Now the main contest season of the year is over I am wondering why it is that the brass band world has this obsession with contests, it is the only musical genre I know that has this intensity about competing. The struggle for success and advancement is the bedrock of the brass band world in the UK and although most bands have a sensible balance between concerts and contests there are a small number who exist solely to compete and while contesting has been a primarily British tradition it is one that has in recent years transferred abroad to both … Continue reading Why are brass banders fascinated with competitions?

Wherever the teaching takes place a student should expect, and there is an obligation on the teacher or organisation concerned, to provide a safe and comfortable space where the lesson can take place. If I am teaching at home then I have a dedicated teaching room, which is conveniently situated close to the front door so we don’t have to move through the house to get to a lesson. I must admit that it has, in the past, been quite a cluttered area. In a spree of trying to portray a more professional environment though I have removed many of … Continue reading Providing a safe teaching environment

There is little doubt about it, many brass players are fixated with embouchure and mouthpieces. Trumpet players in particular tend to collect them in order to get the very different nuances that different characteristics provide. So what is it about a brass player that feeds the obsession with the mouthpiece? Well the first undeniable fact is the comfort of the individual. The variable nature of human physiology means that different shaped embouchures require mouthpieces with different characteristics to ensure the player is comfortable playing with it. This is particularly important with the width of the cup, players with a larger … Continue reading Air or embouchure?

We don’t get silence anymore, there is a constanct buzz of music around us, whether its on headphones or stereo system, background music at the supermarket or on TV or mood music in films. There are some around that believe there is so much visual learning around in schools now that the power to listen is being seriously diminished in children. This may or may not be true but we are bombarded with noise, musical or otherwise, which often doesn’t give us the time to think, and even when we do get some quiet time to ourselves we frequently put … Continue reading The importance of silence in music

There is one thing about teaching that should give us all a bit of a buzz, and that’s our ability as teachers to change and enhance the lives of our pupils. Yes there are the awkward parents, the kids who don’t practice, the exam nerves and all the other irritating things that happen when we take a lesson. There is one inescapable fact though, music is very important in their lives. Consider that our students are surrounded by music in one form or another. Many homes have some music playing in the background, shopping trips, either at the supermarket or … Continue reading The importance of music for children with reference to your teaching.

Well I’ve just started to study for a Trinity CME (Certificate of Music Educators) qualification at the Elgar School of Music and I have to build up a portfolio of evidence on various subjects to do with instrumental teaching, so where do I start? One of the ways to build up a portfolio, in additon to the nuts and bolts of observations, lesson plans and  just being generally inquisitive, is to write essays or blogs, and as I had to write several essays while studying for my recent BMus degree then I thought I’d give blogging a try. So I … Continue reading Where do I start?