Crown Brass

 
World  Champion  Drum  Corps  2013  
 
Jim  Ott  Best  Brass  Performance  Winner  
2009,  2011,  2012,  2013  
 
John  Brazale  Best  Visual  Performance  Award  
2012,  2013  
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Brass Staff Letter....................................................................................................................................3
Visual Staff Letter...................................................................................................................................4
Your Brass and Visual Audition…………………………...…………………………………………………..5
Audition Information................................................................................................................................6
Audition Recommendations……………………...…………………………………………………………….7
Instruments for Camp.............................................................................................................................8
Important Materials for Rehearsals........................................................................................................9
Get in Shape.........................................................................................................................................10
Brass Technique Program...............................................................................................................11-15
Responsbilities Between Camps………………….................................................................................16
SmartMusic Enrollment Instructions……………...................................................................................17
Crown Brass Skill Sets…………………………….................................................................................18
Crown Brass Program Exercises…………………………………………………………………………19-30
*Everyone needs pg. 19. Please print your instrument’s pages from 20-30*
Crown Brass Tuning Chart………………………………………...……………………………….………..31
Final Question………………………………………………………………………………………………….32

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Dear Brass Ensemble Candidate:

“Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable
of becoming.” - John Wooden –

It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to the Carolina Crown. This packet is full of important information about the Carolina Crown Brass Tech-
nique Program and includes all of the necessary ensemble exercises and audition materials. Read this information carefully and prepare the material to
the best of your ability before coming to camp.

We take great pride in our brass section. We look at the membership in Carolina Crown as a privilege and an HONOR. There are many expectations
and responsibilities that accompany this honor. The greatest contribution one can make to the Crown brass ensemble is the willingness to sacrifice self
-interest for the benefit of the group. A “team” is only as strong as the loyalty of its members. The successful Crown member internalizes and is ac-
countable for some basic expectations:

A respect for the people that surround you

A trust in both the staff and members

A dedicated effort towards everything you do

A desire to work hard

A commitment to excellence

These expectations, when rehearsed daily, can become part of a successful formula that leads towards your membership in Carolina Crown and can
be applicable to the rest of your day-to-day life.

As you look at both yourself and this upcoming drum corps season, make and keep promises and goals to both yourself and others. Ask yourself,
“What do I want to get out of this experience?” At the end of every rehearsal, ask yourself, “What more could I have done to move better, play better,
and make a bigger difference? Am I doing whatever it takes to become the best that I can be?”

Goals should be high and attainable. Carolina Crown has a tradition of excellence, where standards grow each year. Based on this tradition, you must
take pride in who you are, and commit yourself to being a part of a world class organization.

Once again, welcome – you have no idea of the pleasure we have in teaching you every day.

