Clinic Frank G. Campos, Epiror An Introduction to Calisthenic Practice Laurtz Frink I use the philosophies and approaches of many great pedagogues in my teaching, but I am most often asked about the method of Carmine Caruso. It is designed to alleviate mechanical problems by sepa- rating the study of music from the muscular activity involved in making the instrument function. The brain, heart, and soul make music, but the muscles of the body operate the instrument. If we know how we want the music to sound but experience problems. producing it, the problem is muscular rather than musical. Caruso's Musical Calisthenics address the coordination of muscular activity involved in making music. The four elements integral to most of the calisthenics are the Long Set, Nose Breathing, the Breath Attack, and Foot Tapping. Long Set — Setting the embouchure consists of five basic motions: making contact with the lips and mouthpiece, setting the tension for the pitch, posi- tioning the angle of the jaw, positioning the angle of the instrument, and blowing. When we leave the mouthpiece on the embouchure for the duration of each study, we eliminate the first four motions, thus reducing the number of moving parts. We teach the lips how to move from note to note inside the mouth- piece, and the body learns the position of the notes and their relationship to one another without extra- neous movement, The long setting is a “quietness” of the facial muscles, not an isometric exercise. It is intended for practice, not performance. Nose Breathing — Breathing through the nose, rather than the corners of the mouth, helps to pre- vent manipulation of the embouchure between notes and is another practice technique that aids in mini- mizing extraneous movement. Less movement leads to greater efficiency. Breath Attack — Practicing with a breath attack leads to the understanding that the lips produce the pitch and are the resistors of the air stream. It sepa- rates the action of the air, which keeps the lips mov- ing, from the movement of the tongue, which inter- Tupts the air stream. The breath attack ensures the lips are touching, while fine-tuning the focus of the pitch, and coordinating the action of the lips and air. Foot Tapping — Over 200 muscles move simulta- 68 ITG Journal | June 2000 neously to produce a single note. We do not know which ones begin the motion, but timing determines how they move together. It is the synchronization of, timed movement that allows for refined playing. With the Caruso method, the focus of conscious attention, is on the maintenance of a steady air stream and the subdivision of timing via the foot, which acts as a metronome for the body. Physical practice involves repeatedly exposing the muscles to a timed motion until that motion becomes a conditioned reflex. When, performance becomes a conditioned reflex, freer mu- sical expression becomes possible. Practice of this nature establishes the elements necessary for sue- cessful brass playing: timing, coordination, synchro- nization, and balance. I generally introduce the calisthenics to new stu- dents in the form of the “six notes,” a generic term, that refers to a long setting exercise that varies in form and content according to the individual. Factors, that are taken into account when prescribing the first long setting exercise include the balance of the embouchure, the evenness with which a player moves between registers, and the amount of mouthpiece pressure that is applied. The first half note begins with a breath attack (B) and the second half note and following whole note begin with the tongue (T) as seen in Example 1. The mouthpiece is left on the embouchure during the entire exercise, the breath is taken through the nose, and the foot taps at each quarter note. Emphasis is, placed on the subdivision of the beat and a steady airstream. Particular attention is paid to the timing of each measure of rest. Subdivide beat four into four sixteenth notes to give the body a clear indication of when you are going to “excite” it into activity. Players with limited endurance or those using an inordinate amount of mouthpiece pressure may eliminate the repeat until the embouchure discovers better bal- ance. The study should be played at a comfortable dynamic level or at pianissimo if the aperture is, spread, ‘As the player gains comfort, expand the study as shown in Example 2. This example may be expanded further by taking the first eighteen measures and adding them on to the end, down one octave. ‘Advanced players with a fairly long association with Caruso’s calisthenic exercises can use Example 3 and expand the study to include the variations in continued on page 71 (©2000 International Trumpet Guildsimile Example 3. Ascending chromatically to BT T simile Example 3a. Variation 1 Ascending chromatically to Example 3b. Variation 2 Ascending chromatically to Example 3c. Variation 3 Ascending chromatically to ‘Music examples typeset by James Oleott, (©2000 Intemational Trumpet Gulls June 2000 / ITG Journal 69