Russell Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 (edited) Removed by Author Edited January 27, 2006 by Russell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamnivtop Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 (edited) I would like to put this out there for any Blue Star Hornline Alumnus from the late '70's. I marched with a guy named Jim Bovenette (sp?) in the Black Knights in '76. I know that he went to Blue Stars after that. We played soprano together and I ran into him at a show when I was marching with the Skyliners and he was with Blue Stars. How we were playing the same show I can't remember. I think that was 77 or 78. Anyway, I was always impressed by your hornline over the years. Good Luck and if anyone tracks down Jim or his sister, Judy (she'll always be Wonder Woman to me) please let me know. Thanks, Joe Edited January 26, 2006 by EuphoniBone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mahler Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 (edited) Hi Russell, Could you share with all of us the basics of the "Breathe Dah" system? Thanks Edited January 26, 2006 by EuphoniBone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwai lo Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 Isn't it, in the most basic form, just breathe...then "dah"? Breathe on four, attack with "dah" articulation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jared_mello Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 Isn't it, in the most basic form, just breathe...then "dah"?Breathe on four, attack with "dah" articulation. Essentially, yes. The primary focus is on the unison expelling of air on a downbeat, preceded by a full, supportive breath. It's an extremely simplistic philosphy, but when stressed consistantly, becomes a thoughtless process that helps hornlines excel in the field of timing, air support, and even eventually sound quality when used correctly. It can even be used outside of the field of drum corps; when guest conducting my band last year, a teacher from another school, Lenny Insalaca (who himself marched in a great hornline, Cadets '95), utilized the technique often. It worked, and works in drum corps as well. It's not a "magic teaching tool" or esoteric brassline philosophy like some people make it out to be, but its an effecient teaching method to use. Many other philosophies utilize the same concept with different word usage, but especially so because of the recent hype surrounding Crown's hornline, it's again becoming a well known technique. Star also used techniques like taking constant breaths, etc. Word on the street is, they fielded a few decent hornlines in their day. :) Great to hear that things are going well for the Blue Stars, though. Hope they live up to the hype, that'd be one of the highlights of 2006, if so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upperleadlove Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 (edited) Star also used techniques like taking constant breaths I think "one motion air" is the phrase that you are looking for there. The air is always in or out... in constant motion. Do not cap the breath or take a pause before blowing out after taking a breath. The air is instantly expelled back out after the inhalation. The primary focus is actually the timing of the breath(breathe in time). Theoretically, if you breathe in time the attack will be in time. So if you are standing with your horn at the playing position you would first set the emboucher and leave it, then breathe in through the corners of the mouth (breathe) and then instantly turn the air around and create the articulation (Dah). One motion air is in fact one of the keys to the proper application of the "breathe dah" technique. Edited January 26, 2006 by upperleadlove Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayM Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 I think that everyone who has ever been in a really great ensemble is a "breathe dah" student. It just seems sort of funny to me to give a name to such a basic fundamental and attribute its popularity to one group or one brass staff. Any band director who's worth his/her salt is probably teaching this basic fundamental, whether or not he/she knows the name of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwai lo Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 Yeah I was at the Colts camp, Buckingham broke it down pretty simple. Sounded like that was all there was to it..and one of my friends said "yep..that's it". Very simple concept..just wasn't completely sure it was actually just that :P Thanks for the clearing-up-age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galen Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 (edited) Dave Tippet (who also taught Star's first hornline in '85)never said the words "breathe dah" to us when he taught Capital's hornline in '03, but that was pretty much the basis of his methodology. Edited January 26, 2006 by Galen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harmonics101 Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 I heard "breathe dah" everyday in the summer of 04 with none other than Chad Pence... Im pretty sure he marched Star and i think Cadets too, then he taught tuba at the Cadets for a while, was brass caption head of Magic in 03 then brass caption head of Capital in 04. Then he returned to Cadets in 05 and is still there... Im not exactly sure where he picked up his teaching techniques but i definitely heard "breath dah" and "poh ho!" every-single-day... whatever he did worked tho- we jumped 5 places in 04! B) b**bs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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