Take a Deep Breath

I had the pleasure of playing for another masterclass this week. Today the horn studio had Lin Foulk in from Western Michigan University, and her work with me on Les Adieux (Franz Strauss) was very insightful. I think one of the most challenging aspects of a lyrical piece like this is maintaining breath support. Of course, Lin noticed my bare-minimum, inadequate breathing from the start. Though I've always known I needed to spend more time focusing on breathing because it really is the root of most of my problems, I've never consistently taken the time. The breathing exercise she offered today was very helpful, and I think I would find great benefits in doing it every day. Her comments also fit remarkably well with the latest topic in my Alexander Technique class: breath and the ribs.

I was reflecting on my breathing last night during class, and I find that my greatest challenge in breathing lies in the hype. As young musicians, we're taught to "tank up," which may not be the most effective imagery. Breathing deeply and fully shouldn't be work, but the idea of tanking up creates tension: we must work to inhale more deeply than in everyday conversation. I find that I create a great deal of tension in my neck and chest when I think about taking a deep breath for a musical phrase. The greatest benefit I would gain from regular practice would be the ability to stop my habitual tensing and choose to take full and relaxed breaths. I know the more practice I get at slower speeds, the more reliable this process will be when breaths must be much quicker. Happy breathing!