Come molti di voi sapranno Jens Lindemann (ex Canadian Brass oltre che STREPITOSO solista internazionale e divertentissimo personaggio) quasi ogni martedì pubblica una serie di domande e risposte a vari trombettisti.
Questo martedì è toccato a Ronald Romm (quello che mia moglie definisce "il Babbo Natale dei Canadian Brass"....)
Buona lettura!
https://www.facebook.com/trumpetjens/posts/726067004073081:0(iscrivetevi alla pagina di Jens!)
Question 1. Joey Moore: I am currently preparing a solo recital. How should I approach endurance for a recital? Thank you.
Answer 1. Preparing oneself for a recital is a multi-level endeavor. One’s preparation is not limited to what one can do on the trumpet; the performer needs to consider physical conditioning and diet as well as a host of other variables. Our choices of equipment and of course the choice of repertoire is always in the mix, too. With those things in mind here are some ideas:
A. Consider what time you are going to perform. Begin to play your recital pieces at around that time of day.
B. Plan the recital not for your chops, but for the musical flow of the event, and approach everything in terms of the beauty of this musical flow.
C. Set yourself up for success both physically and psychologically. Tell yourself that you are prepared. Positive affirmations work…things like “I am ready, I am strong, I play beautifully, every note is a beautiful sound, I breathe smoothly, I am always comfortable” are good ideas for affirmations.
D. Can you play through the program once? Can you do it twice? Can you do it 3 times? If you can do it 3 times, you can do it once. Remember that fatigue is first in your mind, then in your muscles.
E. Remember to always make beautiful sounds. Anyone can sound ugly on a trumpet.
Question 2. Chris O’Hara: Mr. Romm, what suggestions would you give to a new brass quintet looking to establish themselves on the national/international stage? Thanks!
Answer 2. A career in music performance is a career that is repertoire driven. We need to start with the things to play that already work, but remember to avoid appearing as a caricature of another group. As opposed to years ago, audiences are used to seeing and hearing brass quintets, so you need to offer them something that is totally friendly and accessible as well as interesting and different. Rehearsal is one thing you can never get enough of, so commit to spending an inordinate amount of time doing it; this will often not be too easy on family or personal schedules. If you are committed to success and not easily swayed from that concept you are likely to arrive at success. Remember also that any great career is a 20 year endeavor. Remember, though, as I said before, always return to repertoire; this is your big challenge and your best friend.
Question 3. Michael Barkett: What were some major benefits (musically) that you gained from playing in such an amazing quintet?
Answer 3. Being a member of the Canadian Brass was an inspiration for me both musically and personally. There are more than a few things that I could discuss, but I believe that we need to choose to make all experiences personally rewarding, even if there are things about being in the group that are difficult. There were many days that I was reminded of the concept of group therapy. We could not lie to ourselves, and could not lie to each other. All ideas were subject to discussion and there was nothing etched in stone. I learned that musicality was aligned with fluidity. I learned that the music tells us what it needs, not the other way around. Sing the lines, learn the lines, make them connect and the music will take the shape it is intended to take.
Question 4. Cynthia Yuschyshyn: Mr. Romm, what do you consider to be the most meaningful and memorable performance you have heard or performed? How did it transform you as a musician? Thank you for many years of inspiration, laughter and wonderful music.
Answer 4. Thank you for your kind remarks!
Of the thousands of concerts I have had the good fortune to play, making music with my friends and family has been my strongest life-connection.
I am going to go outside of the box and tell you a little story. You may or may not know that I had a successful career as a freelance trumpeter both in Los Angeles and in New York prior to my years with Canadian Brass. I brought these experiences with me to the group; it was partially those experiences that attracted the guys to me. I performed over 4500 concerts with the Canadian Brass from 1971-2000. As a member of the CB, some of my most dear and special concert memories were of the Christmas Concerts with our friends of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra Brass. In December of 2000, something unique happened in my life. I got to perform with Avis and Aaron on his middle-school orchestra concert. The time slot of the school concert was exactly the same time that the CB and NYP concert was occurring. The memory of playing that school concert is so sweet to me; the fact that I was still making music with my friends and family, and that music was still calling me to do so was an unbelievable occurrence. The only thing that had actually changed was the venue.
Question 5. Paul St-Amand: How do you approach an unfamiliar performance space, especially in terms of group balance? Are there specific "tests" you'll try during warm-up or sound check? My quintet is performing often, which is great, but we sometimes struggle with the wildly different acoustics we encounter on our gigs. Thanks!
Answer 5. The variables of acoustics can be a challenge for a group. I understand very well that challenge. What you need to remember is that you have to listen most to each other and not to the sound of the room. For me, very early on I realized that I personally needed to practice in a “dry” environment. When I was in school in New York, I practiced in my closet full of clothes. I have done some sound treatment in my studio at the University of Illinois so it is quite dry. This makes it tough on the students, I think, but they understand that they are actually learning to listen “beyond” the sound that they are making, and eventually become more comfortable in the dry environment.
