Some amazing experiences in my 1.2 yr comeback process

[Rod Haney]

In Sept. 15 I picked up a trumpet again after being off the horn since 1968. I could still make notes but not exactly the ones I meant to, many of you probably had the same feeling. I had been retired for a few years from a job outside music and wanted to use my time enjoyably so.. My retirement was a result of an abdominal aneurysm which has since been repaired. The Dr. did however warn me not to be spiking blood pressures so I knew the way I used to play was not going to work. In my younger days I had seen guys (harry James for 1) who I could tell weren't working like I did to get the higher notes.

Long story short, I started to work with a guy who lives on a mountain in Montana who started to show me how to play with less effort. This centered around an light and even blow and concentration on centering pitch and tone. Everything came along nicely and was a huge improvement and the higher notes were just ok but coming along, but the quality of sound was much better. Now I wanted my high notes as easlily as the rest so I plugged into KO at Stomvi who I greatly respect for his scientific approach to playing and design, he recommended I touch base with Jim Manley. I did, and this is what I want to relate. I took my first Skype lesson with Jim about 3 months ago and thought I was making good progress for a little less than a year. I could fart out a pedal c had good tone and intonation and acceptable range to hi c (or so I thought -ha). When we started the 1st lesson with a g to g scale, I thought it was very good, but Jim asked if I noticed the strain in my play starting at e and of course I didn't so we did it again and I paid attention and DID notice. He explained what he had learned over his career and gave me an exercise to use with a short follow up skype about 2 weeks later. I continued to practice and refine what he showed me without questioning anything too much. I noticed a real day to day improvement in the exercise, and a real transfer to my sound, and others did too. Now 2 months in and I think its time for another lesson. Jim is satisfied with what I have picked up so far and gives me another demo and a second set of exercises, which go from low c to at the final note and the end of this set the f# above hi c. Key is to do this scale ascending with no upper body strain, and I know what you think and I did too that it cant be done, but it can - a little at a time and it will amaze you when it happens. As I said when I started I got strain at top of staff e, 2 weeks later (watch in a mirror) I was getting to a. Now 4 weeks in I am getting to a hi d and can play to the hi f# but I felel and see the strain, and hear the note going slightly flat at hi e. The strain is apparent to me in 3 ways using the way I practice it. You feel it (deep concentration), you see it in the mirror, and you hear it by not having a centered pitch (flat/sharp). When I started this I decided I was not going to think about it and just do it, and I still don't understand how I'm doing it but his method works for me. I don't have what I call lead chops yet, but I hear enough to know they are there for the work. I was ready for this when it was offered and I am working hard on this, I don't know if it will work for everyone but it is sure helping me get where I want quickly. Keep on coming back!
Rod