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I include in this category work on themes and variations such as those found in the back of the Arban method, as well as studies by Théo Charlier, Walter W. I see the study of etudes as a middle ground between learning performance repertoire and the daily work on fundamentals that is essential for the brass player. This exposes students to a breadth of material, helps to find the best exercises to match to their needs, and prevents diminishing returns through overwork on a particular set of exercises. With fundamental technical work, I have found it best to vary the particular exercises that a student works on over time, while directing them to work on the same types of exercises consistently: sound production (including Franquin’s “emission” exercises, the process for which can be applied to all aspects of practice), articulation, flexibility, pedal tones, mouthpiece buzzing, range development, scales, arpeggios, fingering, etc. Often I alternate playing with students on technical exercises, for which building the habit of taking a few moments of rest between exercises can be as important to the student as the model I provide. Central to that tradition is that belief that there are certain fundamental types of exercises that every trumpet player must practice regularly, but that the exact amount of practice on each type of fundamental varies according to the particular player and to their stage of development. My teaching has been informed in particular by personal and scholarly experience with the French school of trumpet playing, in particular the precepts set out in Merri Franquin’s Principles of Study. Working from the principle that students will work hardest and best on music they enjoy, I try to nurture their interests, while at the same time seeing to it that they are exposed to the canon and to works and styles that may push them outside of their comfort zone.ĭevelopment of instrumental technique frees the musician to make performance choices based on artistic and interpretive aims-not on technical limitations. Though all students need to come to terms with certain pieces of standard repertoire, no two students have identical musical interests. My approach to teaching applied music focuses on artistic development through the study and performance of musical repertoire tailored to the needs and goals of the student, combined with insistence on the study and mastery of technical fundamentals. In today’s competitive and fast-changing musical environment, students must emerge from their studies having mastered a fixed set of skills, repertoire, and musical knowledge-and with the ability to adapt easily, to assimilate new works and different styles of playing, and to accommodate a variety of performance and teaching situations.