Dallas Brass WindMaster User manual

DALLAS BRASS
Breathing Apparatus
and Method
Version 3.0
Michael Levine, WindMaster creator

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Contents
SECTION 1: Introduction ........................................................... 3
Origin of the WindMaster....................................................... 3
SECTION 2: Breathing to Play (Sing) ........................................ 4
Some Essential Breathing Points........................................... 4
The Instrument ...................................................................... 5
Basic Design Of A Wind Instrument....................................... 5
Why Kids Don’t Take a Full Breath ........................................ 6
The Good News: We Already Breathe Correctly ................... 7
Getting In Touch With Your Natural Breath............................ 7
Staying Relaxed .................................................................... 7
Being Ready to Breathe and Play.......................................... 8
Inhale to Exhale..................................................................... 8
SECTION 3: How the WindMaster Works.................................. 9
WindMaster Procedure.......................................................... 9
The Design.......................................................................... 10
Four Important Benefits of the WindMaster ......................... 10
SECTION 4: To the Users......................................................... 11
Professionals… ................................................................... 11
Students… .......................................................................... 11
Directors… .......................................................................... 12
SECTION 5: Exercises/Games................................................. 13
SECTION 6: WindMaster Challenges ...................................... 16
All-Band Challenge.............................................................. 16
Section Challenge ............................................................... 16
Playoffs Of Section Champions ........................................... 16
Special Thanks…...................................................................... 17
About the Dallas Brass…......................................................... 18

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DALLAS BRASS
SECTION 1: Introduction
Music is not a sport, but it is athletic. We depend on our bodies to
help us produce a desired result. For a pitcher, the focal point is
the arm; for a punter, it’s the leg and foot; for wind players and
singers, it’s our respiratory system – and our ability to generate a
full, steady air stream. Like any other athlete, we must train and
condition.
The WindMaster is a simple exercise device that transforms the
breath into a visual experience – where one can see and track the
results. It will help young wind players and singers to become more
breath-conscious. For all players, including professionals, the
WindMaster will help maximize the natural breathing mechanism,
thereby increasing the amount of air we use and developing greater
breath control.
Origin of the WindMaster
The idea originated from a breathing analogy used by many
teachers – particularly teachers of young players – to instruct
students to think of blowing out the candles on a birthday cake.
The visual image helps motivate the student to take a good breath.
Once, in a Dallas Brass clinic in Evansville, IN, we actually brought
out a cake with lit candles and invited a student to blow them out. It
was very effective. Shortly thereafter, I was disappointed to learn
that lighting candles in the schools is simply not allowed! However,
from that disappointment…emerged the WindMaster.

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SECTION 2: Breathing to Play (Sing)
Much has been researched and written on the topic of breathing in
order to play a wind instrument. It is actually a rather controversial
subject among both professionals and educators – how to think of
the breath and how to teach the breath. Yet certain basic things are
pretty well agreed upon. Here are a few…
Some Essential Breathing Points
1. Our normal breathing pattern is a great starting point – it’s
naturally relaxed.
2. Because playing requires much more air, we must expand
the inhalation while keeping that easy, relaxed manner.
Think of filling from the ‘bottom up’.
3. Sit (or stand) tall. Keep the throat open so the air can flow
freely. Think “oh”.
4. Young Players: The instrument should already be up to your
lips and ready to play before the inhalation. It is not
necessary to open your mouth really wide to get a full breath.
As you inhale, keep your lips positioned so that you are ready
to instantly play.
5. Make deep breathing exercises part of your practice (the
WindMaster will help).
6. Be breath-conscious as you play, so that you make the most
of every breath.
7. Honor the breath. It’s the lifeblood of the sound and the music.
*In this manual, the words “to play” also mean “to sing”. Accordingly, the
“instrument” also refers to the “voice”
*)

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The Instrument
What we often think of as the “instrument” (the clarinet, trombone,
etc.), is really only half the instrument – the second half. You are
the first half. Simply put, you produce the air, it goes through a
converter (lips, reed) – creating the vibration, and is then amplified
by the physical instrument. See diagram below.
The sound of the instrument is dependent on the quality of the air
you put through it. This is not something to be taken for granted. It
takes awareness and training. Great players are great breathers.
For singers, the entire instrument is contained within the body, but
the process is the same. The foundation of the sound is the air
stream.
Basic Design Of A Wind Instrument
Exhalation
AMPLIFIER (flute, clarinet, etc.)
• Amplifies Sound
• Additional pitch controls
CONVERTER
• Converts exhalation into sound
(vibration – lips, reed)
• Manipulates pitch
• Produces and
controls air
AIR SUPPLY (player)
Inhalation

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Why Kids Don’t Take a Full Breath
Despite the fact that experts concur that deep breathing is
healthier, our bodies require only minimal airflow to function. We
gently sip in a little air – and release – some 17,000 to 20,000 times
a day! By the time a child starts a musical instrument, say at age
10, he or she has taken approximately 70 million shallow breaths.
It’s no wonder kids don’t instinctively breathe fully when they play.
Let’s say that with this normal daily breathing cycle we inhale to
25% capacity and exhale to 10% capacity [Fig. 1] (this is by no
means scientific, but seems to be basically what’s going on). What
is misleading to young players is that since we always have some
air in our lungs, a sound can be made without taking a good breath
– or any extra breath at all! Many young players play in that air
range as they are just relying on their normal breathing pattern. The
quality of the sound is…well… questionable, but they are pleased
if they can just play a tune no matter how inferior the sound.
Normal (shallow) breath Full playing breath
We should think in terms of filling up to 90% (Fig. 2)! This will
enable us to support a steady and extended exhalation – for quality
tone, phrasing, technique, flexibility, dynamics, range, articulations,
and endurance.
The fact is, we can only blow out what we take in. Developing the
inhalation is the primary intention of the WindMaster.
25%
10%
90%
10%
Fig. 1
Fig. 2

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The Good News: We Already Breathe Correctly
Our bodies naturally know how to breathe. It’s easy, effortless,
relaxed. We don’t have to think about it. It’s like blinking. It
happens all by itself.
We just need to learn how to deepen it – and to learn to do it
quickly. As we develop a deeper breath, we need to stay in touch
with the way the breath wants to happen naturally and to maintain
the relaxed feeling.
Getting In Touch With Your Natural Breath
Sit comfortably in a chair or lie with your back flat on the floor. If
you are sitting, be tall. Place hands in your lap or at your sides.
Close your eyes. Imagine the most beautiful, peaceful place you
can (maybe in the mountains, on a beautiful lake at sunrise, in a
garden of flowers, whatever works for you). Breathe several times,
slowly, and deeply through your nose as if you were soaking up the
fragrance of that magnificent place. As you fill with air, feel your
body expand in all directions, starting low in the stomach area and
moving into the back and upper chest. And even with the
expansion, everything is relaxed – the head, neck, and shoulders,
in particular. It’s a joy to breathe and to know that the oxygen is
nourishing your body with each breath you take.
When doing this exercise while lying on your back, give yourself a
big hug and feel your body expand with each inhalation.
Memorize how your body feels with each breath so that you can
recreate the sensation while playing your instrument.
Doing this exercise for even one minute every day, will be most
rewarding. Ideally, this should be done before working with the
WindMaster. In other words, bring this breath to the WindMaster,
and then to the instrument.
Staying Relaxed
In sports, it’s common knowledge that staying relaxed is a key to
success. It’s the same in music. The tendency among many young
musicians is to have too much tension when they play, which,
among other things, restricts the breath (cutting off the fuel supply).
If there is tension already, trying to take in a bigger breath may

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result in even more tension, not less. So the first priority is to stay
relaxed.
Relaxation is both physical and mental. Even if you are nervous,
you must keep the body free of unneeded tension. And, even if you
feel emotionally relaxed, the body may still be tense. Suggestions:
•Stretch a little before you play. Shake out your shoulders, arms,
hands, and legs. Imagine you are about to do a gymnastics
routine and you need to loosen up.
•Practice in front of a mirror. Make it look easy. If it looks
effortless, chances are that it will feel that way and will begin to
sound that way.
Being Ready to Breathe and Play
Young players:
Each time you begin to play, there must be three distinct steps:
1. Instrument up and ready (touching lips)
2. Breathe
3. Play
It is important to have the instrument in place to play (lightly
touching your lips) before you take your breath. Bring it up two
measures – or at least five seconds – before the first note, if
possible. Then, keep the basic position of the embouchure when
taking the breath. It is not necessary to open the mouth really wide.
In fact, opening the mouth too wide makes it awkward to get the
embouchure in position to immediately start to play.
Think of a baseball player who steps up to the plate. First, he
establishes his stance (that’s like our posture). Next, he takes
several practice swings to loosen up (that could be a couple of
deep breaths to loosen up, if we have time). As the pitcher winds up,
the batter positions the bat (instruments up to our lips). The swing
starts with a back swing, to achieve momentum (that is our
inhalation). Finally, the batter swings at the ball (that is our sound).
Inhale to Exhale
Once again, the batter begins the swing with a back swing (that
back swing is even more prominent in golf). In throwing, the arm
goes back before the throw. It’s exactly the same for the breath.
A good inhalation leads to a good exhalation.

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Some professionals like to think of filling up with air and then
basically letting go. The air will come out all by itself. We don’t
have to force it.
The turnaround between the inhalation and exhalation is
instantaneous – just as it is for normal breathing. One should not
hold the breath before starting to exhale. It should be one
continuous motion. It’s simply a change of direction. Imagine being
on a swing. Going backward is like the inhalation; going forward is
the exhalation – and they must flow together smoothly.
SECTION 3: How the WindMaster Works
WindMaster Procedure
1. Position WindMaster in front of mouth. Hold it as close as you
like, but without touching the pegs to your lips. Be sure pegs are
directly in front of mouth so the head will not tilt up or down
when blowing.
2. Hold unit level* and with both hands.
3. Keep body relaxed and loose, but be tall.
4. Inhale fully, staying relaxed. Keep the throat open. Think “oh”.
Think of filling from the bottom up.
5. Keep lips relaxed and exhale a gentle, but steady stream of air,
aiming for the center of each peg (like blowing out candles).
6. Start at far left and move WindMaster to the left (like a
harmonica) as you blow over the pegs.
* Holding the unit level is a good starting point, however, you can make it
easier by tilting it away from you, or harder by tilting it towards you. Do
whatever works best and feels best to you!

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The Design
The large WindMaster has 25 pegs; the small WindMaster has 15
pegs. The color groups make it easy to measure the results on
each breath. This measurement is by no means scientific, but it can
certainly give you a sense of your air capacity and flow.
The WindMaster is designed with two different workout levels (and
once again, you can also make it easier or harder by a slight tilting
of the unit). As you hold it in front of you:
•The easier side has the yellow pegs to your left.
•The harder side has the green pegs to your left.
Four Important Benefits of the WindMaster
1. Isolates the breath. The WindMaster enables younger students
especially, to freely practice the breath without the preoccupation
(and distraction) of playing the instrument, reading music, etc.
They can focus their energy on breath development alone.
2. Warm-up breathing muscles. Typically, students think of the
warm-up as getting the embouchure going, as well as the fingers,
slide arm, and instrument itself. Warming up and stretching the
breathing muscles is essential, but is often ignored. Even 10
breaths on the WindMaster before beginning to play will make a
significant difference. Students should be encouraged to do this
before band or choir (and before their personal practice as well)!
Warming up the breathing muscles is an invaluable habit to teach.
3. Jump-starts the airflow. At the moment of use, the
WindMaster will ‘jump-start’ one’s airflow. It’s easy to forget to
consistently take full inhalations. Even a few breaths will jolt the
air stream. Consider the effect on a smoldering fireplace when a
bellows is used. It gives the fire new life.
4. Builds respiratory muscles. Breath work is a form of physical
conditioning. With regular use, the WindMaster exercises one’s
breathing mechanism, increasing elasticity, developing the
breathing muscles, and producing greater air capacity and
efficiency.

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SECTION 4: To the Users
Professionals…
•Although the WindMaster was originally developed for younger
players (and you’ll notice that much of this manual is directed
towards students and teachers), it was soon realized that this
device could be useful for any player – including professionals.
Beyond acting as a visual trigger, it is also an exerciser, and all
players, no matter how proficient, need to exercise their lungs.
It can be used in conjunction with other breathing aids
(breathing tubes, breathing bags, spirometers, etc.). Hopefully,
it will be valuable to you in your private teaching, as well.
Students…
•More than anybody, the WindMaster was created for you! For
many music students the breath is a mystery – although it
shouldn’t be. Our bodies know how to breathe perfectly. To play
a wind instrument, we just need to breathe more deeply and
quickly, while staying relaxed.
•The ultimate value of the WindMaster is as an exerciser –
something to be used on a daily basis. I’ve seen some students
pick up the WindMaster, take a breath, blow over a few pegs
and put it down. That’s like picking up a basketball and tossing
it at the hoop – once. It may or may not go in, but either way,
that’s not exactly a workout, nor is it doing a whole lot to really
improve one’s shooting skills. I recommend incorporating the
WindMaster into your regular practice sessions. By alternating
the WindMaster with the instrument, you will more easily relate
the breath to the sound. And, after all, that is the whole point.
•Playing right after using the WindMaster should feel and sound
different almost immediately. Try to memorize this feeling and
sound. (Clearly, this is not like memorizing facts or figures. This
type of memory takes constant reinforcement, because we are
so conditioned to shallow breathing).

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Directors…
•Even though the WindMaster will help young players to
become more breath-conscious and take in more air, it can’t
dictate how they take the breath. It is only a tool for teaching
proper breathing. I’ve watched students with the WindMaster –
with no instruction – take a big breath, but they were extremely
tense. In fact, the more air they tried to take in, the more tense
they got! Trying to blow over 25 pegs without working up to it,
may likely cause this tension. While working with the
WindMaster, students should simultaneously be guided on
taking relaxed, tension-free, diaphragmatic breaths.
•The approach of occasionally picking up the WindMaster to
see how many pegs one can blow over in one breath is fine, but
its most effective use is to teach the students new breathing
habits by incorporating a WindMaster routine into your program
(a few ideas to follow).
An effective way to demonstrate the relaxed breath is to push
all the pegs away from the student except the first one. Ask
the student to simply blow over that one peg. (Even though it is
just one peg, make sure the student takes a fairly full inhalation
and exhalation, as opposed to a little blast or puff of air). The
breath should go past the peg once it has flipped over.
The perceived difficulty in blowing over just one peg is so
minimal that the student will likely be effortless in this exercise.
That is the starting point for the relaxed breath. Have the
student blow over all the pegs, one at a time (see exercises in
Section 5). Then try 2 pegs; 3 pegs; etc., always maintaining
that same feeling of being relaxed and effortless. As one blows
over more pegs, the breath simply deepens.
Many people blow harder than is necessary and in so doing,
run out of air when trying to blow over all the pegs. Have the
student blow gently as if playing por mp.

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SECTION 5: Exercises/Games
Tips…
•Brief or Extended Daily Use. The WindMaster can be used in
several ways ranging from brief daily use, to very extended daily
workouts. Even 10 breaths at the start of a practice session will
have a significant effect on one’s playing.
•Focus On You, Not the Pegs. As you work with the
WindMaster, focus on your body as it fills up in with air and as it
releases the air. Feel the expansion. Feel the muscles working.
Remember, it’s not about the pegs – it’s about YOU.
•Importance of Resting. Be sure to rest frequently when
exercising the breath. Light-headedness is to be expected,
whereupon resting a few seconds will enable the body to
rebalance itself. Continued practice will result in greater
breathing endurance.
•Alternate WindMaster with Instrument. The WindMaster can
certainly be used on its own. However, it is best to incorporate it
into your regular practice. Use it at the beginning of your
practice session to warm-up the air stream and continue to use
it throughout to help maintain a good airflow. In this way, you
will more easily relate the breath to the music.
Exercise #1 – Single Pegs
•Begin with the easier side (yellow pegs to your left).
•Take a full, relaxed breath and blow over the first yellow peg.
Finish exhalation even though the peg has already been blown
over – just like a batter continues the swing after making
contact with ball. In other words, blow through the peg.
•Continue in the same manner, blowing over one peg per
breath, completing the entire WindMaster.

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•Try the same exercise with a metronome, inhaling and
exhaling in time.
•Try it with different combinations of inhalations and
exhalations:
1 beat in, 2 beats out 12
1 beat in, 3 beats out 13
2 beats in, 2 beats out; etc. 22
Ex. #2 – Two Pegs – as above, but 2 pegs per breath
Ex. #3 – Three Pegs – as above, but 3 pegs per breath
Ex. #4 – Four Pegs – as above, but 4 pegs per breath
Ex. #5 – Five Pegs – as above, but 5 pegs per breath
Ex. #6 – Go For It!
•Blow over as many pegs as you can in one breath. Strive to not
skip a peg.
•Count the pegs (if you skipped one, only count the number of
pegs up to that point).
•Reset. Try again.
•Take note of your level. Be systematic. If you are getting 7
pegs most times, then try to increase it to 8. If you are getting
19, go for 20. Most importantly, make sure you are relaxed and
that the pegs are falling smoothly and in order – like dominoes.
This encourages a steady air stream.
PLEASE NOTE…
While blowing over all the pegs may be the eventual goal, the act
of exercising the lungs is what really matters. That can occur
regardless of the number of pegs blown over in any one breath.
The WindMaster is not about the pegs, it’s about exercising
your lungs.

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Ex. #7 – Quick Breaths
Often in music it is necessary to breathe when there is no rest.
This requires a quick (catch) breath. Here are two exercises to
develop the quick breath
Ex. #8 – Playing the Instrument
As you come to the instrument, after warming up with the
WindMaster, it is recommended to begin with long tones,
listening for a full, clear, steady sound. Play a scale, taking one
breath per note (as if you were going to blow over the pegs),
holding each note as long as possible. Notice the air filling you
up and then leaving your body as you play.
Alternate several more times between WindMaster and
instrument, playing a different scale each time. Come back to
the WindMaster from time to time throughout your practice
session (Brass players: This is ideal for when you are resting
your lips).

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SECTION 6: WindMaster Challenges
Directors: The idea here is to add fun and a little competitive spirit.
Make up your own challenges as well.
All-Band Challenge
•Select 5 students (or however many) per day. This could
be done before, during, or after band – whatever works
best for you. At first, a number of students may feel
embarrased to do the WindMaster in front of their peers.
For this reason, it may be best to not do this in front of the
whole band. Perhaps the TOP 10 could have a “play-off”
in front of the entire band.
•Each student gets 3 – 5 breaths (you determine that).
•Count total pegs or take best single breath.
•Possible playoffs for TOP 10
•Have incentives for winners.
Students can also be graded on the results. The director should
monitor these challenges whenever possible, especially so that
feedback and help can be given regarding the relaxation of the
breath. But in the interest of the director’s limited time, students
could also do this among themselves and report the scores to the
director.
Section Challenge
Have sections compete against each other. To determine winner,
figure section average (total the scores in each section and divide
by number of players).
Playoffs Of Section Champions
Determine the WindMaster champion in each section of the band
(perhaps combining small sections, like bassoons and oboes).
Have the section champions compete with each other to determine
the band champion.

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Special Thanks…
Tim Andersen, former Dallas Brass trumpeter (featured on
Dallas Brass DEBUT CD), and presently
band director in Wylie, TX, for informing me that,
“you can’t light candles in the schools”.
Deanna Swoboda, Dallas Brass tubist, for dreaming up an
awesome name…WindMaster (the next choice was ‘Blow Hard’).
Norman Bolter (Boston Symphony),
Charlie Vernon (Chicago Symphony),
Sam Pilafian (Arizona State University; formerly Empire Brass),
who have inspired me for many years…
watching them breathe and hearing the awesome results.
Yoga Instructor, Michelle Hammarley,
for helping me appreciate the value of the breath.
Students, Educators and Friends
who shared ideas and tried the prototypes.
Members of Dallas Brass for their creative support
and dedication to inspiring students.
If you would like to read more about breathing, check out these
books on the subject:
•The Breathing Book (Donna Farhi)
•Conscious Breathing (Gay Hendricks)
•The Tao of Breathing (Dennis Lewis)

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About the Dallas Brass…
Since its founding in 1983, by Michael Levine, the Dallas Brass has
become one of America’s foremost musical ensembles. The group has
established a unique blend of traditional brass instruments with a full
complement of drums and percussion, which creates a performing entity
of extraordinary range and musical challenges. The Dallas Brass
repertoire includes classical masterpieces, Dixieland, swing, Broadway,
Hollywood and patriotic music.
In addition to their solo engagements, the Dallas Brass also appears with
symphony orchestras nationwide. Symphonic credits include the
Cincinnati Pops conducted by Erich Kunzel, New York Pops conducted by
Skitch Henderson, and the Philly Pops conducted by Peter Nero. The
Dallas Brass has performed at Carnegie Hall, the John F. Kennedy Center
in Washington, DC, and has toured overseas to Europe and the Far East.
The ensemble has released five recordings: Debut, Dallas Brass II, A
Merry Christmas with Brass, Nutcracker and a pop/jazz studio recording,
Windborne.
The Dallas Brass has a strong dedication to working with young
musicians, frequently going into the public schools to present clinics and
concerts for students of all ages. A major emphasis in clinics is the topic of
breathing.
www.dallasbrass.com
Your comments are welcome and appreciated.
[e-mail]
Graphic and Layout Assistance: David Van Slyke