Why I love the 15 Minute Warm-Up, and so should you.

Q: Dear Dr. J - Why are you such a maniac about the Brass Buzz and the 15 Minute Warm-Up?

Answer:I like 'em so much, I bought the company!

OK.

Not true, but full disclosure up front - I love the 15 Minute W.U. and the 20 Minute W.U. so much, that after 10 years of use, I have collaborated with Mr. Davis to help him with some of his current projects- this is not a "paid testimonial".

I, as all of you, have been doing long tones, lip slurs, etc. since the dawn of time. . . .well. . . . for me, since about fifth grade. I had a great teacher who got me started doing the Remington Warm-Ups and and similar exercises. I DID do them, but not as often as I would have liked, and certainly, NOT as thoughtfully as I now wish I would have done.

As Malcolm Gladwell talks about in his now often quoted book- it takes 10 years or 10,000 hours of practice to master a skill. What people often leave out, is that it takes THOUGHTFUL practice, not just the time.

Q: Why do I use the 15 Minute Warmup, or the 20 Minute Warm-Up on a daily basis?
A: Because it provides structure, pitch and rhythmic reinforcement, and gives me a "starting point" or "emergency w.u." that I can do at a bus station or in the car on my mouthpiece, or when at home it's like stretching/running the bases- then I can supplement it with other exercises that I need that day, or my face tells me that it needs more of. I often follow it with another 20-40 minutes of flexibility, articulation, range exercises, but always start with the accompaniment (EVEN THOUGH it may seem seem a bit "cheezy" to some) - as it allows me to:

not. . . . procrastinate. . . . or. . . . put. . . . it. . . . off. . . . .

If nothing else, in 10-15 minutes, I have hit all the major areas that I need when going into a gig/etc. and will be functional. For those of use with kids/day job/unexpected events- this is a godsend, as I put it on my phone/iPod, and can buzz along with it when traveling or have a few minutes of downtime.

I cannot recommend it highly enough (again, not a paid plug) - There's a reason why Remington codified the exercises in the Remington Warm-Ups (it's the kind of stuff great brass players had been doing for the last few hundred years in various fashions - lip slurs, long tones, articulation, etc.)

The 15 Minute Warm-Up helps me "Get 'er Done" while constantly reinforcing my internal sense of TIME and PITCH. My internal auditory precognition (hearing the pitch and sound before I play it), pitch accuracy, and internal sense of time has greatly improved since I started using Mr. Davis' books in 2000.

I can't recommend it highly enough- if you're not sure, go pick up his video lesson - he's got a fan appreciation promo going right now where you can pick it up for only $5! - I'll attach it below.

Phew.

Sorry for the long post, but have found in the last third of my career, as I have been using it nearly daily since 2000, that it has made a huge impact in the stability, strength, and accuracy of my physical chops, and my mental focus & discipline. I work with students from 3rd grade through professional, and I have seen an increasing challenge in getting people to discipline themselves with a "daily routine" as we all did "back in the day".

The accompaniment (even if lighthearted or "cheezy") makes a big difference in the rhythmic and pitch fundamentals, but also in the "I hit play-and play til it's done" department- it removes the resistance that we all occasionally face when picking up the horn to do the daily routine.

$0.025

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Use the links below to claim your prize, and thanks again for your support!

Trumpet:
15 Minute Warmup CODE: 4xR9E
20 Minute Warmup: CODE: V8W3w

Trombone:
15 Minute Warmup: CODE: 74dsD
20 Minute Warmup: CODE: V33uj

Best,
Michael Davis and Hip-BoneMusic