Mystery to Mastery - Greg spence

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Have You Heard About Trumpeter

Greg Spence?

Greg is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) and is one of the most in demand commercial session trumpet players in the Australia.

Soon after graduation, Greg toured Australia with American comic legend Jerry Lewis and played with the great Shirley Bassey at the Melbourne Concert Hall. He has since performed with numerous international stars doing television shows such as the annual TV Week Logie Awards, the Carols by Candlelight, IMT, Hey Hey It's Saturday, John Foreman's Big Night In, It Takes Two and 10 series of the smash hit Dancing with the Stars.

In 2007 Greg performed with Herbie Hancock at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) with the Queensland Symphony. In 2008 he toured with James Morrison and Deni Hines and in 2009 Greg travelled to New York to play at Carnegie Hall as part of G'Day USA Australia Week in New York.

Greg is a member of the very popular Musica Viva brass quintet Shrewd Brass. He plays regularly with latin ensembles Los Cabrones and Rumberos and is lead trumpeter for the renowned B# Big Band. Greg has also performed on many professional theatre shows and TV jingles. He has recently recorded albums with artists such as David Campbell, Joe Camaleri, Renee Gayer, Human Nature, Marcia Hines, Normie Rowe and Augie March. Other artists Greg has worked with include Thirsty Merc, Jimmy Barnes, Ben Folds and Mike Brady.

Greg's main passion is passing on his knowledge to others. He teaches regularly in his own studio, does tutor and master classes at VCA, Monash University and Victoria University and is often found doing workshops with school and community music organisations.

The Only No Mystery Guide to

Trumpet Mastery

Greg has written a trumpet method book that in the past three years has sold in 40 countries. It has received glowing endorsements from The International Trumpet Guild, Amuse, international superstars including James Morrison and Allan Vizzutti and is recommended and endorsed by Yamaha Music Australia.

The Only No Mystery Guide to Trumpet Mastery is designed to help develop a solid foundation covering all fundamentals of trumpet playing.

Greg's book is much more than your standard book of exercises! It is a simple Step-By-Step program that provides the What, Why and How to practise. With easy to understand explanations, specifically developed exercises, and quality demonstrations on CD, this method provides all of the necessary information needed, allowing the beginning student to develop skills faster and more effectively. The advanced player will learn how to recognise and troubleshoot any of the numerous problems that can arise when playing the trumpet. Combine this with up to date online support and you have an all inclusive trumpet resource.

Through lessons and conversations with, and performances alongside players including Bobby Shew, Wayne Bergeron, James Morrison and Roger Ingram, Greg has accumulated a wealth of trumpet knowledge widely unknown in Australia. Greg has researched and experimented with all of the famous methods including Claude Gordon, H.L. Clarke, Schlossberg, Adams, Stamp, Maggio, Caruso, Callet and Arban. Greg has interest in acoustics, the physics of a piece of pipe and the behaviors of pressure/sound waves. His experience has enabled him compile a package that is becoming recognised as one of the most effective "learn to play the trumpet" methods on the market.

Written for both teachers and students of all levels, The Only No Mystery Guide to Trumpet Mastery aims to make available to trumpeters everywhere, the most modern trumpet teaching techniques. Greg's students travel from all parts of the country to seek his expertise. Schools, Colleges and Universities in the U.K. and U.S. and even the American Air Force Band School of Music use this method. A retired Sergeant from the famous Airmen Of Note says "this is by far the best trumpet book I have seen!"

A message from Greg Spence - Trumpeter/Author

Trumpet players across the globe practise too many exercises and play too little music. Ask yourself why you play the trumpet. Usually the answers from beginners are along the lines of 'because of the sound', 'because it is loud' or 'because it is fun'.

There is a lesson in these answers. We often seem to lose the reason we are actually playing and get frustrated by what we can't do. That is not fun!!!

The trumpet can be a difficult instrument to learn just as a plane can be a difficult machine to fly if you don't have the proper training.

