Festival of New Trumpet Music is a two-week celebration of the diverse contemporary music scene, including its international contributors. Through a series of commissioned works, concerts, master classes and panels it focuses on the multitude of ways the trumpet is being sounded, and in the most grassroots sense it brings players and communities together in an embrace of creative culture. This year’s festival will open with their first award of recognition. The award will be presented to Wadada Leo Smith for his visionary musical and cultural analysis, his revolutionary approach to composition and of course his brilliant brass playing. In addition, FONT Music 2008 is commissioning new music from three extraordinary players: Chris DiMeglio, Nabaté Isles, and Reut Regev. Participants will also witness a host of new collaborations amongst trumpeters of varied persuasions, including performances by Dave Douglas, Ralph Alessi, Avishai Cohen, Ingrid Jensen, Jeremy Pelt, Ambrose Akinmusire, and many others. FONT asserts that, “far from an exhaustive survey, these two weeks are but a small sampling from the vast ocean of current practice – how it has changed the world of brass and been changed by it.” FONT Director, Curator and Trumpeter, Dave Douglas says, “the sea change here is in the radical, dangerous proposal for the coexistence of all music, a dismantling of all the institutional barriers erected to preserve the separation of genres and communities. Our mission in brass is to proclaim this all over the city, with a clear tone and a pure sound, as a font of inspiration: that all music is one.”

Trumpet players and fans, this is one festival you don’t want to miss!

In order to properly play the trumpet a certain amount of tension is required in the facial and abdomen areas, however, all other physical components of the body must be focused yet relaxed, especially the mind. This is a very difficult thing for most of us to do.

In his book, ‘The Art of Brass Playing,’ Phillip Farkas wrote, “in order to produce a sound on a brass instrument we must vibrate the lips into the mouthpiece by means of the air-stream. In order to create this vibration, certain muscles must be tensed.” Farkas goes on to describe this as a combination of tension in both the cheek and chin muscles simultaneously. These two must compliment each other – as Farkas says, “smile and pucker balance each other, resulting in puckered smile.”

In the process of producing the forced respiration necessary to sound our trumpets and directing it to a tensed embouchure, we may actually impede the air-flow because of tensed torsos, shoulders, necks and throats.

As I mentioned earlier, it is a natural tendency to tighten the throat. This phenomenon is known as the Valsalva maneuver and is defined by the medical community as a natural bodily function in which “…the throat closes simultaneously with respiratory muscle contraction” (Breathing for Musicians, Scott A. Nelson, DMA). While this may be a natural part of respiratory muscle function, as Dr. Nelson points out, “it is devastatingly disastrous to speaking, singing, and wind instrument play.”

So, if you want to become a top-notch player, you have to learn to control this issue. Remember, more air can get through if you keep your throat OPEN and blow easily through your lips. Practice scales, and anything else for that matter, without the horn on your face. Rather, finger the notes on the horn and blow the notes with your lips in a whistle, singing type manner. Afterwards, play the scale or passages with your trumpet. Alternate back and forth in this manner being cognizant of an OPEN throat. These alternate blowing sessions are referred to as “wind patterns” and are extremely helpful in reducing throat tension. Do a lot of wind patterns!

It is also possible that the throat pressure is caused by tension in the hands, arms, shoulders and neck, which translates into a tight throat. Hold the horn loosely as possible. You may also want to adopt one of the recommendations of Claude Gordon and, “lift the fingers high and strike the valves hard.” This may relieve some of the tension in your hands and arms.

Of course, this is the sort of thing that won’t cure itself overnight. You will have to be diligent and become conscious of how you control and direct your air energy.

There are several books available on the balance of tension , air-flow and relaxation. Some of my favorites include: