CT Trumpet Lessons, Performing Artist, Badollet Ensemble

I believe that the trumpet holds a unique set of challenges. Teaching a student that deep inhalation is the most important setup for a good beginning coupled with a mastery of tongue position, aids in overcoming these challenges. The art of diligent work on process, integrated with a Zen philosophy of letting go empowers my students to optimize their abilities. My teaching is designed to teach students how the mechanics of air flow and tongue position work together. Once understood and practiced with set drills, I implement a psychological method of re-training subconscious cues that are counterintuitive to produce optimum ease of play. For example, the "sense of sight" will lead the player to assume low notes require blowing down with less air, thus creating instability and tightness in the back of the throat, when in reality it is quite the opposite. Blowing up lowers the middle of the tongue which places the tongue more appropriately, with relaxation, than just us...

I am starting a brass ensemble at Neighborhood Music School in New Haven for high school brass players on Wednesday evenings at 6:45-7:30pm. Please have anyone who is interested call NMS at (203) 624-5180 or (203) 624-5189.

Over the past 10 years, with the growing use of internet access, a lot of big conglomerate music lesson organizations have cropped up.  While they offer the convenience of having the teacher travel to your home, what they don't tell you is they are making minimum of 1/2 of what you pay for these lessons.  While that might not be your concern it creates two problems. 1st :  most highly qualified teachers have been teaching for some time and won't be interested in teaching through these sites as they get paid so poorly.  So, what you get are usually students right out of school, most likely eager to start teaching.  You may get lucky and get a decent teacher.  Most likely you will get someone like myself (years ago) right out of music undergrad who has student loans to pay off and now is looking at a field where they can't usually make enough to help pay those bills. But, how long will they stay with these big companies, many based no where close to the s...

I have accepted a faculty position at the Neighborhood Music School in downtown New Haven! www.neighborhoodmusicschool.org Right now my schedule there will be 3:30-9 on Wednesdays and Thursdays.  The fall semester starts the week of September 8th, so if you are interested in studying with me please give them a call to set up a time soon before times become unavailable.

I'm now at a new location in New Haven, not far from Yale, located conveniently off of I95.  If you are in my area either permanently or passing through and are interested in lessons please don't hesitate to contact me.

So the school year has begun!  Where has the time gone!  I haven't posted in quite some time which means, for me, I was very busy performing and teaching.  Unfortunately for my blog, it hasn't been good.  So it's time to offer some incentive for upcoming lesson time. This is the question I hear more than any (well really kind of like a landslide):   Why is the trumpet so hard to play?   The answer, of course, is complicated.  Mainly, because once you understand how the subconscious works to oppose everything you do, trumpet playing is reduced to just a few simple processes.  Now, the processes I speak of are simple yet hard to implement consistently.  At this point I may need to mention that you should fight that instinctive urge to throw your trumpet up against the wall!!  Remember...part of the process is fighting those subconscious instincts:-) So to answer the question as simply as possible.  Playing the trumpet may appea...

Congratulations to student Jamie Lorusso who is a finalist in the Boston Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition for talented high school students "ON PIANO".  He performed his concerto (Mendelssohn) in Symphony Hall last week and he's waiting to hear who won!  Obviously, I don't teach him piano, just trumpet and force feed him solfege! He plays a mean trumpet and alto sax as well as jazz piano.  AND, he's just a junior.  What a talent!! Congrats to Horn student Michael Soo on his choice of U Mass Amherst for his bachelors degree.  Michael also is a very talent jazz drummer as well as a stellar horn player! Could not be more proud of you both!