3 Ways Every Parent Can Inspire Their Brass Student

3 Ways Every Parent Can Inspire Their Brass Student

Given the plethora of research and reports highlighting the importance of music education in achieving success across various subjects, it is only natural for you, as a parent, to want to motivate your child to persevere in this newfound skill they are acquiring. "But I never learned an instrument in school. I have no idea how they are making sounds or how to encourage them!" I'm here to tell you you know more tan you are giving yourself credit for. Here is what you know, and the tools you have to become your child's greatest inspiration.

M Mary Galime
The Moral Code of Mouthpieces

The Moral Code of Mouthpieces

Reflecting on the many discussions I’ve had, I’ve come to realize that there is a moral code to trying

M Mary Galime
Mouthpieces 101

Mouthpieces 101

Your mouthpiece is a relationship of measurements, joined together to support you. Understanding the terminology and relationship is key to finding the right mouthpiece.

M Mary Galime
Low Range Troubleshooting - Especially for new tuba players

Low Range Troubleshooting - Especially for new tuba players

Anything can be achieved on our instrument, so long as we practice incrementally. I’ve always called this style of practice “incremental,” because it describes how we improve our skills by one unit at a time in an organized linear way. And it’s exactly the mindset you should proceed with when trying to play lower.

W William Russell
Visit the Denis Wick Factory!

Visit the Denis Wick Factory!

Get a tour of the Denis Wick factory and a peak into how Denis Wick creates performance ready mouthpieces and mutes for beginner to professional brass musicians.

M Mary Galime
5 Ways to Use your Practice Mute to Improve Immediately

5 Ways to Use your Practice Mute to Improve Immediately

Try these sound improving tips now! Did you know that quiet practice was only a side benefit, but not the main purpose of the Denis Wick Practice Mute? Denis actually created it to be a practice tool that could be used for opening up a player’s throat for breathing, broadening the tone, and helps fix a host of other playing issues as well. Here are 5 ways you can use the mute to improve your playing this week.

M Mary Galime
Is "The Healing Power of Music" more than a cliché ?

Is "The Healing Power of Music" more than a cliché ?

Is it just cliché or can music have the power to change what is happening in the world today? Let me start this article with a big IN MY OPINION…. I do not have all the answers, and there is a lot that needs to come together right now in order to heal the wounds and stop the continued offenses of racism, police brutality, social injustice, as well as religious injustice, sexism, and poverty, just to name a few… But the ways we create as musicians indeed does move the phrase “the healing power of music” beyond cliché into tangible action.

M Mary Galime
Simple Ideas for Teachers of Beginning Brass Students

Simple Ideas for Teachers of Beginning Brass Students

If there is one thing most brass players dread, it’s giving a lesson to a beginner. No, it's not because we don’t want to see the next generation enjoying music the way we do, but it's because we have NO CLUE how to fill 30 minutes of time for a student that may or may not have her horn correctly assembled. The first lesson I taught to a beginner was, let’s say, uncomfortable, (like, on the level of childbirth). Since those many years ago, I have come up with a few tricks to help both student and teacher get through those first few months without boring yourselves to death and in the meantime improve your student’s skills!

A Alliance Brass
Solutions to Playing with Braces for Brass Players

Solutions to Playing with Braces for Brass Players

Many young brass musicians face the challenge of getting new braces. Unfortunately, the ideal time for a student to receive orthodontic treatment coincides with the time that young musicians are developing embouchure as well as a general connection to music. This is the age when many young students are deciding if they want to continue pursuing music, so it is particularly crucial to make the transition into playing with braces as smooth as possible. In order to better understand how to help your student adapt with their braces, I discussed this topic with two individuals with a great deal of experience with this problem. Mr. Jim Childers is the band director at Marion Jr High School where he has seen many young students deal with braces related issues-- he is also a trombonist. I also reached out to Dr. Kyle Childers who is an orthodontist with multiple offices in Southern Illinois.

B Ben Woodward
How Mass Affects Your Mouthpiece

How Mass Affects Your Mouthpiece

If 2 mouthpieces share the same exact sizing, will they perform the same? If their shape and weight is different, then certainly not! Check out this video from the Denis Wick App, and learn about how weight and mass distribution in your mouthpiece can affect its response and sound.

M Mary Galime