Who can benefit from BeyondTheBuzz?
Any brass player who wants to play with resonance, ease, balance, greater musicality, and joy.
I’m particularly passionate about helping the young player avoid the pitfalls of modern brass pedagogy. If you can learn to play using resonance before learning to buzz, great! However, most players are faced with the reality that they were taught to buzz. Any brass player who wants to learn to play with resonance is welcome to come for lessons. I am happy to work with any level of student! I’m also happy to be an ear for your upcoming performance or audition. The path you take is up to you.
1
What are you looking for?
Better sound? Improved intonation? Increased endurance? Greater confidence? Improved flexibility? More enjoyable performances?
2
Personalized instruction.
The lesson experience will be tailored to your goals, whether a playing overhaul, improved fundamentals, studying literature, having more fun performing, or all of the above.
3
Achieve your goals.
Schedule a lesson and start your journey toward resonating the instrument!
FAQs
How long does it take to learn to play with resonance?
It is highly variable and will depend on how long you’ve been playing, what other physical factors are present, and how open minded you are to the process.
I think I might have an injury or dystonia. Can you help?
Musician’s dystonia and injury are both things I’ve experienced in my playing. While I could potentially help, that is not my focus. I strongly encourage you to seek out guidance from, and work with, the team at Musician’s Wellness of North America who specialize in this retraining.
Can I take lessons in person instead of online?
Sure! Lessons can be scheduled at my home. Just contact me via e-mail rather than the online scheduler to make that appointment.
Should I take lessons with you if I already have a private lessons teacher?
It depends! If you want an extra pair of ears for your upcoming performance or audition, I’m happy to do that! If however, you want to start the journey BeyondTheBuzz and toward resonating your instrument, I wouldn’t recommend studying with two different teachers. In this type of lesson, we’ll be approaching the instrument in a vastly different way than is usually taught and it will be confusing to try and go back and forth between the two methods. This can cause more problems for your playing rather than help.
I have an audition/big performance coming up. Can I start lessons and sound better quickly?
When I started changing the way I play the horn, I sounded worse for a little while before things got better. Change is sometimes slow and not easy. The best time to start is when you’re free from impending significant performances or auditions.
I’ve learned how to resonate my instrument. Now what? Do I still take lessons with you or study with someone else?
That is entirely up to you. With my college students, we continue the relationship by working on advanced techniques, repertoire, and musicality.