Sincerely,

Carolina Crown Brass Staff

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Dear Marching Ensemble Candidate:
I want to thank you for your interest in the Carolina Crown! Our visual faculty is excited to meet you and help you in your journey towards become of a
member of our organization. The following information will give you some helpful hints that will allow you to prepare for the visual portion of your Caro-
lina Crown audition.
The first camp of a drum corps season is always an exciting time as the veterans return looking towards building on the corps success along with the
energy of new applicants. Do all that you can now so that you can enjoy the audition experience. There are a few important things for you to focus on
leading up to the first camp.
Conditioning: I cannot emphasize how important this is toward the success of the corps as a whole, and to your success as a potential member.
You must be in good physical condition. Start now! Run, walk, lift weights, do Pilates.... Just do something! Every day you wait is another
day where someone else is getting stronger than you. Running, pushups, sit ups, etc. WILL be part of the audition process.
Posture: This will be one of the single most obvious visual aspects at the audition camp. Standing with great posture is an instant way to make your
ability to put forth effort at a high level stand out. Take time every day to grab a horn and get in front of a mirror for 10 minutes. This is a
frequently overlooked concept for new candidates.
Timing: You will constantly be evaluated by both the visual and brass faculty throughout the weekend on the timing of your feet and the energy in
your legs. Make sure that when you practice your musical exercises you are always standing up and marking time with a metronome. The
more comfortable you are moving your feet with music the more successful you will be visually.
Willingness to Change: At Crown, we have our own technique program. You must be willing to recognize differences between our approach and
your past training. There is no wrong or way to do visual, but to be a part of our organization you must be willing to mold to our philosophy.
Awareness and Focus: We will be moving very fast at the first few camps because we will want to see what you can handle. The best thing you
can do is to stay focused on the task of the moment and work to achieve that at the highest level possible. Also, I would recommend that
between blocks or at water breaks you take the time to write down some important concepts from the block; this will help you in your prepa-
ration between camps.
Do not underestimate the importance of development between camps. At Crown we want our membership to be made up of individuals who are willing
to go the extra mile and put in the effort to be ultimately successful. Your growth and preparation between camps is the best way to show us that you
are ready to be a member of the Carolina Crown.
Communicate: Find vets in your section that you can talk to between camps. In the past some potential members have made YouTube videos for the
staff or veterans to watch and critique. Be creative! The more you can communicate with the staff and members the more likely you will get the neces-
sary information to be successful.
Practice: This sounds obvious, but you need to make sure that you are practicing the right way. Visually you need to video tape yourself and get in
front of a mirror to make sure you are doing things the right way after the first camp. We will give you a list of exercises to work on and you need to do
these every day. It isn’t about just learning how to do it the right way; it is about practicing enough where you can only do it the right way.
Exercise: Get in better shape!
Start Early: Don’t wait to prepare for camp until the week before it begins. Start the day you get home from the previous camp, while everything is still
fresh. Establish the good habits of practice soon and often. Besides being prepared, starting early will give you the confidence at camps to get beyond
the basics and perform in a way that will catch our eye.
In the past few seasons, our organization has seen unprecedented growth with regards to competitive success and a quickly growing fan base. This is
because of the efforts of our membership. If you follow the advice in this packet and show up ready to work, you will be well on your way to being a
part of Carolina Crown’s continued rise to the top!
Sincerely,

Carolina Crown Visual Staff

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 AUDITION RECOMMENDATIONS
BE PREPARED

Preparation is the key to all success. The more you prepare yourself, the better you will play at your audition. Find a practice routine that works for you
and stick to it. If this habit continues throughout the winter camps, you will be amazed with your growth as a musician.

Play for as many people as possible. Private instructors, Band Directors, and peers are all great people to play for. Their suggestions and criticism can
also be incredibly beneficial.
Your biggest and best critic will always be YOU. Record yourself and make notes; the recorder never lies!!

Your audition music does not need to be memorized, however we will always encourage you to go above and beyond what is asked of you.

DEALING WITH NERVOUSNESS

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and contro-
versy.” -Martin Luther King-

The first thing you must understand is that being nervous is normal. Once you understand that, it becomes easier to deal with your nervousness.
“Fighting” nervousness can bring about negative physical effects; instead, strive to “embrace” nervous feelings and focus that energy in a positive way.

Breath. Let go of your emotions and begin with deep breaths. Whenever possible, “practice” dealing with your nervous feelings by placing yourself in
high- pressure situations. Play in front of as many people as possible and record yourself frequently: give yourself only one chance to perform for the
recorder and see what kind of results you produce.

Always “visualize” yourself playing at your very best ability. It is likely that you will play something in your audition that will not go quite the way you
would have liked. The manner in which you deal with those mistakes can be just as impressive as if you had played your piece perfectly. ALWAYS
keep going, DO NOT apologize for your audition, and NEVER give excuses.

THE AUDITION

Before you enter the audition room, be certain that: 1) Your instrument is in good working condition, 2) Face your bell off to the side of the people
listening to you, and 3) Always ask questions if you do not understand something.

Play at your highest ability.

Once you are finished playing, there will be a short conversation between you and various members of the brass staff. If you have any further ques-
tions, please feel free to ask at this time.

Finally, the brass staff would like to stress that the audition process does NOT end after the audition camp. Final decisions for the Crown Brass Sec-
tion will start being made at the February Camp. Preparation, improvement, attitude, attendance, section ranking, marching ability, and physical condi-
tion will be the determining factors for awarding a spot in the group.

