Category: News (Page 1 of 2)

As you can well imagine, any piece of equipment that you spit through on a daily basis is probably going to get a bit disgusting after a while. So every few months, its a good idea to give your brass instrument a bath. This washes out any dirt and gunk and also prevents build-ups that can cause damage later on.

But how does one give a trumpet a bath, I hear you cry?!
Well read on!

Step 1: Run a lukewarm bath with a little washing-up liquid as a detergent. DO NOT use hot water as this can strip the lacquer. Lay an old towel on the bottom of the tub to prevent scratching.

Step 2: Set up a clean and dust-free surface to arrange the parts of the instrument. I have used a puppy-training pad as they are quite absorbent!

Step 3: Remove the slides from the trumpet. Each valve has its own slide; make sure you hold the relevant valve as you remove its slide.

IF A SLIDE WON’T MOVE THEN PLEASE DON’T FORCE IT. BRING IT TO ME!

(The 3rd valve slide sometimes has a retaining screw to stop it from flying off during a performance. Remove this too)

Step 4: Remove the valves using the screw-on caps at the top and bottom of each valve casing.

Step 5: (optional) If you want to thoroughly wash the slides, remove the water keys using the appropriate screw. WARNING: Putting the springs back in is not for the faint of heart!

Step 6: (optional) Similarly, if you want to submerge the valves as well, dissemble them by unscrewing the button at the top. Again, these are tricky to reassemble, so unless you’re completely confident, leave them for now.

Step 7: Submerge the relevant parts for an hour or so, to let them soak.

Step 8: Using APPROPRIATELY-SIZED brushes, swab the parts of the trumpet until no more dirt can be removed.

Step 9: If any part of the instrument is visibly tarnished, use a dollop of Brasso on a soft cloth (or kitchen towel) and polish it until it is shiny once again. Make sure that you then rinse it to remove any traces of the polish.

Step 10: When the parts are dry, you can begin to reassemble the instrument. Use plenty of valve oil to fit the valves and the 1st and 3rd slides and a thicker oil (or Vaseline) for the 2nd slide and the Tuning slide.

Step 11: Finally, using a standard furniture polish, shine up the outside of the trumpet. You may need sunglasses!

Sing ‘Frere Jacques’ out loud. Easy, right? Now try it again, singing every other note silently in your head; still with me?
Can you sing the whole thing in your head? How about in canon?
Inner hearing is a key concept in the Kodály Method of music education; it allows  us to use our imagination to ‘visualise’ music in our heads. When we can do this, we can understand music to the fullest degree. It allows us to improvise, perform, compose, sing and much more.
I’m privileged to have just returned from the annual British Kodály Academy’s Summer School; this year at the University of Nottingham. I have spent the week learning mind bending singing games, solfa handsigns, vocal techniques and choral conducting, with a view to completing the BKA’s Level 1 certificate programme by this time next year.
The Kodály method is nothing particularly new; it was developed in the middle part of the last century by the eponymous Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodály. It allows us to perceive music in a different way, thinking more about the function of each note rather than just its name.
For example, in the key of F major, A is a major third from F. Using the Kodály Solfege system, F would be Do and A would be Mi. If we were then to move the example up a tone into G major, B natural would be the major third. In Solfege, G would again be Do and B would still be Mi. Teaching children to sing in this manner allows them to conceptualise music more effectively and think ‘What is that note doing?’ instead of merely, ‘What is that note?’. Handsigns are also used for each different note, adding an important visualisation of the pitch when singing.
The Kodály method is also a child-developmental approach, meaning that each step follows a clear progression that takes into account a child’s musical cognitive development. Every time something is achieved there’s always a way of making it even more challenging and building upon the foundations previously laid. Concepts are regularly taught as games; every time we managed to keep up with a game this week, the teacher would then make it harder, forcing us to internalise what we had just learnt in order to add another layer.
Singing is obviously a core part of the Kodály methodology with the rationale that it is the most efficient way of training the ear and encouraging the development of audiation. Mozart’s ability to ‘hear’ his compositions in his head was almost certainly an exaggerated form of audiation and it’s clear today that this skill is the cornerstone of musical ability and is often mistakenly referred to as ‘innate talent’. Teaching children to sing first in unison and later in harmony is a priority. It can help with all types of music and communication, not to mention things like confidence!
The way I experience music has been revolutionised this last week and I can’t wait to bring what I’ve learnt to the classroom! The benefits of this method are far-reaching and I can’t wait to see what kind of effect it has a few years down the line! I shall keep you posted…
Meanwhile, this is the kind of thing we were getting up to last week;

 

As many of you know, I was missing last week. Did you think I was lying on a beach in the Maldives? Think again! I attended an intensive course in Woodwind Repair at the Trevor Head School in Wales.

