“Trumpet for Old Guys.” Two Seasoned Veterans Introduce New Training Regimen Focused on the Physiology of Age featuring Paul Baron and Bobby Medina
It's no secret that our bodies, our minds, our perspectives in life change as we age. Yet we often believe that what we learned about playing trumpet while we were in our teens and early twenties will continue to work as we get older.Maybe it's because we heard something in a masterclass and decided this is the way to do it. Or we attended a certain school where certain dogmas regarding trumpet playing prevailed, even overshadowing individual needs of the player.This was more or less the impetus of Paul Baron and Bobby Medina beginning first a Facebook targeted at older players, and then eventually becoming a full-fledged training regimen called Trumpet Diagnostics. I wanted to pick the brains of the founders of the program about their experiences working with older players, and what they aim to achieve with their program.Thankfully we were able to get all three of us on a Zoom call from various parts of the U.S. and talk about their program.Enjoy the interview!What you'll hear in this episode:-The founding origins of the Trumpet Diagnostics program...02:30-The Facebook group becomes a webinar, which becomes the program...05:30-What does "Body Mechanics Mastery" mean?...06:30-Why certain methods we swear by are sometimes limited in their efficacy in teaching us how to play efficiently...08:40-Learning "the method of no method"; becoming our own teachers...13:00-Why have we moved beyond the various "schools" of thought regarding trumpet playing?...14:15-Martial arts lessons applied to the physicality of trumpet...18:30-Efficiency (i.e. minimal playing) is key to longevity as a trumpeter...23:00-Don't worry about aesthetics based on showmanship, worry about what works for you...27:30-What is the biggest hurdles Paul and Bobby's students need to overcome?...29:00-Neuroplasticity and repetition over a long period of time is key to improving your playing...34:30-What you'll experience with the Trumpet Diagnostics program...38:05-Plus whatever your discerning ears deem worthy of your time and interest...Resources mentioned:Trumpet DiagnosticsTips for Trumpeters 50 and Beyond! Facebook groupAbout the Guests:Bobby MedinaFour solo recordings under his name along with world tours and live performances with legendary musical artists including Ray Charles, Frankie Valli, Wayne Newton, Mel Torme, Temptations, National Touring Broadway shows and more. Student of legendary teachers including James Stamp, Bobby Shew, Carmine Caruso, Charley Davis. Medina's 40+ years experience has been presented at masterclasses in the USA, Europe, South America and Asia helping players of all levels overcome their playing deficiencies and frustrations through specialized mental and mechanical techniques.Paul BaronPaul's professional career began 40 years ago. His lead trumpet can be heard on over 1,000 jingles, hundreds of albums, dozens of movie scores and he's played, recorded and toured with Aerosmith, Lynrd Skynrd, Barry Manilow, Bob Hope, Wayne Newton, nearly twenty Broadway shows including Disney's Newsies, Aladdin, Frozen and many more. Paul's teaching has led him to give nearly 100 masterclasses and decades of private instruction teaching players how to repair and reprogram their playing to be the most efficient possible. Thank you for joining us on "Trumpet Dynamics" – telling the story of the trumpet, in the words of those who play it....