With all that said, here is an idea for you:
Get used to focusing on the parts that the others in your group are playing as though you were in a good acoustic setting. Memorize that feeling and set that as your default. Work to adjust how much energy you need to put out to get your proper reflected sound. The idea of being self-balancing then carries over to your experiences in all environments including playing in a gym or in an aircraft hangar or on a carpeted floor or in a recording studio. Do have set up sound checks; these will be your friends.
Please keep me posted as you work through the acoustic maze.
Question 6. Bart Miltenberger: Considering the amount of traveling you've done over the years, how do you maintain consistency when facing the issues like jet lag, irregular/rushed meals, lack of sleep/rest, insufficient practice/warmup time, etc.? Thanks !!
Answer 6. Good question, thank you!
For me, the idea of being in a different place each day, playing in a different hall each day, living in a different room each day, different beds, different food, etc., was always a challenge. I did establish patterns for myself. I would set my watch to the new time zone and get to function on that time zone as soon as possible. We know that if you are traveling great distances you will have to allow for jet lag. For me, I worked to use my mind to tell my body what to do, not the other way around. That actually only partially worked, so understanding that much of the time I was going to be fatigued allowed me to pace myself. I always did a morning exercise routine, I always did a morning warmup on the trumpet, and I always ate meals on the “new” schedule. My warmup was my “playing diagnostic”, so I would be well prepared for what the day held for my trumpet playing.
I treated the show as my combined performance and practice session, so I was never frustrated with that part of a varying schedule. Meditation has been a great help to me as well. Two daily meditation sessions have been part of my personal routine since 1971.
Question 7. Davide Da Silva: Hello Mr. Romm, Im a student in Ottawa and I would like to know how does one develop the different colours of sound on the trumpet. Thanks!
Answer 7. Another good question; thank you!
Colour (American “color”), timbre, texture of sound are some of the most important things we can and should consider as musicians, not just trumpet players. Here is my take on this in short form:
Imagine what you are portraying musically…do I want to sound like an oboe, a flute, a violin, a piano, etc. Study the sound qualities of each of those instruments and work to produce that sound. Each note has a beginning, a middle and an end. Imagine the appropriate instrument, and make your sound like that which you have analyzed. Recording yourself is a great way to check how you are doing. Remember that the style of the music dictates the sound quality, the vibrato, the intensity, etc, as well.
Question 8. Ricardo Badillo: What was your way of practicing when you had to travel a lot and sometimes you had to gol for days? I had just skipped 5 days of precious practicing and I am paying toll right now, hope you can answer my question! thanks in advance Sir!
Answer 8. Thank you!
I am a firm believer in mouthpiece playing; I spent several years in James Stamp’s studio, and he really empowered me with his simple and focused ideas and techniques. There are varying schools of thought on mouthpiece playing; for me the mouthpiece and the cutaway or visualizer are my best friends in maintaining my face.
Keep in mind that the mind is much stronger than we give it credit for, and when you feel weak and tired that is your mind telling the muscles what to do and how to feel. It is really a challenge to keep this in perspective when we are suffering through a change of routine. Varying your routine will also teach you how to approach your own playing style and practice needs. Practice mutes will help you to be able to play in hotel rooms without having to avoid getting into fistfights with your neighbors. If you have nothing else do isometric exercises for your face to keep the muscles toned.
Question 9. Riley Nielsen: What is a good way to prepare for a difficult/stressful audition other than the normally ways of doing so? Thank you in advance for any advice on the subject.
Answer 9. Thanks for your question.
I think that the idea of practicing your excerpts in a variety of circumstances is a really good way to prepare for any variables you may encounter. Think of these as possibles and go from there:
Play in the following for practice, see how well you do:
A humid environment.
A hot and humid environment.
A cold environment
An odd time of day or night
In addition to this, practice in the clothes you intend to wear on audition day. Avoid new underwear, new shoes, exceptionally tight fitting clothes, etc. Create an environment of success. Remember to quote affirmations to yourself so you can continually improve (I am good at this, this is easy for me, every note is a pearl, etc.).
Memorize your excerpt list, mixing up the order of the excerpts.
Remember that you must treat yourself as though you are a winner, even if you don’t win. Good luck and please keep me posted.
A Note from Ronald Romm: I want to thank Jens for putting Tip Tuesday together. Thanks to you also, Jens, for your kind remarks at the preface of this article. Most importantly thanks to those of you who chose to ask these marvelous questions.
Ronald M Romm, Trumpet Solo Artist
ITG Honorary Award Recipient 2012
Professor of Trumpet
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Founding Member, Canadian Brass
www.canadianbrass.comRonald and Avis Romm Trumpet and Piano Duo
The Romm Trio
www.MusicRomm.comMember, Summit Brass
www.summitrecords.com/brass/
