“Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” ~ Kofi Annan
In the global economy, information is the most valuable commodity. Or as it is written thousands of years ago “My people perish for a lack of knowledge” Hosea 4:6. Information is key to changing ones broken circumstances and making a dreams a reality. For me personally, I have long admired individuals like the Queen of Sheba who sought out wisdom no matter what the cost or from whom it came. The cost of rising above the status quo and reaching a high level of achievement requires one to traverse conventionality and let go of prejudices or misconceptions ingrained by previous generations. And so it has been for me at Peabody, highlighted by today’s Chris Botti’s Masterclass.
When I think of my struggles to become a jazz musician as an African American woman who grew up in a predominately white environment W.E.B. Dubious words seem appropriate:
One ever feels [her] twoness – an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.
Before the Chris Botti masterclass even began I had a candid chat with one of the trumpet teachers who expressed that he hoped the “mini Grand Canyon” between the jazz and classical departments at Peabody would some how be eliminated. From what I gather from various discussions on jazz pedagogy there maybe some confusion between studying classical music and receiving classical training for ones instrument. Even though I am no great trumpet player, I am a lettered scholar of history and know very well the important role classical training played in the development of jazz greats. By all accounts Lee Morgan could play Arban backward and forwards, Clifford Brown played the Carnival of Venice as his high school graduation piece, Booker Little studied at the Chicago Conservatory and Freddie Hubbard studied at the Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music with the principle trumpet player of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Some even overlook the fact that Miles Davis received admission to Julliard, which undoubtedly meant he had a great aptitude for classical trumpet.
In my humble opinion, the chasm between classical and jazz is more about old prejudices and a misunderstanding about improvisation. Both genres provide different challenges but require a high degree of commitment and study to master. My hope is that the two genres at Peabody learn to work together to create a richer learning environment for students. (Sort of like two divorced parents who have to put their egos aside to raise their childern.)
Now for Chris Botti…
Some people classify Chris Botti as the Kenny G of trumpet. A sort of lightweight that doesn’t take music seriously, who simply washes his Patene Pro-V hair and never practiced many grueling hours like Charlie Parker to get to where he is today: wealthy and three #1 albums on the Jazz Billboard. Artistry to me is a matter of personal taste based on many different factors. However, any serious trumpet player can hear the hard work that Chris Botti has put in on his horn and the scar on my lip says that at the very least he deserves to be respected for that.
Objectively speaking his masterclass was very enriching for me as a trumpeter, artist and consummate businesswoman (like my trumpet teacher told me “We are not doing this for money, but we aint doing it for free either”) . First, he discussed the importance of drive and determination to become successful as a professional musician. His definition of musical success is ones ability to stand on their own two feet financially, without having to be at the mercy of another band leader and to make personal choices based on ones own taste.
Contrary to popular belief, his career wasn’t built mainly on spending time crafting an image or just trying to be pretty. Like other great musicians, Chris Botti practiced 8-10 hrs a day and took crappy gigs just to pay the rent. He discussed (most likely to the chagrin of the educators present) cutting classes at the University of Indiana to go practice and being told by the upperclassmen that practice begins at 6:45am. He was also personally inspired while on tour with the late Michael Brecker, by how avidly the legendary saxophonist practiced daily in his hotel room even at his prime.
As a student of the great trumpet teacher Bill Adams, Chris Botti’s knowledge of trumpet pedagogy was impeccable. Botti demonstrated the long tone spider method and the proper way to play chromatics using correct airflow. For the trumpet geeks he plays on a 1939 Martin Committee with a 3C Bach mouthpiece. Botti explained to the class the importance of sounding even with same volume through the full range of the horn. Most lead trumpet players, he noted, may have a killer upper register but can’t play in the middle or in the lower register because they do not do the type of exercises necessary to keep the elasticity in their embouchure. (For the non-trumpet players, if you ever want to get an appreciation for how hard it is to play the instrument go to your local music store and try one out.)
The most challenging thing following the hours of practice is knowing how to monetize those hours into a lucrative career. From Chris Botti’s perspective, knowing how to read and being able to record quickly during a studio session in order to save people time and money is the key to a great career as professional musician. He mentioned networking with other studio musicians and getting advice from great mentors as important building blocks to his development. Often the biggest leaps in his career came from referrals and simply being ready with demo tapes when opportunity knocked whether he thought he had the skillls or not. He advised the class not to wait until they thought they were ready to make that big move, but take a leap of faith. (My being at Peabody is testament to that).
In the context of being an artist and entertainer, he stressed the importance of being honest with what is in your heart to play and recognizing if you are a jazz musician what was done in the past to minimize the entertainment element of the music (like Miles turning his back to the audience) may not work today. Botti also displayed an in depth knowledge about how to manipulate ones sound using microphones in order to create the kind of sound that can clearly communicate ones musical ideas. As a huge Miles disciple, Botti really embraces the importance of setting the right mood for the audience, which he states begins in the mind of the musician long before they step on stage.
Many questions (alot by me) were asked about his thoughts on straight-ahead jazz and I found his answers to be quite compelling for someone of the “smooth jazz” genre. If I heard him correctly he explained that jazz is ones ability to improvise in a set form. He went to great lengths to state that a vocalist like Bing Crosby who may sing jazz standards is not necessarily a jazz vocalist like Betty Carter if they do not improvise. I personally asked him his approach to studying jazz trumpeters. He stressed the importance of listening to ONE trumpet player at a time, eating and drinking them in until the student has fully grasped the nuances of that trumpet player. He recounted how one of the drummers from the Saturday Night Live band knew he could be no great Tony Williams and so he listened to Art Blakely 24/7. Chris Botti, also treated us jazz heads with a Woody Shaw lick he learned from the master himself.
Finally, anyone with two eyes could see that Chris Botti at the age of 48 looked very good in his fitted jeans and shirt. He had also mentioned earlier in the class that athletics played an important role in facilitating trumpet playing. So I asked him what did he do to stay in great physical shape ? Three-four times a week he engages in Ashtanga Yoga. This is one of the more rigorous forms of yoga, that he explained gave a trumpet player the strength and flexibility in their core muscles (abs) to facilitate air flow.