I’ve been doing the odd repair here and there on my own instruments for a while now, but I wanted to learn some more skills and ultimately how to give an instrument a full service. We worked from 9am-7pm every day under the expert tutelage of Gary Mills (an ex-Navy Warrant Officer and Engineer) learning how to diagnose and fix problems like leaks, rust, cracks, dents and much more! I’ll still be practising the more difficult techniques on my own instruments for now, but I’ll soon be able to fix most minor problems on my students’ instruments, which was my overall goal.
It might have been a working holiday, but it was still great fun and it was great to come back having learnt how to do so many cool things.
Here’s some of the things I managed to fix, starting with an old flute with a nasty dent:
Before:
 
After:

And here’s a clarinet with a nasty crack in it:

And then after I’d worked my magic on it:

I can’t wait to put my newly learned skills to use and in fact, I already made a last minute repair to a leaky sax the day before someone’s music exam this week. Fun stuff!

Thanks to these guys, there’s been a surge in popularity of what they call ‘brass bands’ (not the same as the english definition), which are like small marching bands that cover popular tunes. They have so much energy, it’s infectious! And I bet they earn more than just small change too…

Listen to all the awesome noises that the baritone sax player produces- he’s bringing House music to the sax! I still can’t quite work out how he does it…
For anyone who’s not seen one before, the enormous brass instrument is called a Sousaphone and it’s like an outdoor Tuba; the sound goes forward into the crowd instead of up into the sky!
Points to anyone who can show me that they can dance and still manage to play at the same time!

Whenever anyone asks you to name your favourite film composer, there are a few that always come straight to mind (John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Ennio Morricone), but my favourite has definitely got to be the weird and wonderful Danny Elfman.
You might not know him by name, but you’ll definitely know some of his music!

The reason I love Elfman so much is quite simply because he thinks outside of the box. Composers like Zimmer seem to default to a big blocky ‘epic’ sound involving lots of french horns and I-VI-V-IV harmonic sequences, but Elfman adds his own magic to his scores and makes them quirky; often far better reflecting some of the weirder Tim Burton films he’s worked on (Nightmare Before Christmas, Alice in Wonderland). He uses less conventional harmony and instrumentation to add some serious style to his compositions. For example, listen to the odd pairings of instrument in this piece:

There are parts where the Oboe and Bass Clarinet have a solo together and so do the Piccolo and the Bass Guitar. He’s also put some fab percussion in this one too (listen out for the ratchet, jingle bells and musical saw!).
More recently, Elfman has worked on the Avengers films and others like Oz the Great and Powerful., American Hustle and Fifty Shade of Grey. He adds so much character to his music that I could listen to it for days at a time! I’ll leave you with my favourite piece by him; there’s nothing that could fit this film better!

 

Most people will argue that playing one sax at a time is hard enough, but this guy takes the term ‘multi-instrumentalist’ to the next level!
If you’re lucky to have two saxes, clarinets or recorders (or a combination of any) why don’t you give it a go?
Points to anyone who can play me a piece on two wind instruments in their next lesson 😉

 

There are some bands that you just keep going back to time and time again and, for me, it’s always these guys:

The brainchild of a Mr Scott Bradlee, Postmodern Jukebox was formed in 2011 and they’ve been producing re-worked versions of pop tunes ever since. Bradlee arranges all the tunes himself and his band is a rotating collective (i.e. whoever is around when he needs to record or perform) with an exciting roster of guest stars. They have an infectious energy which complements their preferred lively jazz styles to a tee. Critics may argue that they are making a living off the back of someone else’s music, but I’d say that anyone who can make Justin Bieber sound that awesome is the living embodiment of true genius. Take my money!
If there’s a tune you’d like to play in a different style, ask me in this week’s lesson! Have a think; it could be a jazz version of a Twenty-One Pilots song, an Irish folk version of a Little Mix tune, or even Lady Gaga in the style of Bach. The crazier the better!