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 INSTRUMENTS FOR CAMP
The number of spots available in the brass section may change slightly from year to year, however, we must be clear that every spot is open again
each year. Returning members must demonstrate improvement and continued effort to be considered for membership.

TRUMPETS: Please bring your own trumpet to at least the first 2-3 camps. Corps trumpets will never be available for check out during the winter. You
are responsible to bring your own mouthpiece to all camps and to summer move-in.

MELLOPHONES: Whenever possible, bring an F Mellophone to at least the first 2-3 camps. Corps instruments will be available to you to check out
after you have attended 3 camps and ONLY IF your financial account is current. You are welcome to audition on a concert horn (you will need to bring
you own instrument), however you will be asked to perform on a marching mellophone at some point during the audition process. You are responsible
to bring your own mouthpiece to all camps and to summer move-in.

BARITONE / EUPHONIUM: If possible, bring a marching baritone to at least the first 2-3 camps. Corps instruments will be available to you to check
out after you have attended 3 camps and ONLY IF your financial account is current. You are welcome to audition on a concert euphonium or trombone
(you will need to bring your own instrument), however you will be asked to perform on a marching baritone or euphonium at some point during the
audition process. You are responsible to bring your own mouthpiece to all camps and to summer move- in.

TUBAS: If possible, bring a marching tuba or sousaphone to at least the first 2-3 camps. Corps tubas will never be available for check out during the
winter. You are welcome to audition on a concert tuba, but you will need to bring you own instrument. At some point during the audition process, you
will be asked to perform on a marching tuba. You are responsible to bring your own mouthpiece to all camps and to summer move-in.

MOUTHPIECES: In order to achieve the most uniform section sounds, Crown usually requires you to purchase a specific mouthpiece to use while
playing in the corps. You ARE NOT required to purchase these mouthpieces for the audition. However, you MUST purchase the specified mouthpiece
if you are selected to be a member of the brass line. You will receive additional information about which mouthpiece we will be using at one of the
future camps.

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 IMPORTANT REHEARSAL MATERIALS
Brass Ensemble members are responsible for having the following materials at ALL rehearsals:

THREE RING BINDER: This contains all music handouts in organized clear sheet protectors. Any information you could possibly need should be in this
binder.

PENCIL: Every brass ensemble member must have a pencil at all times. Notes should be taken at every rehearsal, especially when rehearsing with
the arrangers. Write EVERYTHING down!

GLOVES: These must be worn when handling a Carolina Crown owned instrument. You will go through many pairs of gloves during the season. It is
important that your gloves remain in good condition and are replaced as necessary. Gloves that are dirty or contain holes are never acceptable.

BLACK TOWEL: Your Carolina Crown instrument is in one of three places at all times: in your hand, placed in the line on the ground, or in its case.
The black towel is used to protect your instrument when placed on hard surfaces, especially when rehearsing outdoors.

BASEBALL CAP: This will be worn when rehearsing outdoors. Hats are required to shade your face, your eyes, and your chops. When rehearsing
indoors, hats are optional.

TENNIS SHOES / TRAINERS: Movement will occur at all rehearsals and therefore tennis shoes are required at all times. Sandals, shower shoes, flip-
flops, etc. are never acceptable.

CLOTHING: You must wear clothing that will allow you to perform excessive movement such as sweats, shorts, t-shirts, etc. NO JEANS!!! Again,
movement will occur at all rehearsals.

TUNER/METRONOME: Every person is required to have a tuner, metronome, or tuner-metronome combo. We recommend that you consider the Korg
TM4. You can purchase this through the CrownSTORE (803-547-2270).

TONAL ENERGY: An App that plays and tunes just intonation. (Not Required, but highly recommended).)

WATER BOTTLES: Each brass ensemble member is required to have a water jug at all rehearsals. The specific size and brand will be specified by
the Horn Sergeant at the first camp.

BERP: BERPS can be purchased at camps (discounted price) for $15.

BREATHING TUBES: A tool used with breathing exercises, this item can be purchased at Home Depot or any hardware store.

