I've been working on an idea I call "Dynamic Resonance." I came up with this term last summer when I was buzzing on my mouthpiece in lieu of practicing the trombone. In the past, there were certain notes that always seemed awkward and didn't sound very good. I thought this was either the instrument or just that I hadn't been practicing enough. What I discovered was that I had trouble singing those same notes. This led me to experiment with the sense of resonance in my body and I began to find those notes clearing up and sounding better.
Further experimentation led me to conclude that the best players subtly shape their bodies to produce the best sound for their desired musical expression. Their bodies are part of the resonance and influence the tone. That's why player X sounds different than player Y, even if they're playing the same instrument. This process is too complex to be done consciously but through years of practicing, musicians find the right "combinations" for the optimal sound.
For vocalists, this is most obvious and then brass players come next. I assume that woodwinds have similar issues and the farther away the instrument is from the body, piano for example, the less the bones and tissues have to do with the actual resonance. This is one of the reason the Feldenkrais Method is so useful for musicians. Sure, you can learn to sit taller and breathe more easily but more profoundly, you have more control over your muscle tone and can optimize your body for dynamic resonance.
I just read an article from Jay Friedman, Principle Trombonist of the Chicago Symphony who has expressed this idea very poignantly. Thank you Mr. Friedman!
Click here to read the article
There is much more to say about this but I'll leave it at that an dwrite more later.
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