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Aug, 2020
Why not Music Medicine?

You might be thinking, “What does music medicine have to do with playing a musical instrument?”, If we stop and think about all the physiology based treatments that are out there today, why not have physiology available for musicians? I would like to have us think about a physical therapist's job. They are entrusted to help you through a prescription from the doctor to strengthen and stimulate a specific set of muscles. It may be a shoulder injury or a knee strengthening program. The point is that a certain sequence of exercise is prescribed for you to assist in rehab and strengthen your physiology. When we put an instrument to our face or a pair of sticks in our hand there has to be a proper formation in order for muscles to become active and involved. In science there is a term called ”Inverse”, which means if one side is long the other side is short. Now, let us apply that to our head structure in terms of the lower jaw. Your lower jaw has several patterns of motion; in or out, back and forward, right and left. Once you play the very first note you have begun what is called the “Natural physiology” of the player. Depending on the jaw classification a plan for correction will be prescribed to better balance the muscles of the head structure. If you do nothing in terms of the lower jaw contact your performance will "starve” and cause an imbalance of muscular coordination. This is music physiology. You might be asking why it is not talked about because only Anatowind has researched the facial and arm physiology as it relates to wind and arm performance. The “Conventional method of teaching music does not address muscular coordination at all. I am a product of both styles of teaching and I can assure you that the latter does not work for many students. One out of one hundred may achieve an embouchure that is functioning at a level of satisfaction. The conventional system will never talk about lips, teeth, and jaw positions. Instead, they might suggest another instrument and what if the student is not successful on that instrument? Then what do you suppose the person is feeling and thinking about themselves? The Anatowind Clinic looks at lips, teeth, jaw, and breathing so that proper muscular coordination can occur. They use Aural, Neural, and Visual science to help students better understand their embouchure development. Without all of the modalities present, the student will not understand or grow in their understanding of muscular coordination. An embouchure must change if it is to grow. On a personal note, if I had not received the help I needed from Anatowind I would have quit the Trumpet playing because of my frustration. The conventional system did not provide me with an understanding of my physiology, which was the root cause of my dissatisfaction. Once I began the journey of muscular development, my attitude and enjoyment of music blossomed. Twenty eight years later I am able to follow and make adjustments based on physiology that help me to continue growth on my instrument. So you ask, why Music Medicine? I think the answer is clear! I am still playing thirty two years later.

Tom Burt, Medford Area Middle School Band Director
 

July 2020

No Band to play IN, Continue to grow anyways?
With the uncertain times in education, You might be thinking why should I continue music if there might not be as many concerts? I look at this as the perfect opportunity to grow personally on your instrument and understanding of your own physiology!

Take just one area of development... BREATHING. Study one scale or one note and look in the mirror and analyze how you are taking air into the body. Is the air being placed high in the chest area or in the abdominal region? I would encourage you to take some time and do further study with this one area to see if you can make a change that causes more relaxation in your performance.
Remember, music should relax instead of causing tension.

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March 2020

The students find that playing a tone and having the strobe show the results makes it challenging and interactive. They say "Can I do it again?"
They are learning what to look for in terms of proper tonal formation and how adjustments equals better results.

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Jan 2020

As a teacher of 30 years in Public School Music, I have realized that saying to students the following has little connection. "Just take a deep breath" is not understood so I have to show them what it looks like and sounds like. I do this because most students are not aware of the breathing process and how it is so much different than breathing when talking.
If you want to update ideas on proper breathing process, contact the clinic for further information

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Feb - 2020

My thoughts on teaching are the following:
You first need to listen to your students in order to find out their needs and desires.

Secondly, In order to understand their musical goals, you must start with one note and help them understand what is working and what needs direction in terms of physiology. Have them read out of manual as a starting point and let them discover for themselves (with some direction from you) 
A more coordinative way to play their musical instrument. The beauty of the Anatowind Musical Teaching process is that we use Aural, Neural and Visual to stimulate learning and better desired outcomes

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6/15/19

 

My article today focuses on the Middle School Band Director. What drives your teaching approach with the students you start at this tender age? Do try and make sure they play “clean”

Or do you allow them to play only what they can handle? Do you push range on them too fast? Do you allow for tone to “open up or do you demand a “Pretty tone?”

 

These are all areas that middle school music teachers have to deal with on a daily basis, as I am one of those teachers. I can tell you that what drives my teaching is staying connected to my own playing through the Anatowind Teaching Musical Process. You must be growing as a musician in order to better assist the students you work with. If you are disconnected then your teaching will be disconnected as well as a lack of empathy for the students.

 

The Anatowind Musical Teaching Process offers Individualized instruction for every student as a result of the Doctoral Dissertation that was done. I can assure that the study of classical music will not guarantee improvement of student tone or range unless you first understand their muscular function. I was a product of the “conventional music program and was not increasing in my tonal or range development, until I met The Anatowind Music Clinic. It was at this point that I began to see the relationship of a disbalance of muscular function due to my Projected jaw. A plan of study was discussed and as a result I am a much better player and happier player.

 

I invite you to Contact the clinic for further information in regards to better understanding of how Proper muscular coordination relates to better performance.

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Thomas Burt, Band Director, Medford Middle School - Medford Wisconsin

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I thought you might be interested to take a look at the Anatowind Musical Clinic Teaching Process. The Clinic is based in Beloit, WI.  I have been a student there and their teaching has allowed me to make a career out of music. So you might ask “What does this have to do with teaching middle school students to play an instrument?”

 

I will start  by saying that had I not gotten in contact with Jim Simmons at the Anatowind Music Clinic in 1977, I would not be making a living in music as a teacher and performer. I practiced and did not feel I was getting better; in fact, I would get jealous when I heard and saw another trumpet player that could do things that I only dreamed of being able to do. What they came to help me understand is that playing a musical instrument must start with the person, which is the proper order in dealing with students. I had to realize what my muscles were doing and not doing properly and then do the correction of muscular coordination in order to see improvement.

 

Now when it comes to teaching sixth and seventh grade band students, I take seriously their concerns so they do not enter into musical depression and wonder what is going on. If they are given the proper base they will have a much better chance of continuing to play their instrument. So it is the teaching process from Anatowind Music Clinic that helps to identify the needs each player has. These needs are very individual due to their own head structure (lips, teeth and jaw).

 

As I said earlier, if it had not been for Anatowind Music Clinic I would not be playing trumpet today because I started to realize I was not growing as a player. My physiology had to be understood in order for growth to occur.

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Oct 2020

The fact that I can play at any moment with my students, gives me great confidence and enjoyment! I am able to play what I want with out having to worry whether or not  can play the part or demonstrate what I need to to my students.
I would not be teaching/playing music had it not been for the teaching process and understanding my Personal physiology.