Teaching Aids

In the course of my career there have been a number of resources that have influenced both my playing and teaching. Many teachers, books or experiences have had a positive effect on my playing and I have in turn tried to pass them on to my students. Perhaps nothing has had a more profound effect on my own playing than the concept of body alignment. The practice of both yoga and the Alexander Technique have paid great dividends for me. I also believe in having a morning routine or ritual of practice, focusing on fundamentals daily.

There are many resources available to musicians today and I continue to keep an open mind to new products and techniques. The road to excellence is never ending. Below is a brief list of some of the resources I have found thus far.

The Breathing Gym DVD and Book, by Sam Pilafian and Patrick Sheridan
Buzz Aid – mouthpiece buzzing enhancer
Watch Yourself in the Mirror While Playing
Record Yourself

BOOKS

Song and Wind, Arnold Jacobs
The Inner Game of Music, Green, Gallway
The Inner Game of Tennis, Gallway
The Unanswered Question, Bernstein
Body Learning, Gelb
The Everyday Work of Art, Booth
The seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Chopra
The Art of Musicanship, Farkas
Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book, Penick
Sacred Hoops, Jackson
My Personal Best, Wooden
Coach Wooden One on One, Wooden
Wooden, Wooden
The Warrior Athlete, Millman
Back to basics for Trumpeters, The Teaching of Vincent Cichowicz by Louis E Loubriel
Lasting Change for Trumpeters by Luis Loubriel

RITUALS

While there are no shortcuts on the journey to competent trumpet playing, the shortest distance is in the practice and improvement upon fundamental skills. RITUALS is a collection of fundamental routines designed to help trumpeters achieve a relaxed and efficient air-flow on a daily basis.

Click on the titles below for a PDF of Neal Berntsen’s morning warm-up routine entitled RITUALS.

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