reason some people sound they way they do. While I am certain this has some role in it, the other much larger portion has to do with practice. A good tone can be, and must...