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 GET IN SHAPE
PHYSICAL FITNESS

Carolina Crown considers all members to be professional athletes. It has been proven that drum corps members actually perform with a physical effort
equal to a professional sports athlete. Every successful professional athlete has a very strict off-season fitness plan; you must think of yourself in the
same way. It is imperative that all of our brass members be in excellent physical health. If you have, or have had, heart problems, asthma difficulties,
knee surgery or medical issues with your knee(s); or back problems, this activity may not be for you. All members of the Carolina Crown Brass Section
must be capable of sustaining a high level of cardiovascular activity for extended periods of time. It is recommended that you seek out a physical train-
er to assist you with creating a physical fitness plan for yourself in an effort to be in the best physical shape possible.

Make a plan that works for you and stick with it. Every member needs to be able to run, squat, jump, and march better than every other member in
every other drum corps. The sooner you start and the longer you stick with it, the better you, and the drum corps, will be.

Images: http://www.stewsmith.com/, http://run.isport.com/running-guides/lunges-for-runners

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 BRASS TECHNIQUE PROGRAM
Pages 11-15 give an overview of the technique program.
POSTURE

To be the most efficient when playing and marching, the body should be in the most natural and upright position. Improper posture can cause injury
and negatively affect your brass playing. While playing your brass instrument, your weight should be evenly distributed on both feet; your upper body
weight should be lifted up from your waist (NOT leaning on the lower part of your back); your shoulders should be relaxed; and your instrument bell
angle is 10 degrees above parallel. The basic rules that apply to all hand positions is that the hands are relaxed, finger tips are on the valves, valve
casings are perpendicular to the ground (except for the tubas), and your wrists are straight.

MOVING & PLAYING TOGETHER

Marking-time will be used in all music rehearsals where we do not march drill. In the future the marching technicians will go into further detail regarding
the proper way to mark-time. Some basic rules for marking-time are as follows:

The initiation of the mark-time will be “one“ count before the exercise begins. The heels of your foot will hit the ground on all “down” beats. While mark-
ing-time, Your heal will come up to your anklebone. This motion should be executed smoothly over the entire beat.

Your upper body must not bounce or sway while you mark-time; it should look as if you are standing still. The success of the brass ensemble will be
determined by how well you play and move at the same time. The sooner you start adding movement to your playing, the better you and the section
will become.

STEP-OUTS

In drum corps or marching band, you will find that nearly all timing & technique problems related to the music or drill occur within the first two counts of
a phrase or drill move. As an effort to tackle this problem, step-outs were created. You simply take 2 steps in any direction (left foot, then right foot) at
the beginning of a musical phrase or during what would have been a drill move. You will take one step with the left foot, take the next step with the
right foot (platform down), step back with the On the next two counts, you will go back to your original placement. You should vary the direction and
step size taken so that you may work on various areas of your marching technique while you play.

SINGING

Singing is a wonderful tool for developing great ensemble tone quality and intonation. The brass section will sing frequently, and we will have a very
serious approach to the technique of singing. The resonance and breath support necessary for singing are quite similar to proper brass playing. When
singing, we use the “radio announcer” voice, the voice that seems to project a great distance. The following are guide-
lines for all singing exercises:

 The throat should be open using same approach to breathing, air support, and direction of air will be enforced in
singing as in our instrument playing
 Everyone should always be listening to match the pitch
 We will use different vowel sounds, including humming and will always be checking the pitch before and after we
have sung
 We will work on and be able to sing everything in the technique book, chorales, and show music

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AIR & BREATHING TECHNIQUES

A state of relaxation is a very important aspect of great ensemble brass playing. Students enter a rehearsal in various states-of-mind. It is imperative
that we formulate a common physical and emotional point of reference when we begin a rehearsal. Physical stretches are very important in the pro-
cess of relaxing the body. One method is to roll the head forward, left, back, right, and then in reverse. This will help assure that the neck muscles are
loose and will not impede the flow of the air in the breathing process. A variation of this exercise would be to roll the shoulders forward and back, and
then pull them straight up (as if trying to touch the ears). Hold them in that position for approximately 3 seconds and allow them to drop. Arm circles
and upper body stretches are also excellent exercises to relax the body before playing. After several repetitions the player should feel more relaxed
and can then begin the breathing process.

