Great teachers provide us wisdom to understand the complexities of our performance, career, and life. Here is some great advice imparted to Denis Wick artist Don Lucas during his time studying with Denis Wick.
His Book Trombone Technique still is the standard for me. Ground Breaking at the time with much more detailed comprehensive information, and it is still very that relevant today. This book is still available at his website In my humble opinion, Denis Wick’s musical and technical knowledge unsurpassed as a trombonist. Equally to me, his sense of humor is also unsurpassed.
He always insisted on an extremely high standard, in the section, in his teaching and in his conducting. On one occasion in a lesson, when I wasn’t yet able to perform it the way he was asking for, he yelled loudly, “Now, we are not messin’ about…GET IT RIGHT!!!!
He taught and created things from a perspective of, let’s improve performance, better than it is currently today.
Almost all the music I brought into him in lessons, he commented, well this is not the greatest piece ever written, but we must try to do as much with it as possible.” The only exception to this was when I brought in the Ernst Bloch “Symphony for Trombone and Orchestra”, whereby, he said…..”.hmm, this is actually a good piece!”
When conducting, he said t the players: Yoo-Hoo! I’m still here. I haven’t moved. I promise you I haven’t. Look up once every bar! After he conducted the Gordon Jacob “Trombone Octet”, on one occasion, I commented that he did some amazing rubato in the performance. He replied, “Yes, because when I looked up, “I saw a sea of eyes.”
Concerning Slide Control: Fast acceleration, and smooth controlled breaking.
Concerning the shape of the embouchure: Using a frown not only formed the corners down but set with flat valley and chin down.
Almost all the music I brought into him in lessons, he commented, well this is not the greatest piece ever written, but we must try to do as much with it as possible.” The only exception to this was when I brought in the Ernst Bloch “Symphony for Trombone and Orchestra”, whereby, he said…..”.hmm, this is actually a good piece!”
When conducting, he said t the players: Yoo-Hoo! I’m still here. I haven’t moved. I promise you I haven’t. Look up once every bar! After he conducted the Gordon Jacob “Trombone Octet”, on one occasion, I commented that he did some amazing rubato in the performance. He replied, “Yes, because when I looked up, “I saw a sea of eyes.”
Concerning Slide Control: Fast acceleration, and smooth controlled breaking.
Concerning the shape of the embouchure: Using a frown not only formed the corners down but set with flat valley and chin down.
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