You may notice that I've changed the website just a bit and added some more photos. I intend on putting up more photos and videos soon. I also have created a SeanBrownMusic Facebook page (which you should "Like") in order to connect with you all more. I also have plans to create a YouTube channel specific to my music, both as a performer and a composer. My hope is to take recordings of my pieces and put them to a video, which I can post to YouTube, and get a bigger audience.
I'm telling ya, networking is a lot of work! It's hard to get your name out there on your own, but selling yourself is one of the greatest ways to make it as a musician.
Speaking of, as I've settled down here on Whidbey Island, I've built up quite a nice little studio of brass students. Well, "little" may not be the right word. I'm teaching lessons to 20 kids right now every week! That's just after 3 months of being in the area. In terms of income, the 10 hours of work needed to teach those 20 students brings in just as much income as the full-time retail job I was working before I started teaching lessons. That's just awesome. And I know more students will be coming to me soon. Man, I definitely love my job.
And keep in mind that I'm not just teaching horn students. 4 of my students play horn (which is awesome, of course). But the rest of my kids play trumpet, trombone or euphonium. By leaving myself open to teaching all brass, as well as any level of brass player (the majority of my kids are beginners), I've been getting a lot of work, and I will continue to get lots of work. And of course, teaching trumpet and trombone means that I am playing trumpet and trombone in their lessons with them. It's good for them to hear their instrument played for them well in lessons.
And that leads me into what I wanted to talk more about today.
There's a myth out there that states that a professional-level brass player should never regularly play a different brass instrument in addition to their primary instrument, since it will mess with and alter their embouchure. For instance, a hornist should never play trombone or trumpet, otherwise their embouchure with be negatively affected. That's what a vast number of pro musicians and teacher I've talked to believe.
I'm here to tell you that is totally false. I am living proof.
Seriously, though, think about it: How really can playing a different brass instrument mess with your current brass embouchure? Where's the science behind it? What really can be affected? I don't really see it. To me, playing any brass instrument is a matter of making a good buzz and using air correctly.
Sure, each brass instrument should use a different kind of embouchure. Horn players generally use 2/3 upper lip and 1/3 lower lip in the mouthpiece, mainly to allow the upper lip to be more dominant and allowing hornist to play quite low with such a small mouthpiece. Trumpet players use more lower lip in the mouthpiece than hornists so they can play higher and can hold their instrument bells higher. Trombonists & tubists, of course, have mouthpieces too big to avoid using a good amount of both lips, and because of this, embouchures on these instruments vary greatly amongst players.
But what happens when a professional hornist, such as myself, plays all the other brass instruments? Exactly what should happen. He makes good sounds on them, and doesn't lose a single step with his ability to play horn. Of course, I can't play too high on trumpet, but that's to be expected. But I have been playing trombone regularly for the last 5 years, so much so that I have developed a different embouchure altogether for trombone. Same goes with tuba. And I feel that my horn playing is better than ever.
And I've known several successful free-lancers who double on both horn and trumpet! Or professors that play both tuba and euphonium. Or guys like me who play them all!!!
It's all about a frame of mind, as it is so much with brass playing. Having a mind open to the possibility will make it happen. Any brass player should be able to play any brass instrument if they want to. It really doesn't hurt anything. It hasn't hurt me at all. My horn playing has always gotten better, even more so since I started playing other brass instruments more regularly. Coincidence? Maybe. But I attribute my ability to play quite relaxed and efficiently on my horn to my ability to play other brass instruments with no hinderances on my horn playing.
I will let you know if I start to have problems with my horn playing because of playing other brass instruments. But in my job now, where I play more trumpet than horn, my range, tone & flexibility has never been better on horn.
I think I'll be just fine. And so will you.
Take care and value music.