Great breath control is an important key toward playing a wind instrument well. There are many components involved with taking a proper breath, and
many books and articles have been written on this particular subject. To achieve clarity through simplicity, we prefer to keep the following concepts in
mind while playing:

To achieve maximum breath control, breathe deeply into the lungs. As the diaphragm (a strong doughnut shaped muscle under the ribs) pulls
downward, room is created for the expansion of the lower back, abdomen, and ribs. Lastly, the chest should expand after the capacity of the
lower torso is reached. One should inhale to the point where the body feels relaxed and full of air. Never try to take in to much air and go
towards a state where the body is at an uncomfortable.

To maintain a state of relaxation, the shoulders and the upper back must not be tense so that the breathing passage is never constricted while
inhaling or exhaling. Keep the throat open so there is no resistance or audible friction. The only sound accompanying the inhale should be a
very soft “hoe.”

Air NEVER stops while playing. Air is either going in or out. Be careful not to “cap” the breath. Capping occurs when the air is stopped after inhala-
tion. Visualize the lungs as a giant bellows that is constantly expanding and contracting. We use the term, “ One Motion Air” to describe air
that never stops moving, in or out.

During exhalation there should be a feeling of total release in the upper body. The air should have a warm, engulfing sound and texture. An exhala-
tion should never be forced. As the air is released through the horn, it should reflect the timbre of that particular instrument. Exhale to the
point where your body reaches a state that is similar to when you are resting. Never try to squeeze out the last bit of air in the lungs. Simply
take a fresh full inhale when you feel you are about halfway towards being out of air. Maintaining a constant in & out sensation will result in
stronger air-support that will produce a beautiful tone and stable pitch.

Releases should be approached through the initiation of a short inhalation. Using the tongue or a contraction of the throat and jaw should never be
used to release a note. Simply breathing inward on a predetermined count will create a defined release. A uniform timing of the breath will
ensure uniform timing of the release throughout the entire ensemble.

Breathe and play. THE TIMING STARTS WITH THE BREATH! In other words, if we are to play together on beat one, we all need to take a full breath
on beat four.

Whenever an attack is early, it can usually be traced back to improper or poorly timed breathing. Late attacks typically result from “capped
breaths” (stopped air between in and out) or poor timing. The performer must ALWAYS breathe and play with his or her feet to stay in time with the
ensemble.

DO NOT:
• Close the jaw upon the release
• Choke the air with your glottis (closing your throat)
• Use your tongue to stop a note (this can be detected 100 yards away!)
A clean release will ring for a moment even after the air has been released. Strive to make the note ring! 12
EMBOUCHURE DEVELOPMENT

Most professional brass musicians practice with the mouthpiece on a regular basis. The benefits of mouthpiece vibrations include: being able to isolate
embouchure and tone production problems; improved aural skills; and less lip fatigue (the exercises are easier to produce without the brass instru-
ment’s resistance).

The first notes we will play every day will usually be on the mouthpiece. There will be much attention placed on how you produce that sound and its
overall quality. The mouthpiece, embouchure, and air support combine to create the true instrument; the tubing of the brass instrument merely reso-
nates your buzz. The quality of the sound on the mouthpiece directly correlates to the player’s tone quality when the mouthpiece is added to the instru-
ment. Therefore, developing a dark and resonant sound on the mouthpiece should be a priority for all brass players.

There are numerous articles written about embouchure development for each of the instruments. We strongly recommend that you find and research
these articles so that you may apply the information to your specific instrument. You should also continue to reinforce the embouchure work that you
may have done with your private lesson instructor.

There are some basic embouchure rules that can be applied to all brass players:

The corners of the mouth need to be firm and strong with a comfortably set.

The mouthpiece should be placed as close to perpendicular on the lips as possible - not too upstream or downstream.

Both lips should have enough flesh on the mouthpiece to allow for a full, robust buzz.

Always bring the mouthpiece to the same place on your lips.

The jaw should always be open - especially in the lower register.

The teeth are apart.

