Reviews

From the International Tuba and Euphonium Journal:

Flow Studies for Tuba by David Vining. Mountain Peak Music. 2700 Woodlands Village Blvd. #300-124, Flagstaff, Ariz. 86001; www.mountainpeakmusic.com. $19.95. 2009.
David Vining is Professor of Trombone at Northern Arizona University and has been a prominent university trombone teacher for quite some time. He has developed a series of books for low brass instruments to address basic fundamentals of performance. Flow Studies is one of the books in this series. This book, as with all of his books, is available for all low brass instruments and according to the web site will soon be adapted for trumpet as well.
The primary purpose of Flow Studies is to teach students how to become more effective with airflow when performing. This is accomplished through a series of etudes that are to be performed in a specific manner as outlined in the introduction of the book. The etudes are grouped into slow, medium, and fast studies. Each category refers to the number of notes that are found in the etudes. For example the slow flow studies primarily contain quarter notes and half notes but the fast flow studies are primarily sixteenth notes. I believe these categories are very useful and a key element to this book’s success. Being able to flow wind over a variety of rhythmic speeds is a very challenging skill for young musicians to master. The main goal of this book is to teach students how to flow the wind through a variety of phrases and to help with wind efficiency so students can make the phrases sound smoother and more musical.
Most of the etudes in this book start off with a very simple pattern based on a scale or arpeggio. Then the pattern migrates to various keys usually by a chromatic motion or through the circle of fifths. The etudes towards the back of the book become more complex and tend to center around longer patterns that stay in the same key.
The book includes forty-two etudes. It is suggested that a couple etudes from each category be played each day. A suggested etude rotation is even included to assist in this process. I think this book is a great addition to the pedagogical resources available to teachers and performers. I sat down with this book for about fifteen minutes a day and every time I finished and went to play other material, the breathing was easier and more efficient. Adding work in this book to a daily fundamental routine should be beneficial.
~Scott Roeder, University of Texas-Pan American

Daily Routines for the Student Tuba Player and Daily Routines for the Student Euphonium Player by David Vining. Mountain Peak Music, 2700 Woodlands Village Blvd #300-124 Flagstaff, Ariz.  86001; www.mountainpeakmusic.com. MPM16-015 and MPM15-015 respectively. 2009. $19.95.
There are two kinds of students—those who are organized and those who need to get organized. These books are for both kinds of students. Something that is definitely needed is a book that categorizes all the different warm up routines and sets them out in a fashion that makes sense, even to the young students that so many of us mentor. I know by my experience that there are many different warm ups, some emphasizing one aspect of playing, some another. All have the imprint of some of the great brass musicians of our time and of times past, such as Remington, Clarke, Schlossberg and others. Here we have a book that sets out, chapter by chapter, the different aspects of playing that are important in creating a stable foundation for brass performance.
These books are well organized, and the spiral binding is a plus. The front of the book has an introduction, which includes a Preface (in the tuba book written by Scott Watson, the euphonium book by Steven Mead), a Student Introduction which has suggestions on using the book, a Teacher Introduction that lays out the rationale behind each of the sections, and  “Tips for Playing Daily Routines” including such suggestions as “Always use a metronome,” “Keep the air moving,” “Maximum Resonance with Minimum Effort,” and especially “Have a model sound in your head.”
The main body of the book deals with air, lip bends, ear training, vibrato (only in the euphonium book) and low range (only in the tuba book). There is also a Beginning Routine, an Intermediate Routine, and an Advanced Routine, along with a duet section to be played by the student and teacher, where the student can imitate sound and intonation.
In these volumes, there is a great deal of emphasis on mouthpiece buzzing, and in the Ear Training section, use is made of not only buzzing pitches and checking them, but singing as well. This is something I’ve not seen in a warm up and can be very useful to the student, and they are not dependent on the teacher being there to check on progress. There are also some exercises where blowing through the horn while fingering is utilized.
There are recognizable elements of the three musicians’ warm ups that I have mentioned above, and I think it is a good thing to combine elements of all three and more besides. The one objection I have is the vibrato chapter in the euphonium book. He sets out a rhythm underneath a long tone to “measure” the vibrato. The instruction printed says that the vibrato in the section is “metered in order to teach students the motion of vibrato. When applied in a musical setting, vibrato should not be metered. So they practice it metered but don’t perform it that way. This is bound to be very confusing to the student, and would need teacher supervision to be effective. The teacher would be needed at any rate, since there is no discussion whatever about the production of vibrato.
But this qualm aside, I think this is a very positive advance for warm up exercises, and with proper teacher supervision, can result in much more musical low brass playing. David Vining is to be congratulated. Everyone should own this book.
~Michael Short, Drake University

