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Towards an Integral View of Trumpet Practice

by

Brian McWhorter

Unbalanced practice leads to unbalance. It is a common tendency to reduce the trumpet and our practice to a means of getting a gig, getting a certain note, getting a certain lick or just getting by. The path of trumpet is not unlike a martial art, spiritual practice or yogic practice in its completeness and if a balanced approach is taken, it can lead to the highest levels of self transformation.

This is not to say that you need to sit and practice until you become ‘one with the trumpet’ but striving to combine the many facets of the practice is important. The philosophy of Integralism and its proponents such as Plotinus, Kant, Ken Wilber, Aurobindo etc, seeks wholism and truth through the balance of the four quadrants of mind, body, culture and nature/society. To find a balanced approach to our work, we can apply this model to our practice.

The ‘mind’ quadrant, for example, deals with our Mind-State, Mental Practice and Creativity. The ‘body’ quadrant includes the physical Body and the Fundamentals and Technique involved in playing the instrument. The ‘culture’ quadrant involves other people through our Responsibilities, Rehearsing and Performing. The ‘nature/society’ quadrant deals with our practice Space, a Trumpet and the Traditional Context we are always a part of.

All of these interrelated facets make up our practice, but for many of us, much goes by unnoticed and untended. Bringing mindfulness to all of them is a way to give ourselves and our practice proper balance.

The following then, is an organization of the twelve facets that I have used in my practice. While the facets can be practiced in any order, this particular order reminds me of the importance of ‘drawing in’ (the first eight facets from Space to Creativity) and then ‘releasing out’ (the last four facets from Responsibility to Performing).

Space, Trumpet, Body, Mind-State

Anything pertaining to your practice Space, such as scheduling your practice time, cleaning and organizing your space, and making sure you have all the necessary materials at hand in an important and often neglected aspect of practice. Whether for one minute in a place you’ll never see again or in a studio where you family has practiced trumpet for generations, we must treat our practice space as special, even holy.

It is important that the Trumpet itself, be prepared. This may mean choosing a well crafted instrument, cleaning the one you have, or simply handling the instrument with respect. Take care of the trumpet and you enable the self to realize more of its potential through the instrument.

We must also prepare our Body for the practice. This includes proper diet, sufficient sleep, exercise, breathing exercises and staying aware of the signals and signs from our body. Some suggestions that can help bring mindfulness to the body and make it the proper vehicle for the practice are yoga, tai chi, ayurveda, a healthful diet, maintaining regular medical checkups, physical therapy and Alexander Technique.

Integrating the Mind-State into practice includes developing the ability to concentrate single-mindedly as well as developing proper motivation and emotional awareness. Of utmost importance to the whole of the practice is the balancing act between ambition and compassion. Ambition is the energy that strives for an ideal; compassion is the energy that accepts where you are. The balance of these energies can prevent us from becoming overwhelmed by goals that are too lofty or lethargic from a lack of goals.

Fundamentals, Technique, Mentality, Creativity

Fundamentals are the basic skills we need to play the trumpet regardless of the music that we play. It is the familiar area of the methods of Stamp, Caruso, Adams etc. where we practice air, embouchure, intervals, register, stamina, tongue, fingers, left hand, consistency etc. In short, it is the facet where we work on our physical approach to the trumpet.

Technique includes all of the aspects of fundamentals but transcends them with the physical challenges of the music that we play. In other words, technique represents the physical skills we need to play the trumpet AND our music. Included here are etudes, books of transcribed solos or any method that addresses physical challenges of a particular style.

The boundaries of Fundamentals and Technique can naturally become obscured and this is just fine. The distinction can be helpful however, to encourage proper mindfulness. With fundamentals, we practice the trumpet; with technique, we practice music. A balance of time in these facets encourages a solid base and extends our potential.

Mental Practice deals with such things as transposition, music reading, interpreting chord changes, memorization, scales, ear training, learning new pieces and applying style. In this facet, choose something that is a particular challenge for your field and implement it into your practice.

Creative practice, which is an often overlooked but important facet of practice for all players at any level, utilizes all that we have learned into an expression of the self. It is the lesson of using the singing voice, improvising, and being expressive. Kenny Werner’s Effortless Mastery and Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way are two resources that address this topic.

Responsibility, Traditional Contextuality, Rehearsing, Performing

Responsibility applies to your role in culture, such as being a student,teacher and/or performer. It can include such diverse elements as learning how to make a living in music, knowing what pieces you are expected to play at your gig, devoting yourself to your studies, supporting live music, and learning the intricacies of the music business. Your responsibilities may change everyday and remaining mindful here will guide your practice.

Traditional Contextuality refers to the understanding of musical tradition and the state of musical art. One can choose to fit in, go against, complement, “sell out”, break new ground or just observe what is happening. This is an area for larger creative choices, learning style by listening, and studying history.

Rehearsing involves our relationship with others and this often takes a lot of work such as finding the compromise between the various goals in the group and working towards something that everyone is capable of achieving together. Getting along with people, setting up and running rehearsals, sharing ideas, or just being willing to play with others are aspects of this facet.

Performing is concerned with playing for people and includes such issues as fear management, peak performance issues, or just being willing to play for others. The teachings of Don Greene and his various books on peak performance, the Inner Game books by Timothy Gallwey and visualization methods address this. Be very careful to not judge your practice based on this facet alone.

Closing Thoughts

Most ‘complete’ methods, as essential as they are, really only deal with a small part of this path. Thankfully though, placing them side by side with other books and teachings often gives a clearer picture of the balance that we can move toward. If you are interested in an integral approach to practice, you could begin by applying one example for each of the twelve facets of practice. If you find yourself confused, realize that the obstacle is confusion, put it aside and then just practice.

© 2004, Brian McWhorter