The mouthpiece should be held with your non-dominant hand, palm facing out, with the shank of the mouthpiece in between your middle and ring fin-
ger. This method of holding your mouthpiece will force you to use very little pressure against your embouchure. If the lips are buzzing freely, a full
mouthpiece- sound will result. Again, be certain that the corners are locked and there is always excellent breath support. When buzzing, there should
always be a dark, open “Oh” sound. If the sound is bright and tinny, open your jaw more, and firm up the corners. Be sure to check that the mouth-
piece is not forced against your lips.

TO SLIDE OR NOT TO SLIDE ON THE MOUTHPIECE

When playing flexibility exercises on the mouthpiece, target the exact pitch. Sliding will cause intonation problems as everyone “jockeys” for position on
the correct pitch. Sliding also causes serious timing problems because players arrive at the pitch at different times.
When practicing on your own, or even during a warm down, we DO recommend sliding as a technique to regain true flexibility and to allow the corners
of the mouth to relax. When we have 60+ players trying to play together, we need to “nail” every pitch with no sliding.
Many of you may be asking yourself, “How do I play large interval leaps without sliding?” The answer is easy: AIR VELOCITY and tongue elevation
while buzzing in the mouthpiece.

In other words, if a player’s air moves at 50 mph for a middle “C”, it should move at 100 mph for a high “C.” Every pitch should have a specific air
velocity that will help you find the pitch-center rapidly and efficiently. On the other side of this concept, do not slow down the air too much in the lower
range, as the pitch will go flat and the tone will be thin.
13
PITCH & INTONATION

“It is not whether the instrument is built in tune, but if it can be played in tune.”

All brass instruments have various inherent intonation deficiencies. As a brass ensemble, we need to be aware of what deficiencies exist, and how we
can correct them with our playing. We build our system of tuning through the matching of overtones, which are by definition, never out of tune. Over-
tones will ring when the pitches coming out of the horns are in tune. For example, when the baritone section “locks in” on and open “Bb”, usually the
“F” above can be heard quite clearly even though there are no performers playing it.

There are also many natural intonation deficiencies when dealing with the structure of chords. The following is a list of intervals (from the root of the
chord) and the natural pitch tendencies each interval has:
INTERVAL HOW TO ADJUST IN CENTS

UNISON 0

MINOR SECOND RAISE 12

MAJOR SECOND RAISE 4

MINOR THIRD RAISE 16

MAJOR THIRD LOWER 14

PERFECT FOURTH LOWER 2

TRITONE RAISE 3

PERFECT FIFTH RAISE 2

MINOR SIXTH RAISE 14

MAJOR SIXTH LOWER 16

MINOR SEVENTH LOWER 4

DOMINANT SEVENTH LOWER 31

MAJOR SEVENTH LOWER 12

OCTAVE 0

As all of the voices become more in tune with each other, entire chords can be heard ringing above the brass ensemble. In addition to working with a
tuner every day, our singing, mouthpiece, long tone, and relative pitch exercises will help you develop your ears for tuning chords and unison notes.
We strongly recommend investing in a good tuner and practicing with it on a regularly.

CHORD PROGRESSIONS

Chord progressions are an integral part of every brass player’s daily routine. As we play through these progressions, be aware of all of the notes chan-
ging around you. For example:

If you play the same note in two different chords, you almost always have to do something different to the note to keep it in tune:

• Recognize what part of the chord you are playing. Is it the root? Or the third?
• Listen with “big ears.” Know all of the parts and how your part fits into the ensemble. • Crescendo the moving lines (especially the descending pas-
sages).
14
FINGER TECHNIQUE

When playing fast passages, we recommend pressing the valves down with authority, while keeping a relaxed feel in the wrists and fingers. Do not
lose control of the valve on the way back up. The fingers should be rounded and the tips should press the valve straight up and down. If a player
pushes the valves on an angle, the valves will stick and make technical passages unplayable.

