Wisdom of teachers

[MileMarkerZero]

What is the most profound musical or technique concept you learned in a lesson? Who was the teacher?

I have 2.

The first is the concept that if you don't have a crystal clear idea of the musical picture you want to paint, you will never be completely successful in communicating your musical message to your listener.

The teacher was Dr. William Wakefield at the University of Oklahoma.

The second is the idea that no matter what dynamic you are playing, your sound has to fill every nook and cranny of the room in which you are playing, especially the back corners of the room or hall. It has to take on exactly the size, shape, and volume of the room.

That was my high school lesson instructor, Dr. Mark Mordue (now) of Ball St. U.

[ken k]

not necessarily music realated but can be:

A short pencil is better than a long memory.....

I don't remember who told me that but I use it over and over again in my lessons.

and

Even a trip of 1000 miles begins with that first step.

or a silimar one the hardest word to write is the first....

ken (in other words get off your duff and get to work!) k

[jbaylies]

AIR!

[BopEuph]

When I was talking to Vic himself, he related music to life. And that it's up to me to find it. Also, a lesson he named a song after:

"You can't hold no groove, if you ain't got no pocket."

Some other messages from teachers:

-That SUCKED! Play it better this time.
-SING!

My mind is going a hundred miles a minute. Every time I do something in music, it reminds me of a lesson a teacher has taught me. And that musical lesson could have come from a musician or not.

Nick

[tubafatness]

There are a lot, but one that comes back to me every day.

From my bass bone teacher Dr. John Hubbard:
[Upon taking an inadequate breath before playing a phrase]
"What the hell are you doing? You're a goddamn tuba player! BREATHE!"

[brianf]

Seems there are a lot of Jacobs quotes, here's another:

Don't get old, you won't like it!

[MikeMason]

"Don't be a tuba jock.Be a musician."- James Jenkins. I still struggle with this one...

[rocksanddirt]

One of the best things (and I don't recall where I heard it first) was to sing the lyrics of the song in your head while you play (this was for trumpet in Marching band).

Another is from my church choir director (opera singer) to think the high notes as low notes, and that none of it maters if you don't breathe. Another from her is that if your voice sounds good to yourself, you're doing it wrong.

[BriceT]

"If you can sing it you can play it." Jacobs

"You don't have to be a hero!" David Stone

"You tend to play a little too romantic at times." Anonymous

[Rick Denney]

Make the very first note that you play in your warm up be the very finest sound that you are capable of making. If you start out with such high standards then you will not waste so much time "getting your head together." Just start with a great sound.

My first lesson with Mike started exactly that way. I came in and made a poor note, even for me. I made some lame excuse about "the first note of the day", and he responded, "Well, let's talk about that..."

I've had relatively few lessons, but much experience listening to great tuba players in great ensembles. I think I've learned more from listening than from lessons. Except...

Keep your eye on the ball

Rick "who learned a lot about focus playing golf with Ray" Denney

[Christopher Lair]

Just get a damn horn and play it! I mean PLAY IT! Play the HELL out of it!

-Winston Morris

I've got a list of quotes from him as well as from some of my other mentors that I'll never forget, but this one is my favorite.

[MikeS]

"If you're not making me want to get up and dance, you're wasting my time." Glenn Smith

If I had a dollar for every time I heard that phrase I could probably buy a YammaYork. There was also this variation:

"If you want to know how you're doing in a lesson, don't ask, just look at my right foot. If it's tapping, you're doing fine. If it's not, try playing music instead of notes."

[Thomas Maurice Booth]

Ted Cox posted this quote about a year ago and I still read it on a fairly regular basis.

===========================================
"I never post, but I couldn't resist and had a few minutes before I leave to play the Nutcracker, (my 25th year).
If I had to sum up the most important element in playing the tuba or any other instrument into one word I suppose it would be acceptance. Let me explain. You can only grow beyond where you are if you accept where you are in the first place. You can only begin to stretch your limits if you can see and embrace them. It isn't willpower or anger at your limitations that strethes them, it's acceptance. Getting angry at yourself for being where you are serves no purpose other than to fuel your frustrations and reinforce your perceived limits. Staying focused on what you can't do prevents you from discovering what you can.
No matter who you are, you can do more than you think you can do. Believing your doubts is one of the most insidious mind tricks that your ego can play on you. Doubts are not real; they are just illusions created to keep ourselves from taking risks because we are so afraid of failing. When you believe you can't, you can't. Come out of your thoughts - your doubts of "I can't do that", your worries of "am I doing this right?" your fears, your frustrations of "why can't I do this as well as he can?" and your ego resistance of "if I can't do this perfectly then I won't do it at all" and just be, accept.
Doubt your doubts and they vanish. Feel your fears and they fade. Let go of your worries and they fail to materialize. Just think less and be more.
Habits are powerful factors in our lives. Our character is basically a composite of our habits. First we make our habits, then our habits make us. Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.
Don't limit your practicing to just working on "fundamentals"
think bigger, expand and grow and forget the old saying, "practice makes perfect". Practice IS perfect. What habits in your practicing could be changed?"

Ted Cox
Principal Tubist
Oklahoma City Philharmonic
=============================================

TMB

[Toobist]

The Cox quote above is amazing. I'm sure I'm not the only one who takes some solace in that one.

[Geotuba]

This is rapidly turning into one of the most useful threads on this board. Could it be a pinning candidate?

[gregsundt]

Simple, yet effective:

"S*** or get off the pot." W. Jacobs

I needed it then, and I still need it today. I have often repeated this sentiment (using other words) to needy students. The ones who have the ability, but are complicating things by playing mind games with themselves, or worse yet, who are kidding themselves that their current effort is sufficient to lift them above the crowd.

Another favorite is in my signature. It came the day I complained to Mr. LeBlanc about the intonation of my new Rudy CC. To this day, one of the easiest horns I have played.

[pwhitaker]

Simple, yet effective:

"S*** or get off the pot." W. Jacobs

I prefer "Defecate or abdicate". It flows better.

[Cunningham]

Some John Stevens quotes.........

(addressing the tuba/euph ensemble)
"I wish I could get you guys to carry more than a glass of beer through a bar."

"It's not like it's rocket surgery."

"Musicians are like surgeons. Only when we make a mistake, nobody dies."

[jeopardymaster]

"OK, so you love music. So buy a radio."

He offered this to me as what a responsible teacher should tell less-than-good students when they need to give it up and spend their parents' money on something else.

Harsh? Yeah. But deluding them is no kindness. And just taking their money has no honor.

[TMurphy]

"Just don't get frustrated."

I remind myself of this every time I come against something that gives me difficulty.