Reading list

Trumpet and technique

Altenburg, Johann Ernst, Essay on an introduction to the heroic and musical trumpeters’ and kettledrummers’ art, for the sake of a wider acceptance of the same, described historically, theoretically, and practically an illustrated with examples. Complete English translation by Edward H. Tarr. Nashville: Brass Press, 1974.
Baines, Anthony, Brass Instruments: Their History and Development. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1976.
Davidson, Louis, Trumpet Profiles. USA: Louis Davidson.
Frederiksen, Brian, Arnold Joacobs: Song and Wind. WindSong Press Limited, 1996.
Johnson, Keith, The Art of Trumpet Playing. Ames: Iowa State University Press, 1981.
Pietzsch, Hermann, Die Trumpet. Leipzig: Universal.
Ramacharaka, Yogi, Science of Breath. Chicago: Yogi Publication Society, 1904.
Smithers, Don L., The Music and History of the Baroque Trumpet before 1721. Carbondale and Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press, second edition, 1988.
Stewart, M. Dee, The Legacy of a Master. Northfield, Il: The Instrumentalist Publishing Company, 1987.
Stork, John, Understanding the Mouthpiece. Switzerland: Editions BIM.

Music and life

Bruser, Madeline, The Art of Practicing. New York: Bell Tower, 1997.
Coyle, Daniel, The Talent Code. New York, N. Y.: Bantam Dell, 2009.
Green, Barry and W. Timothy Gallwey, The Inner Game of Music. Garden City, N. Y.: Anchor Press/Doubleday, c1986.
King, Robert, Brass Players Guide. North Easton: Robert King Music Sales, Inc.
Nachmanovich, Stephen, Free Play: Impovisation in Life and Art. Los Angeles: Jeremy Tarcher, Inc. 1990.
Papopos, Janice, The Performing Artists Handbook. Cincinnati: Writer’s Digest Books, 1984.
Rilke, Rainer M., Letters to a Young Poet. Translation by M. D. Herter Norton. New York: Norton, 1954.
Rubinstein, Arthur, My Younger Years. New York: Alfred Knopf, 1973.
Ristad, Eloise, Soprano on her Head. Moab, UT: Real People Press, 1982.
Sherman, Russel, Piano Pieces. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1996.
Waitzkin, Josh, The Art of Learning. New York: Free Press, 2008.
Werner, Kenny, Effortless Mastery: liberating the master musician within. New Albany, IN: Jamey Aebersold Jazz, c1996.
Wooten, Victor, The Music Lesson. Berkley, 2008.

When you practice, you develop muscle memory or reflexes. These reflexes are what you draw from when performing or playing music. When you are playing music, you do not have enough time to think about all of the physical mechanics involved. You can only think about the music...what you sound like. The reflexes that you draw on while playing are developed during the practice session. Everything that you play builds reflexes...good ones and bad ones. While practicing, you must be careful not to build undesirable reflexes. Practicing while tired (mentally or physically) can lead to bad habits or reflexes being learned. Unlearning a bad habit takes much longer than learning a good habit.

--Mark van Cleave