MULTIPLE TONGUING

Every year the Crown Brass is required to multiple tongue in some capacity in the show. This may be a double tongue or a triple tongue or, most like-
ly, both. Multiple tonguing is a skill that must be developed BEFORE you enter spring training. We will work on it during camps, between camps, and
before spring training, but individual practice is key to discovering and perfecting this skill.
DOUBLE TONGUING:
We say “Da Ga : Da Ga”, where the back of the tongue strikes the roof of the back of the mouth with a Ga syllable. If you have been taught a different
way of doing this, talk to a staff member and we will evaluate and help you match our technique.
TRIPLE TONGUING
We use “Da Ga Da : Da Ga Da”, where the front of the tongue strikes twice in a row on the third and first partial of the triplet. Some schools of thought
strike the front of the mouth on the first and second partial, but we believe that doing the third and first helps feel the pulse and define the down beat
more clearly. If you have ben taught a different way of doing this, talk to a staff member and will evaluate the help you match our technique.

HOW TO PRACTICE FINGER TECHNIQUE AND MULTIPLE TONGUING:

1. Slow the excerpt down to a speed that you can achieve. Every note must speak clearly.
2. Break the excerpt down into 1-2 measure chunks (or less). Pick a size that you can manage with clarity at the slow tempo.
3. Play the chunk 3 times perfectly at the slow tempo.
4. Speed the metronome up 1-2 clicks.
5. Repeat this process until you reach your breaking point (where clarity is no longer evident).
6. Make a note of the tempo and come back tomorrow and repeat this process from step one.
You may find that your slowest tempo gets a little faster everyday, allowing you to start from a faster tempo and speed up more quickly. The key to
practicing technique is to practice it on a daily basis, always starting with perfect clarity before you begin to speed the tempo up one click at a time.
Multiple tonguing and finger technique are skills that must be developed over time, similar to building muscle and building endurance. If you find that
you are struggling with an excerpt of the show music, start working on it and chip away at it every day, a little at a time. In two weeks, you will be
amazed at the amount of your work you accomplished.

15
 RESPONSIBILITIES IN-BETWEEN CAMPS
MUSICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The brass staff will give you specific musical responsibilities to have prepared by the next camp. There will be smartmusic assignments given weekly.
There also will be Facebook videos to be uploaded. These are required and to be completed on time and done at the highest level.

VISUAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The visual staff will give you specific musical responsibilities to have prepared by the next camp. There may be visual videos that will need to be
emailed or put on a Facebook page. These are required and to be completed on time and done at the highest level.

PHYSICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The trainer and visual staff will give you specific physical responsibilities to have done by camp. Being in shape is required to be in the Carolina
Crown Brass section. You must not only be fit but you must be strong. You need to especially focus on core and leg muscles. Running is always a
good place to start but you must also do exercises to strengthen your legs and core.

COMMUNICATION RESPONSIBILITIES

Communication is key to the success between camps. You must communicate with your section leader, section teacher, caption head and the crown
office. If you need to miss any part of camp you must tell each of those people.

CROWN OFFICE RESPONSIBILITY

You must be up to date with all of your forms and payments. If there is an issue with any of the documentation or payments you must communicate.
Over communicating to the office is better than not communicating.

TOO BUSY TO COMPLETE ASSIGNMENTS

No you are not. Are you a single parent with 12 kids and four full time jobs?---NOPE!! :)

All assignments are required and if not completed at a high level your spot may be taken away.

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 SMARTMUSIC ENROLLMENT INSTRUCTIONS
FIRST YEAR MEMBERS

Go to smartmusic.com and follow the on-screen instructions to order smartmusic.

-Click on “Order Now” button under “For Students”
-Click “Add to Cart”.
-If your computer has an internal microphone this has worked fairly well in the past. If you do not have an internal mic you will need to have a
microphone to record. The microphones that are for sale from smartmusic work pretty well. Add a microphone to your cart to purchase if needed.
You will also get a microphone discount.
-Click “Check Out”.
-Select “Create a New Account”.
-Enter an email address and password that you will remember. You will use this login to smartmusic later. Enter your birth date. Click “Continue”.
-Enter Address and Phone number. Click “Continue”.
-You need to pick school/organization, which is Carolina Crown from the list. Type in Crown’s zip code which is 29715 then the Crown class should
come up. Click “Continue”.

