Ep. 1 Tongue Position: The Secret to High Notes

"In this first episode of Ryan's Trumpet, I share an exciting discovery that made the upper register feel so much easier for me.

"Bringing together insights from several of my mentors (David Hickman, Newell Dayley, and a coaching session with Adam Rapa at this year's International Trumpet Guild conference), I demonstrate a concrete practice to help unlock the secrets of tongue position and free up the upper register."

Ryan's Trumpet is a recurring series that shares ideas and practices that have been extremely helpful to Ryan as a trumpeter, musician, composer, improviser, and teacher.

Have some questions about this episode? About the trumpet? Music? Performance? Jazz? Composing? Comment below!

If your question captures Ryan's imagination, you just might get a free lesson and have an episode dedicated to you!

Ryan Nielsen is the trumpeter in the Kobie Watkins Grouptet.Their first album, "Movement," received international acclaim and was selected by Howard Reich (former member, Pulitzer Jury) as one of the 10 best albums of 2018.

Ryan has recorded and performed with Ra Kalam Bob Moses and the Summit Brass. In 2021, he was an adjudicator for the preliminary rounds of the Carmine Caruso Jazz Trumpet Competition, "The world's most prestigious competition for jazz trumpet." He has performed as lead and solo trumpet with Delfeayo Marsalis's Uptown Jazz Orchestra, and received the Doc Severinsen Award for Outstanding Classical and Jazz Trumpet.

Ryan co-authored "The Classroom Guide to Jazz Improvisation" with John McNeil (Trumpet, Hush Point; frmr. trumpet, Horace Silver; Professor Emeritus, New England Conservatory). It is due to be released later this year by Oxford University Press.

He is currently Associate Professor of Trumpet at Utah Valley University.

Visit Ryan online at www.ryanstrumpet.com