There are traps that we may fall into when practising. Common problems can include:

- repeating exercises that don't need to be repeated;

- warming up for far too long; and

- spending 80% or more of your playing time doing exercises in the hope that you will improve faster.

SOUND AND MUSIC

What is it about your favourite piece of music that makes you want to play it? Is it:

- the sound of the person performing it?

- the melody?

- the various articulations demanded?

- the techniques demonstrated?

- all of the above?

To play any of the above, you need:

- Range

- Flexibility

- Articulation

- Endurance

The main point missing from this list above is concept of sound. The imagination is a powerful tool that is too rarely used in trumpet playing. Be sure that you can mentally hear what you are going to play before you attempt to play it. My book comes with a CD so you first listen to the exercise then you copy the sound.

Bill Adams, one of the great brass teachers says to have a vivid picture in your mind of the sound you want to make. The brain, over time, will train the body to get the desired result in the most efficient way.

EXPECTATIONS

Be sure that your expectations are within reason for your current ability. Bad habits can form, even from day one, when trying to play things out of your league. A high percentage of my teaching is teaching people to relearn how to play. Eventually the new habits take the place of the old. That is why my book has been so successful. It works if you are a first time user, a comeback player or an experienced player looking to break through to the next stage.

Why do you want to play the trumpet?

Why do you want to play tunes?

Most players spend far too much time trying to develop techniques without actually relating it to any music. 'I better play that exercise again, just to make sure I can do it again'. Bobby Shew likens it to washing your car after you just finished washing it! Assess what technical difficulties a piece has and then use the appropriate exercise to help improve the technique.

How much can you possibly improve any given technique on any day? A small amount of work on a regular basis will provide the desired result over a period of time. You cannot ignore physics so take your time to learn from the Mystery to Mastery web site how the trumpet works.

Over the last 20 years, I have researched many methods and approaches for improving on the trumpet. Being self taught originally, I have fallen into most of the many traps that the trumpet can confront you with. Even though I have been performing on television and theatre for many years, I am by no means a virtuoso like my idols Maynard Ferguson, Raphael Mendez, Bobby Shew, Doc Severensen, James Morrison, Bill Chase, Lee Morgan, Maurice Andre and the likes.

I am however, someone who has dedicated his life to this wonderful instrument and in doing so have learnt amazing information from world renowned teachers such as Bobby Shew, James Stamp, Claude Gordon, Carmine Caruso, Dr Charles Colin, Max Schlossberg, Jerome Callet, Bill Adam, Arnold Jacobs and Jean Baptiste Arban helping me progress way beyond my expectations and this same information will undoubtedly help you in your quest for trumpet mastery.

Over my years of study, I noticed that although some of these great methods are quite different in approach, the messages contained within was often very similar.

The aim of my book was to compile and explain this information in the clearest most concise way for players of all standards, then to combine basic to advanced exercises and to demonstrate them on CD. That is the real key to the success of this book - to understand, to hear, to copy!

Like myself 20 years ago, most people do not have the opportunity to get lessons from the top teachers and therefore struggle to emulate the amazing feats demonstrated by their heroes.

The Mystery to Mastery web site has a lot of this information available free for you to read and download. The benefit of the book is in allowing self assessment of your technical performance while hearing what all of the exercises should sound like allowing you to progress in an achievable step-by-step manner.

The book provides you with an insight into what your body is doing and how to harness your natural energy to make the trumpet an easier instrument to play. Gone are the days of frustration when you can understand what it is you can and can't do, and why!

I am very proud to have received glowing reviews from players such as Allen Vizzutti and James Morrison as well as being endorsed by the International Trumpet Guild and Yamaha Music Australia. These incredible endorsements along with brilliant feedback from players from all over the world has made this one of the most fulfilling projects that anyone could ever hope to work on. It has certainly made the hundreds if not thousands of hours that I have put into practise and research over the years very worthwhile.

Please enjoy the website and the book and I am sure you will find plenty of information to keep you motivated on your lifelong trumpet journey.

Best Wishes,

Greg Spence

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