-At this point, prices in your cart should possibly reflect a discounted rate for a yearly subscription. Continue checkout and your CD and mic should
come in the mail.
-At this point you should not have to wait until the cd arrives to install/download the program. You should be able to go to the front page of the smart-
music site where there is a download button.
-After installing/downloading the program you will need to activate the program on your computer. The computer that you activate the program on
should be the computer you plan to submit assignments from. After activating your computer you need to enroll for class. After you login in there is
an enroll button that you click to enroll for your section’s class.

RETURNING MEMBERS

-Go to smartmusic.com.
-Click “My Account” on top of the screen.
-Login as an Existing Customer.
-You will see your current subscriptions. You should see a blue colored renew. Click “Renew”.
-After you complete the renewal process you should be able to download the new Smartmusic version from the front page of Smartmusic.

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 CROWN BRASS SKILL SETS
LONG TONES
There are several benefits from playing long tones everyday. Along with mouthpiece work, this allows the muscles in your face to loosen up and helps
you to become comfortable with the instrument. Primarily, this is an opportunity for the player to concentrate solely on tone quality, breath support, and
intonation. Without the distraction of rhythms and notes, the player can focus on playing in tone with his/her section and throughout the ensemble.
Long tones are essential toward establishing a solid center of pitch for the warm-up. Balance and blend are key factors to this portion of the warm-up.
Players should be listening for intonation, blend of tone, intensity, as well as quality of sound. Our long tone exercises consist of 9, 7, or 13 count
tones going down in half steps and/or Remington studies.
LIP SLURS / FLEXIBILITY
Lip slurs play a huge part in the development of any brass player’s flexibility. The ability to move fluidly from partial to partial while maintaining accu-
rate pitch is essential. Providing a consistent air stream throughout the musical line will allow the player to attain this fluidity. The exercise should not
be thought of merely as an exercise, rather as a musical phrase. Each musical line should have purpose, movement, and arrive at a destination.
ARTICULATION
Articulation should be executed with no explosion in the attack. Every note should be started with the sound “dAAh” in mind (notice the lowercase d
and uppercase A). Each player should strive for less tongue in the sound and focus on providing more tone. Close to 90% of an attack is the air and
only 10% is the tongue. THE AIR STREAM SETS THE VIBRATION INTO ACTION, NOT THE TONGUE!
Articulation exercises are an integral part of developing the relationship between the tongue and the air stream. It is important to understand that the
tongue cannot articulate properly if there is not enough air support. These exercises are intended to develop a consistent and clear approach to the
motion and speed of the tongue and air. It is also important to know that the clarity of the articulation should not be affected by tempo, technique, note
length, volume, or range. The only time an articulation will change is when the style being played changes.
STYLE / NOTE LENGTHS
The front of the following note lengths all have the same front of the note, a calm, clear dAAh. The duration is what changes. By isolating a particular
style, the player can maximize his or her practice time by supplementing the music with style exercises. Rhythmic integrity is a primary focus with style
exercises. The correct interpretation of each style begins with rhythmic accuracy. From there, note duration and articulation clarify the intent of the
music.
TENUTO NOTES—100%
When tonguing in a tenuto or legato style, the air is virtually unbroken as the tongue plays each note like a soft paintbrush. Be mindful to keep the
tongue moving fast; do not “chew” the notes. The duration is 4 sixteenth notes, or 100% of a full legato quarter note.
STACCATO NOTES—50%
Remember, staccato does not always mean short!!! It means separated or detached. To produce a good staccato, keep the air stream supported and
create perfect blocks of sound: each block identically matching the one that preceded it.
Make sure that the tongue starts every note, but does not finish it. Otherwise, a “DIT” articulation will result. Remember to keep every articulation an
open-ended, even staccato. The duration is 2 sixteenth notes, or 50% of a full legato quarter note.
LONG-LIFTED NOTES—75%
This style lies between the staccato and tenuto length. It can best be explained as a sustained staccato with only a small bit of separation between
notes. The duration is 3 sixteenth notes, or 75% of a full legato quarter note.

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ARE YOU READY TO MAKE HISTORY?
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