BBC Interview talks about stage fright and Herseth, Jacobs,

[trumpetfox1234]

Many people have asked me about this book and are buying and talking about it, so I am posting some of the basic information about it again. It covers issues of stage fright and playing, mental states while playing, and talks about Herseth, Jacobs, and Scarlett, and why they have no stage fright when they play. It also covers some of the problems in the orchestral world today, including the use of Inderal.

As I have mentioned before, the mental aspect is the fundamental in itself, that makes all the fundamentals of playing easy. I got this from Arnold Jacobs who used to say this all the time, and from Bud Herseth, who does it all the time, and the same for Will Scarlett.
All these men are my teachers.

The book is currently featured on the BBC's radio show "Music Review" and there is an interview with the author. For more details see below or see http://www.trumpetworkspress.com
and click on the "appearances" tab.

The book has highly detailed descriptions of stage frigjht from a physical, psychological, and musical point of view.

There is also an appendix that talks about how to combat hyperventilation in trumpet-playing.

I do consultations based on the book. Already a person who had serious stage fright problems worked with me and then won an audition with a major symphony. A number of others with severe stage fright have made dramatic improvements. One of my professional jazz students who has a very heavy playing schedule, has increased his endurance by 200%. Another one of my pro students who was having serious chop problems, read the book had consults with me, and won an award as the best salsa trumpet player in the country last year. A pro player who I have also helped because of the book can now get a much bigger orchestral sound that he can use on the job. And the book has helped hundreds of my younger students who have read it and were inspred by it.

Chapter 1 gives an overview of the book, definitions of the terms used, medical descriptions of stage fright, and talks about the solutions that have been out there up to this point.

Chaper 2 takes the hundreds of case histories of people I observed and blends them into four different composites. three instrumentalists, (two brass players, one woodwind), and an operatic singer. It follows their entire careers from childhood to adulthood and as professional performers. The chapter goes through all the stuff that happens in school bands and orchestras, in high school and college, and even touches on military band situations. This chapter talks about the medical and psycholgical factors affecting the playing and singing of the composite characters throughout their careers and what is happening to their playing or singing at every step of their career.

Chapter 3 talks about the traditional solutions to stage fright that have been around for a long time. It also discuss and comments on the use of the prescription drug Inderal, and its use by some musicians as an attempt to combat stage fright. And finally, in this chapter, there is a detailed discussion and analysis of a scientific study done on the effects of
stage fright on the quality of musical performance done by some university researchers. The book discusses the conclusions of this study based on the author's experience of playing with members of the Chicago Symphony in the Ravinia Fesitival Orchestra and from observations and things he has learned from watching his teachers from the CSO.

There is then a discussion at the end of the chapter of those who have severe stage fright and what their situation is and describes their dilemma from a medical, psychological, and musical standpoint.

Chapter 4 proposes new solutions to stage fright and describes why Bud Herseth, Arnold Jacobs, and Will Scarlett don't have any when they play and describes what their attitude is when they play and why this works on a scientific basis as well as sounding great at the highest level of musical artistry.

The rest of chaper 4 contains suggestions on how to overcome stage fright and disusses what the great tenor Enrico Caruso had to overcome from his childhood in order to have a hugely successful musical career.

Chapter 5 revisits the case histories of the same performers from Chapter 4 and examines how their careers have ended up at this point.

Chapter 6 reviews why a performer with severe stage fright can not use traditional solutions to overcome it and play well. It also descirbes the disastrous effect of the tranquilizing drug Inderal on musical and artistic quality and comments on how the use of this drug is taking all the excitement away from the classical music business. There is a discussion of the trap of focusing strictly on playing by feel, instead of by artistry. A description is given of how a performer can correct the problem of severe stage fright, and go on to have a successful career. Finally, there is a discussion of the role of talent, natural ability, and genetics and their impact on a musical career as well as a reiteration of the negative effects of the use of the tranquilzing drug Inderal for stage fright.

Lastly, the chapter ends by discussing why the euphoric, trance-like, Zen-like state that great players like Bud Herseth, Arnold Jacobs, and William Scarlett are in when they play leads to unparalleled artistry and music-making at the highest levels and the value of such an ability to transcend and perform in this state from a spiritual perspective and why this is a good thing for everyone.

The first appendix deals with the inadequacy and difficulty of analyzing audition tapes, the second appendix is longer and talks about hyperventilation in trumpet playing and how to solve it based on the theories of Arnold Jacobs.

At the end there is a glossary of all the terms in the book, a bibliography, and an index.

As far as current popularity goes, just a rough estimate from the publisher, I think that some 600 people have read the book and purchased it that I am aware of as of this moment. The number is growing by the minute. This week starting February 24th, the book and its author are one of the subjects of the British Broadcasting Corporation's classical music show, "Music Review" hosted by Mark Lowther on the BBC World Service. The show runs for one half-hour and the book's interview section is about 15 minutes. The show does have an excerpt of Bud Herseth playing the Mahler 5 which is a nice touch. The BBC World Service Radio audience is 150 million listeners per week according to the interim BBC Director. For more info see http://www.trumpetworkspress.com

[Mzony]

Trumpetfox,
I have tried sending you an E-mail through your web-site several times and each time my message has been returned.
Please send me a private message through this site, I would like to talk to you RE: Your Book and Consultations.
Thank you,
Mike Zonshine