Daily Routines for Tuba and Daily Routines for Euphonium by David Vining. Mountain Peak Music 2700 Woodlands Village Blvd #300-124 Flagstaff, Ariz. 86001; www.mountainpeakmusic.com. MPM16-010 and MPM15-010 respectively. 2009. $24.95.
This is an expansion of the Daily Routines for the Student—books by Mr. Vining reviewed elsewhere in this issue. Also spiral bound, the Preface is the same as in the Student books, but everything else is different. In the Introduction, he explains the layout of the book. There is a Basic Routine, Articulation, Flexibility/Accuracy, Register Change/Dynamic Extreme, Vibrato, Range, Duet/Intonation, and an Easy Routine. He divides each routine further into seven skill categories, including long tones, crescendo and diminuendo, lip slurs, subito dynamic changes, low and resonant playing, articulation, and high and low playing. The idea is to play one routine each day, but as you master them, you can play parts of each routine in succession, kind of a smorgasbord, which is the method I prefer. It keeps the practice from becoming too monotonous.
Mr. Vining also suggests that the player transpose the exercises, following the key of your instrument. For instance, a CC tuba player should play a B-flat drill in C, an F tuba player in F, and so on, effectively using the same fingerings that a BB-flat tubist would use. This makes better sense than playing the written pitches. Euphonium players do not have to concern themselves with this. There are also Progress Charts, to write out your goals and track your progress in achieving them. He also makes use of an “Articulation Spectrum,” measuring the “percussiveness” of your articulations on a 1 to 8 scale.
These volumes make more use of scales, especially in the double and triple tonguing section. Everything else is expanded compared to the student books in a rational way. Both the tuba and the euphonium books have a chapter this time on vibrato (and I have the same caveat as in the student books) and now both have a range chapter. The emphasis in the euphonium book is more toward the high range, and the tuba on the low, but if you’re at this level, you can adapt the exercises to go the other way too.
All in all, I would highly recommend these books. If you can’t find something to work on here, you have already arrived, and should be writing your own book.
~Michael Short, Drake University

Long Tone Duets for two euphoniums by David Vining. Mountain Peak Music. 2700 Woodlands Village Blvd. #300-124, Flagstaff, Ariz. 86001; www.mountainpeakmusic.com. 2009. $15.95.
Admittedly, when I receive my stack of materials to review from Mark Nelson, I thumb through it to see what I can immediately put to use, especially if the stack contains something I believe will enhance my teaching. The day after I received this stack of materials, David Vining’s Long Tone Duets study was already on the stands in front of my students at Montclair State University. Admittedly, I’ve been looking for a book like this for some time now.
David Vining is currently the Associate Professor of Trombone and Euphonium at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona, and this publication marks the fifth such resource that he has produced for euphonium players. The other studies include The Breathing Book for Euphonium, Flow Studies for Euphonium, Daily Routines for Euphonium, and Daily Routines for the Student Euphonium Player. Containing 23 duets, Long Tone Duets has within its aim improving a student’s intonation, tone quality, articulation, and blend with other players. Because the design of these duets is not to present a technical challenge, the material allows for the student’s mind to focus almost exclusively on sound and intonation as they play. With duets in virtually every major key (at least to euphonium players), the exercises are diverse in scope, having duets that focus on fourths, fifths, as well as concepts such as pitch bends and keeping the pitch over a changing harmony.
Without question, I have personally found this to be a useful resource and begin many of my lessons a few minutes in these studies. As Phil Sinder’s preface says, these elements are absolutely essential for success for every euphonium player, be that in a solo or ensemble role, and they should be incorporated into every lesson. Both as a performer and a teacher, David Vining’s new resource gets my highest recommendation.
~Jason D. Ham, Yamaha Performing Artist, Montclair State University

Long Tone Duets (tuba edition) by David Vining, preface by Philip Sinder. Mountain Peak Music, 2700 Woodlands Village Blvd. #300-124 Flagstaff, Ariz. 86001; www.mountainpeakmusic.com. 2009. $15.95.
My first impression upon seeing this work was rather like that of a child being called to take his cod liver oil—“yuck.” However after reading the preface and introductory material it is apparent that these duets have much more to offer than lip torture.
In his preface Philip Sinder writes, “I suggest incorporating a few minutes of these into EVERY lesson!” That statement is perfect when combined with Mr. Vining’s introductory mission statement, “The primary purpose of this book is to provide an opportunity to play long tones together, learning to blend tone quality, balance dynamics and play in tune.” I always have thought of playing long tones by oneself as punishment, but in duet form there really is a wealth of musicality and subtle knowledge that can be gained.
When taken in small doses, these duets are in fact very fun and fairly challenging in terms of dynamic control and steady pitch in the lower range. All key signatures are covered as well ascending and descending arpeggios, keeping steady pitch over changing harmony, and a personal favorite—pitch bends. Playing these with a student or having groups of students taking turns together does more to turn on “the tuners on each side of their head” than having someone hold up a box and announce, “10 cents sharp, 20 cents flat.” The light bulb really comes on that “in tune” is not always “in the same place.”
I have known of and heard many good things about David Vining for years now. This thoughtfully compiled and excellent learning tool should be a companion in every college studio. It helps students and teachers stretch their musical limits while looking simple and feeling painless!
~Phillip C. Black, Wichita State University, Wichita Symphony

The Breathing Book (tuba edition) by David Vining, preface by Patrick Sheridan. Mountain Peak Music, 2700 Woodlands Village Blvd. #300-124 Flagstaff, Ariz 86001;  www.mountainpeakmusic.com. MPM 16-001. 2009. $19.95.
This is an excellent book to be reading before Halloween for it is filled with “scary” pictures of skeletons and ghostly figures! Seriously though, each section has accompanying diagrams and pictures that make clear the thrust of the text that at times becomes very technical. The first sentence of the introduction reads, “Musicians move to make music.” This simple fundamental statement forms a firm foundation upon which David Vining builds as he leads the reader toward a greater understanding of   physiological aspects of music making and tuba playing. This text would be particularly useful to a “new” teacher or younger player who has not had years of practical experience. I found several exact analogies and examples that I teach as common sense approaches for fixing problems. It is nice to be able to point to the book and add, “and this is WHY it works.” The text addresses many problem areas such as high range/ low range, fast note changes/slow note changes, tonguing freely, and always being self-aware.
On my office door is taped a quote from possibly The Instrumentalist years ago, “The whole idea is to let your air do the work.” Mr. Vining successfully sets forth the materials to make that goal a reality in this book. I highly recommend it for teachers, students, and any player who wants find the path toward “ease” of performance.
~Phillip C. Black, Wichita State University, Wichita Symphony