Trager Trumpet Talk

Trager Trumpet Talk

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The Stevens/Costello/Roman? Method

just a few of my thoughts

Less than a year ago I received several emails from a gentleman concerning the Stevens/Costello method. I never shared these emails with anyone until yesterday, but since Roy Roman has been a topic of conversation as of late, I feel it is important that I share these emails with you.

I will now post two of these emails in their entirety,and interject my responses to the individual's statements, and assumptions.

Dated 2/27/05:

Hi Wayne,

I think you're the only one in the world who has gone through as much agony over the trumpet as I have. I don't have time to go into it now but we could definately compare notes. I believe I have found the truth concerning the embouchure and the correctness of muscular behavior in the teachings of Roy Stevens.

I have been studying with Roy Roman for a while now and will be moving to Tennessee where Roy lives in an attempt to master the technique. Roman became Steven's #1 student in NY and stuck with Stevens until he died. Stevens past all of the copyrights to Roy Roman. Roy is "The Man". The only person that I've heard produce a sound as big and as fat with that sizzle in it is Maynard ( I should reverse that - the only person that sounds like Maynard in all registers is Roy).

I know you give some credit to Roy Stevens for your success. It sounds as if you dissagree with most of what he says.

I do not disagree with most of what Roy Stevens wrote. Infact, I agree with most of what he wrote. I believe that some of the terminology is outdated, and that the method could use a "face lift". I became interested in the Stevens/Costello method after reading the Costello articles and books. I do believe that everyone is different, and that the Stevens/Costello system is not for everyone. I also believe that Stevens did not edit the Costello method to create a gospel. Stevens edited the method to describe how he adjusted the method to work for him. I have a problem with those who memorize the writings of Roy Stevens, are inflexible, and don't realize that individuals are all built differently.

It seems like everyone, including yourself, refers to the Stevens technique as a forward jaw position. That is not true. Roy said in his book the teeth must be brought to a PARRELLEL or SLIGHTLY forward jaw position.

This individual just proved my earlier point, "Roy said in his BOOK.....". This individual has memorized the WRITINGS of Roy Stevens, and has accepted it as gospel. Roy Stevens also said a lot of things that were not in his book.

The jaw position is only one of the factors.

Roy Stevens felt that the role of the jaw and the jaw position were at the heart of the Stevens/Costello method.

The MOST important fact is that the lips and appropriate muscles must be taught to resist the air column. The purpose of the palm excersise is not so you can learn to play with less presure but rather you force the emouchure to learn to resist the air column instead of arm weight.

What this individual doesn't understand is that there are different "trumpet on the palm" exercises. The "trumpet on the palm" exercise employed in the Stevens/Costello method was to teach the lips and surrounding musculature to resist the air column. This was done by playing extremes called "statics". The trumpet on the palm exercise suggested by Reinhardt and others was designed to get the lips to respond by using less pressure. In this form of the "trumpet on the palm" exercise, the player usually starts on second line G and ascends harmonically striving for a nice open sound on each pitch, and striving to increase their range without sacrificing the sound, and/or resorting to force. The individual that wrote this email "assumes" that there is only one "trumpet on the palm exercise". Once again - a reason why the Stevens/Costello method needs a "facelift". Perhaps we could call this "trumpet on the palm" exercise" the Statics routine. Roy Stevens made changes to the method, why doesn't Roy Roman? If Roy Roman is so inflexible and doesn't see that individuals are just that - individual, and if Roy Roman doesn't feel that he can allow the Stevens/Costello method to evolve with individual's needs and with new demands being made on trumpet players, perhaps he shouldn't be the "grand master" of the system. I never remember Roy Stevens ever saying that Roy Roman was his #1 student in NY.

Roy Roman can play from low f# ,or even the pedals, all the way to Tripple C without shifting or moving anything.

Roy Roman isn't the only player that can play from low f#, all the way to Triple C without shifting or moving anything.

The reason he can do that is because of his absolute correctness and understanding, not because he's more talented than you or I but because he understands what is correct in accordance with the laws of physics. And, it's not that he can play high or the fact he can play extremely loud and high for hours and hours, what is amazing is that it is easy. Roy is more impressed with his low C than his doubles or tripples. Even to this day he chuckles after demmonstrating the biggest, fattest, loudest, purest low C you've ever heard in your life. The reason is that it seems to him it takes such little effort that what comes out of the horn doesn't match what he puts in. The way he words it is: " I put in a dollar and out comes a ten."

There are many "monster" trumpet players out in the field that can do all that and more.

Anyway, I love your web page would love to discuss further your experience and lessons with Roy Stevens.

Dated 3/6/05:

Hi Wayne,

Me again (Roy Roman's student). You havn't responded to my last email.

I pulled out the C. C. "musical calisthenics for brass" book that I obtained right before I damaged my top lip my senior year in high school. I was a perfect example

of what was incorrect from an embourchure standpoint my whole trumpet career. I gather from reading the forward that Caruso must have been a wonderful person.

I like him. The problem with his theory is that he doesn't address what the correct muscular behavior is first before playing excercises. Playing notes will not correct an embourchure problem unless understanding and training of the correct muscles of the face are identified FIRST.

This is an INCORRECT statement, and one of the reasons why I stopped taking lessons from Roy Stevens! I am a believer in the statement - Over analysis leads to paralysis. Caruso was a psychologist first and a trumpet teacher second. He understood the mentality of every student that walked into his room. Bottom line: If you start with your lips closed and together, and follow the principles of Caruso, you will get phenominal results. Also, this individual is leaving out a VERY important point! Roy Stevens would tell all of his students that they would need to return from time to time for a "tune up". Caruso students never needed to return for a "tune up".

Roy Roman quit studying with Roy Stevens 3 times before he finally stuck it out and eventially became the grand master of the Stevens/Costello system. One of those times he studied with Carmine Caruso for a period before realizing the same fate awaited him through Caruso's theorys

The same fate awaited him through Caruso's theories?

It sounds to me as if Roy Roman never gave Caruso a fair chance.

(Roy busted a tooth from having to use so much arm pressure the old way he played and playing the Caruso excercises was leading in the same direction.) Excessive arm pressure is a result of incorrect muscular behavior not the culprit. When the lips and jaw are not trained correctly for the purpose of resisting air then the only answer is more arm pressure.

I would have to guess that you are limited in range and endurance.

Why would you have to guess that I am limited in range and endurance? All I can say is that you guessed incorrectly.

Can you play from the bottom of the horn up into the tripples hour after hour? Roy can. It's not because he's a freak it is because he understands the correct muscular behavior and it takes very little effort for him to play. And, his sound burries any other trumpet player I've ever heard with the exception of Maynard.

I like you and your website. I just think you could take it to the next level if you studied with Roy.

Is Roy Roman that desperate for students? Why would I want to sound like Roy Roman? I want to sound like me .I am very happy with my playing, and that's all that matters to me.

Any questions? email me: wtrager@msn.com

Any thoughts? click here:

Sincerely,

Wayne Trager