[TPIN] Monette (if you are anti Monette person delete now)another opinion..

[Andy Del]

Actually, I would say there is method in the madness.

A few things to ponder: 

1. Posture and breathing. Who in the list has their breathing so under
control that they don't have to give some attention to their posture?
Singers spend an inordinate amount of time on their posture and breathing,
just so they can go on stage and swoon about getting stabbed and sing long
arias about the pain of the blade in their hearts... Etc. etc. etc. The
great singers have  an amazing level of physical control and technique in
their breathing.

2. How many of us have horn with, to quote eBay sellers, 'just a few pings'?
If it was a $2.000.000 Stradivarius, you'd be extremely careful of your
horn. Why do we treat our instruments with less respect? I see players, from
8 year old kids to professionals treat their instrument with so much brute
force, dumping into cases, onto stands and chairs it's no wonder they get
beaten up and many in short order. Brass is a soft alloy - I have brass
rivets that are 3 inches thick and bend easily in the hand! Why do we expect
a trumpet with tubes 1mm or so think to be tough?

3. I remember a trombonist who I respect greatly saying that Monette
mouthpieces are simply 'unforgiving'. Blow well, and it sounds good: drop
the ball and you sound horrid. While it's not a completely valid comparison,
I would prefer to drive a Ferrari, with it's dicky engine setup/tuning etc.
to a Hyundai that goes on regardless. Why not a good trumpet that demands
the best you can do?

4. As an educator, I am very particular with my students about how they sit,
breathe, pick up the horn, put the mouthpiece in, blow, etc. Some get it,
some don't, but they are all exposed to a high expectation level, and
information about the physical side of playing. If I could get a student
model trumpet that just didn't allow notes out if they didn't breathe well,
sit well, and count, I'd be laughing! (Any insisting they all get one!)

Fortunately, with horns, mouthpieces, cars and wine, 'each to his own' is
perfectly acceptable.

cheers

Andy


-----Original Message-----
From: tpin-bounces+trumpetplayer=optusnet.com.au at tpin.okcu.edu
[mailto:tpin-bounces+trumpetplayer=optusnet.com.au at tpin.okcu.edu] On Behalf
Of Dave Edwards
Sent: Sunday, 2 December 2007 4:42 PM
To: vaxtrpts at aol.com; lopicka at sbcglobal.net; tpin at tpin.okcu.edu
Subject: RE: [TPIN] Monette (if you are anti Monette person delete
now)another opinion..



> By the way, when I asked Dave about my upper register not working, his 
> answer was that I didn't stand properly to play his horns.

This is madness!

You have to STAND a certain way in order to play one of his horns properly?


Sounds kind of like ITG this year.  I know that some folks, as they were
reaching over to try out some of his horns, were informed that they were not
picking up the horn properly!  Good grief!  Are these horns so delicate and
fragile, that they have to be handled with kid gloves all the time?  IMO,
that's not really practical if you're out there playing on a regular, or
even semi-regular basis. 

Look, I'm sure Dave makes wonderful horns and I know a lot of people love
them.

But I agree with Mike.  I just cannot conceive of any horn being worth that
much money.

-Dave

Dave Edwards 
Music Web Site - http://www.quietcovemusic.com/

_______________________________________________
TPIN mailing list
TPIN at tpin.okcu.edu
http://tpin.okcu.edu/mailman/listinfo/tpin