Every year, the best and  brightest wind and percussion players from across the USA apply to be a member of the Disneyland All-American College Band. Each player is phenomenal soloist in their own right, but when they come together; KA-BOOM. Magic is made. This is their rendition of the Star Wars music, but do check out their other stuff as well- it’s amazing.
I don’t know about you, but I struggle enough to walk in a straight line anyway, let alone whilst playing the sax from memory!
Hats off to them methinks….
 

There is much debate about the best way to choose an instrument to play; some people advise you to pick purely on practical grounds (how tall you are, finger length, the size of your lips) and others suggest that you should pick an unusual instrument so that you will be more in demand as a player. I’ve even seen online personality tests which claim to know which instrument you are most suited for by asking your star sign.
Whilst practical limitations can be taken into an account, my own verdict on this debate is far simpler: Pick whichever one you want to learn the most- the one you are most drawn to. Determination and perseverance can overcome most practical considerations and with enough practise, you will be in demand purely for your skill rather than the popularity of your chosen instrument. Physical limitations didn’t stop this guy!
Try out as many as you can and if you start off and decide that after all its not the one for you then no problem! You will still have been learning about how music works and that is far more important than learning the specifics of an instrument. Music is full of transferable skills and with a period of adjustment and a bit of work, you can swap between most instruments.

It really is that simple; pick whichever one you want!

I’ve just come back from the most fantastic ukulele-oriented weekend of my life (yes it was better than the time I accidentally got shut in a ukulele shop armed with nothing but a song book and a torch, it was all I could do to play ‘Wagon wheel’ loudly until someone came to rescue/silence me…*)
I’m talking about the Ukulele Festival of Great Britain which takes place each year in a little town known as Cheltenham in the Cotswolds. I’d not been to a uke festival before and so when we finally rolled up to the pub late on Friday night, I wasn’t prepared for the sheer uke-ness of it all. Never before had I seen so many awesome people squeezed into the same space. Dotted around were groups of people just jamming to themselves, which gave the amazing effect of the world’s most interesting mash-up. (I’m sure I heard a mixture Fat-Bottomed Girls and Bach’s Cello Suite No.1 at one point…) But the absolute best part was that everyone was having such a great time, loads of people had dressed up as fairies and everyone was being just generally very Jolly.
But the best was yet to come. Saturday was the day of the main gig itself in the town hall. There were so many performers on and off the stage that it would take all day to list them all so here are some of my personal favourites:

• Ben Rouse– A player of ferocious speed and skill with his roots in rock. Does a lovely cover of ‘Highway to Hell’.
• Zoe Bestel- A singer-songwriter with the kind of voice that makes you want to cry in a good way.
• Les Poupees Gonflees– Cheeky humour with a vintage French sound and amazingly inventive percussion
• Tobias Elof– A master of both Danish folk music and dreadlocks. A strong combination
• Ryo Natoyama– Pure virtuoso genius.
• Hot Potato Syncopators– Like the March Hare at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. Only British-er.
• Barada Street– Ukulele playing acrobats. Yes, actual acrobats!
• Ukulele Bartt– An eccentric writer of witty songs and an awesome fingerstyle player. Has lots of friends.
• James Hill– One of the biggest names in the ukulele world, who found fame playing Billie Jean on one uke.

The sunday was pretty laid back with a massive busk (over 600 people at once!) and then lunch at the pub with an open mic. A perfect end to a great weekend. Will take the train next time though…
Looking back at the line-up we come to the title question, is it the Ukulele Festival of Great Britain? I would argue not, but in a good way. Whilst some of the very best of our home-grown talent were represented, there were also performers from Japan, Canada, USA, Denmark, France, Spain and even Kyrgyzstan! I think that actually it represents some of the best of the world’s uke players. Maybe they should go for International Ukulele Festival next year? I’m pretty sure that there isn’t one of those yet- at least in name.
Anyway, if you’re fairly new to the uke and and sure where to start apart from Formby and the UOGB** this is sort of like my own recommended listening list for you. These guys are awesome and it was great to hear them live. I thoroughly recommend it!
Oh, and I bought a Banjolele. Grand Southern Festival anyone?
Peace and love,
James
*True story. Probably.
**Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain