Ideas

Listening

Musical listening begins where judgment ends, as Jeffrey Agrell questions habits of criticism, recordings and expectation that shape every performance.

By Jeffrey Agrell

The Art of the Third Horn Player

The unsung hero

By Kerry Turner

Ornamentation of baroque music for brass

Baroque ornamentation forgotten? Without it, performances become dull and repetitive. This article argues for a return to style, freedom, and creative interpretation.

By Marc Meissner

From the pen of Roger Bobo

A bold statement from Roger Bobo: limiting yourself to your instrument’s repertoire is musical imprisonment — true musicianship begins beyond boundaries.

By Roger Bobo

The subconscious, a useful friend

From yogic practices to auto-hypnosis, mental conditioning and visualisation are linked to performance, self-control, and the body's hidden responses.

By Michel Ricquier

Editorial

Virtuosity is framed less as method than perception, opposing formula-driven teaching and pointing to attentive listening as the ground for technical clarity and artistic control

By Jean-Pierre Mathez

Editorial

International Competitions - Time, a perishable commodity...

From competition juries to the accelerating pace of modern life, Jean-Pierre Mathez questions the judgments and pressures shaping musicians and their careers

By Jean-Pierre Mathez

The use of the mind in instrumental performance

Relaxation, concentration and mental imagery reshape technical practice, linking self-confidence and instrumental control beyond physical training alone.

By Michel Ricquier

Part 1

Classical music: Why bother?

By Joshua Fineberg

Part 1

The Trumpet in the USA

Across competitions, teaching and equipment in the U.S., trumpet practice exposes clashing ideas of musicality, raising the question of shared standards beyond national styles

By Thomas Stevens

Part 2

Zen and the Art of Horn playing

Beyond technique: Jeffrey Agrell explores the clash between intellect and intuition—arguing that true musical expression begins where analysis ends.

By Jeffrey Agrell

Thoughts on Competitions in Music

By Frøydis Ree Wekre

Editorial

Instrumental technique meets personal reflection as Jean-Pierre Mathez argues that artistic growth depends less on definitive answers than curiosity, exchange and individual paths.

By Jean-Pierre Mathez

Editorial

Progress by Stages

Between technical routine and lived experience, musical growth emerges through setbacks, observation and the gradual shaping of an individual voice.

By Jean-Pierre Mathez

Impossible?

Kurt Janetzky challenges the notion of the “impossible” in brass playing, arguing that technical limits evolve and that demanding repertoire—past or present—should never be dismissed as unplayable.

By Kurt Janetzky

Editorial

As costs rose and ambitions grew, an editorial from 1983 captures the fragile balance between sustaining an international brass journal and preserving its vision.

By Jean-Pierre Mathez