Discover the fun and relaxed world of low brass without leaving the classroom!
Individual or group instruction, solo and ensemble performances, chamber music or large ensemble direction...take yourself out of the everyday into a place where you matter and there is a melody around every corner.

Education
Breathing and filling up big instruments can be a challenge made easier by breathing exercises designed to train and improve student’s ability and stamina.
Intonation got you down? Need a higher high range? How about some suggestions for pieces which will challenge you? Want to know how that whole double tonguing thing really works?

Tuba and euphonium are often considered too big, heavy, and ponderous to be played well. In fact, sometimes if a tubist does figure out how to play well, they are told it sounded so good it didn’t sound like a tuba at all!
It is therefore especially important for all low brass players to be given the opportunity to develop proper technique and musicality.

Solo Performance
All too often it is difficult for students to see the tuba and euphonium being played as solo instruments in the spotlight. As many still think of the tuba as om-pahing its way through life, and the euphonium as something slightly mysterious and difficult to pronounce, it is vital that young students have vibrant and exciting role models to look up to. There is a large and varied collection of solo literature for these instruments in every possible style and difficulty level to be explored.

Group or Individual Instruction
Individual instruction can inspire and motivate students to analyze and improve their performance. Often, however, when larger numbers of students are involved, group classes can be a fun and inspiring way of passing along knowledge and ideas.
Teaching in a group setting has the advantage of providing the players with the chance to see problem solving in action as various difficulties are worked out by the group together. Group discussion can bring different viewpoints to light and provides a setting for various possibilities of interpretation.
As strengths and weaknesses are uncovered and discussed, students are left with a much broader understanding of the issues surrounding low brass playing in general, and their own playing in particular. Perhaps most importantly, group classes give students a chance to meet and bond with others who love these unusual but rewarding instruments and often hear, as they are carrying the instrument around, that age old question...”Don’t you wish you’d taken up the harmonica?”

Ensemble Conducting
The lonely tubist at the back of the band is all too often a reality! They wait in vain for their chance to shine, their one moment of glory...and perhaps if they’re lucky they get a measure or two of excitement before they return to providing the rhythmic and harmonic foundation of the ensemble. If only there was a way out...
For low brass students the low brass ensemble is an experience they will never forget. If you have missed hearing the warm, smooth sound of a few dozen tubas, euphoniums and trombones playing Finlandia, or perhaps a Bach fugue, you are in for a treat.

Contact
at joanna@joannahersey.com for more information about booking for clinics or master classes.