"This holistic approach based in music, history, and anthropology is an asset to the field of music education. Based in solid pedagogical concepts, the integration throughout Brass for Beginners with a multi-media format provides a comprehensive foray into the world of learning how to play a brass instrument. The lesson plans and materials are easily accessible for general music teachers regardless of their skill level with brass instruments. I would not be surprised if Brass for Beginners becomes a staple of general music classrooms, alongside with learning how to play the recorder."
Dr. Andrew Goodrich
Assistant Professor of Music, Music Education
Boston University
“Brass for Beginners is a highly effective program that gets kids really excited about playing brass. My own son loved learning about instruments from different periods of history and from all around the world. This engaging and interdisciplinary approach not only prepares students very well for transitioning to modern brass instruments, it also gives them an expansive sense of music and all of its possibilities. No more fights over practicing! BFB makes kids love music.”
Dr. Jessica Winegar
Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Anthropology,
Northwestern University (IL)
“As an artist with a passion for the natural trumpet and early music, the idea of using it as a teaching tool for beginners is exciting indeed. Brass for Beginners' authors have laid out an adventure through time and across the globe that promises not only to instill a life-long appreciation for brass instruments but also to inspire the next generation of brass players!"
Alison Balsom
International Trumpet Soloist
“Brass for Beginners is a perfect fit for the elementary general music classroom. The natural trumpet allows for ease in playing, including for those with differing cognitive and physical abilities and/or lack of prior brass experience. The materials are engaging from beginning to end; the use of historical fiction hooks students, facilitating engaging and meaningful discussions of social-emotional topics while promoting creative thinking, inspiring students to compose music that fits stories from the text. I fully recommend Brass for Beginners to any general music teacher looking to provide students an extraordinary hands-on brass experience.”
Stephanie Abudayeh
K-5 General Music Teacher and Vocal Music Department Chair
Evanston/Skokie, IL District 65
“
Brass for Beginners is far and away the most effective method I have used for group instruction of young brass players. By mastering the fundamentals of tone production before introducing valves or slides, my students were able to progress further than their peers who were being trained in a more traditional program. Having taught the
Brass for Beginners curriculum in private lessons and in a classroom setting, I can confidently say that this method has applications in a wide range of educational settings. ”
Dr. Craig Levesque
Brass and Composition Faculty
Rider University, Princeton, NJ
“Brass for Beginners authors have developed one of the most innovative programs to teaching beginning brass by employing a hands-on approach with the natural trumpet supplemented by a rich study of early brass history. Brass for Beginners adds a full intellectual and stimulating aspect to the study of instrumental music.”
Jeffrey Nussbaum
President, Historic Brass Society
"Brass for Beginners is the best way to start anyone at any age on a brass instrument. My collegiate Brass Methods students have all experienced ease and rapid success moving from the BfB trumpet to modern trumpet, horn, trombone, and tuba. Their range on the modern instruments develops quickly and they are able to find and match pitches faster. By training students to learn the harmonic series from the very beginning without using valves, it gives students the opportunity to focus on the fundamentals of brass playing, developing an efficient, beautiful sound, and they must rely solely on ear training to find desired pitches. Building a solid foundation of how to create sound easily and hearing pitches without any assistance from valves is beneficial to playing any brass instrument after beginning on the natural trumpet. Furthermore, my students have enjoyed learning the history of lip-blown instruments through BfB's engaging textbook and online resources."
Anna Mayne
Instructor of French horn, Brass Methods, and Music Appreciation
Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL
“I enthusiastically recommend this innovative and creative approach to beginning brass pedagogy, which encompasses aspects of ear training, music history and anthropology that are lacking in the more standard method materials. The foundation being laid by Brass for Beginners is a solid one upon which students can build throughout their scholastic careers and beyond.”
Terry Everson
International Trumpet Soloist,
Associate Professor of Trumpet, Boston University
“The European Music Archeology Project (EMAP) proudly offers its endorsement of the Brass for Beginners curriculum. BFB authors have done an incredible job of putting the painstaking research of scholars in various fields into a format that can engage young learners. This approach promises to inspire the next generation to appreciate our shared history through the study of ancient music and musical instruments. The fact that the curriculum is a general music curriculum that bridges this history with hands-on learning of brass technique makes it all the more compelling. We at EMAP are hopeful that children around the world will have the opportunity to benefit from this fantastic learning experience.”
Dr. Raquel Jimenez
Assistant lecturer at the University of Valladolid, Spain,
European Music Archaeology Project (EMAP) Head Researcher
“Having studied ancient brass instruments for all my professional life and developed a huge passion for their history, culture, their players and their makers, I realize how difficult it is to convey that enthusiasm in a way which is easy for students/children to understand. The Brass for Beginners curriculum, with its unique multi-faceted approach to the topic brings the history of lip-blown instruments to life, making it accessible to teachers and students alike, with a hands-on approach which promises to enthuse and inspire, creating an enduring impression on the next generation.”
Dr. Peter Holmes
Music Archaeologist,
Head Researcher for the Ancient Brass Team,
European Music Archaeology Project (EMAP)
"At Evanston Township High School, we have reaped the long-term benefits of the
Brass for Beginners program for years. Top brass players in each of our ensembles trace their foundations back to this fabulous approach. They enter ETHS with a good tone concept that is free of tension and consistent in range across the instrument. We are so grateful for the strong start they receive through
Brass for Beginners."
Matthew Bufis
Director of Bands, Evanston Township High School
“Brass for Beginners is the ideal foundation not only for music but for a complete, all-round education - it's such fun you don’t realize
how much you are learning.”
John Wallace
Educator & International Trumpet Soloist