owenks New Member
Joined: 26 Jul 2019 Posts: 1 Location: UK
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Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2020 9:32 am Post subject: Thank you! |
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Dear Trumpetherald,
Thank you very much! About 3 years ago I stumbled across "Brass Playing Is No Harder Than Deep Breathing" and it made a lot of sense.
The book is full of references so I guess someone very patient and industrious and wise could teach themself just using the book (applying every word correctly). Good luck to them!
But I didn't know where to start. So I wanted a teacher who knew about the method and could filter all that mass of material and tell me what to do next, so I could just do it and forget about everything else. I googled Claude Gordon teacher and found the trumpetherald, where someone recommended Bruce Haag at https://brucehaag.com. Many thanks!
Bruce is a great teacher. Many people have celebrated on this site his great company, skill and impact, and I echo that. In particular, I like lessons via Skype because of
1. Choice. I get to study with a teacher who as a player has done everything and who has also taught thousands of players. I don't know of anyone remotely like that within driving distance.
2. Focus. Through the little camera and microphone Bruce sees and hears plenty enough to tell me what to do.
3. Lesson plan. Minutes after the lesson, Bruce emails me the list of exercises we did in the lesson (which becomes the daily practice plan for the next fortnight.)
4. No travelling. Neither of us get stuck in traffic. If something comes up, lessons are easy to reschedule.
5. Low risk. It was easy to get started and try a lesson. If it hadn't worked out neither of us would have been obligated.
I think if I hadn't got a Claude Gordon teacher I would still be practising band pieces like crazy, still be terrified before every practise, and still be hanging on every word from the noisier players (listening for a magical clue). Instead now I mostly play simple exercises, quite gently, can sight read much easily, and am happy to tune out when the people who didn't play with Elvis and Stan Kenton explain how to use the diaphragm.
So thank you trumpetherald and Bruce and his students! |
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