May 2024
Hello Band Directors,
I am writing this as a former band director myself for 33 years, teaching 6-12 grade bands. I came from a strong program which included: Solo ensemble, Festival competition, Marching program and jazz and pep band.
I want to encourage you to reconnect with your primary instrument if you are not playing as much. This is the best and only way to have more understanding and empathy with your students in terms of their musical growth or lack of.
I also want to encourage you to get in touch with Anatowind Music Clinic and experience an updated approach to using the Peterson strobe as a way of studying sound and tonal development. Saying to students, "Do not play louder than lovely" does nothing to help students understand their physiology. The strobe can assist with visual representation of the partials and development or lack of.
Having a clinician come in for a day has no long-term benefits because each student’s physiology is working differently because of the lips, teeth, and jaw structures. Until you understand your tone and physiology, you can't really help your students grow in a proper sequence. Fifty percent or more students quit from 6th grade to their senior year; if you ask them why, they will probably come up with superficial reasons. For me, I almost quit because I knew something was wrong in my development but did not know the proper path to updating until I met Anatowind Clinic and submersed myself in the teaching process.
So to close, I would just say the following: If you want to update yourself, get in touch with the clinic and you might just be very surprised what you learn.
Tom
September 2023
Another area of Tom's talent.
After playing and developing my playing through the Anatowind Musical teaching process, I finally understand the importance of proper upper lip development. In order to properly develop the upper lip, a player must first build the lower jaw so that the "support system" is in place to enjoy the benefits of LEADING with the upper lip. The peoper order is lower jaw then upper lip.
When you get to this point in the process, the playing becomes enjoyable and pleasing in all three vents (aural, neural and visual.)
I look forward to many more years of picking up the trumpet and enjoying the satisfaction of the tone produced as a result of said study and process.
October 2021
Following is a link to Tom's website for his band program and gives you some insights into how the clinic teaching process has affected him not only individually, but how he brings this knowledge to his music students
https://sites.google.com/medford.k12.wi.us/mr-burts-band-page/home
June 2021
I would like to say that because of the physiology work I did using the Anatowind teaching method, I am able to play different styles of music without struggling. I can play a ballad or a rock tune and play with a characteristic sound that appeals to the listener. Due to the fact I developed proper breathing and proper understanding of physiology I can switch styles. I would not want to be contained into playing only one style. There are too many good musical selections waiting to be played.
March 2021
A sample of how the clinic teaching process is used in my program for beginners.
Dear Parents/Guardians:
This letter is to inform you of a few basics about the MAMS Band Program as I will soon be meeting with all
current fifth grade students and inviting them to join band next year. Sixth grade band is a time of exploratory
learning whereby a student is provided the opportunity to discover his/her strengths and abilities to play an
instrument, read music, listen to one another, maintain rhythm, and work as a team to produce quality sound
through proper music physiology and breathing methods.
Parents may wonder how instruments are chosen for students. Our process of determining what instrument a
student will play depends on several factors, such as the student's interest, size of the student and instrument or
even certain medical conditions. For example, we would not want to have a child play an instrument that is too
big for them to manage or have a student with a back condition carry a heavy instrument while marching for a
long period of time.
It is important for the student to have some input when it comes to the instrument they will be playing. Each
child should have two choices of instruments in mind to assist in determining which instrument would be their
best option. They can then be tested to ensure that they are on the appropriate instrument and equipped for
success based on their physiology and personal interest. In other words, we want to know what the student is
interested in playing and how well he/she can adapt to that instrument in order to produce quality tonal
formation. We want our students moving through the Medford Band Program feeling comfortable and
successful when playing their instrument, not frustrated and unhappy or disappointed. Learning the scientific
language involved in playing is extremely important to each student's success. We provide this knowledge
through a method called Anatowind. Through proper muscular coordination and diaphragmatic breathing all
students will be successful on their instrument and be able to produce a quality tone.
Once again, we will offer a rental program for the beginning band students though Jerry's Music in Wausau and
Michelsen Music in Schofield. Not being able to afford an instrument should not be a factor in determining
whether or not your child should be allowed to participate in the band program. We have a limited number of
school-owned instruments that we can loan out for student use based on need. Also, if your child already has an
instrument, please bring it to the MAMS Band room on the night of May 18th between the hours of 3pm and
6pm. This is the night students will be signing up for rental equipment.
I hope that you will encourage your child to consider band as his/her choice for a music course in sixth grade.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to give me a call at 748-2516.
Sincerely,
Tom Burt
MAMS Band Director
Feb 2021
A article that appeared in the Medford Wisconsin newspaper about a clinic presented in 2007 for the high school band, where Tom Burt was the director.
Aug, 2020
Why not Music Medicine?
You might be thinking, “What does music medicine have to do with playing a musical instrument?”, If we stop and think about all the physiology based treatments that are out there today, why not have physiology available for musicians? I would like to have us think about a physical therapist's job. They are entrusted to help you through a prescription from the doctor to strengthen and stimulate a specific set of muscles. It may be a shoulder injury or a knee strengthening program. The point is that a certain sequence of exercise is prescribed for you to assist in rehab and strengthen your physiology. When we put an instrument to our face or a pair of sticks in our hand there has to be a proper formation in order for muscles to become active and involved. In science there is a term called ”Inverse”, which means if one side is long the other side is short. Now, let us apply that to our head structure in terms of the lower jaw. Your lower jaw has several patterns of motion; in or out, back and forward, right and left. Once you play the very first note you have begun what is called the “Natural physiology” of the player. Depending on the jaw classification a plan for correction will be prescribed to better balance the muscles of the head structure. If you do nothing in terms of the lower jaw contact your performance will "starve” and cause an imbalance of muscular coordination. This is music physiology. You might be asking why it is not talked about because only Anatowind has researched the facial and arm physiology as it relates to wind and arm performance. The “Conventional method of teaching music does not address muscular coordination at all. I am a product of both styles of teaching and I can assure you that the latter does not work for many students. One out of one hundred may achieve an embouchure that is functioning at a level of satisfaction. The conventional system will never talk about lips, teeth, and jaw positions. Instead, they might suggest another instrument and what if the student is not successful on that instrument? Then what do you suppose the person is feeling and thinking about themselves? The Anatowind Clinic looks at lips, teeth, jaw, and breathing so that proper muscular coordination can occur. They use Aural, Neural, and Visual science to help students better understand their embouchure development. Without all of the modalities present, the student will not understand or grow in their understanding of muscular coordination. An embouchure must change if it is to grow. On a personal note, if I had not received the help I needed from Anatowind I would have quit the Trumpet playing because of my frustration. The conventional system did not provide me with an understanding of my physiology, which was the root cause of my dissatisfaction. Once I began the journey of muscular development, my attitude and enjoyment of music blossomed. Twenty eight years later I am able to follow and make adjustments based on physiology that help me to continue growth on my instrument. So you ask, why Music Medicine? I think the answer is clear! I am still playing thirty two years later.
Tom Burt, Medford Area Middle School Band Director
July 2020
No Band to play IN, Continue to grow anyways?
With the uncertain times in education, You might be thinking why should I continue music if there might not be as many concerts? I look at this as the perfect opportunity to grow personally on your instrument and understanding of your own physiology!
Take just one area of development... BREATHING. Study one scale or one note and look in the mirror and analyze how you are taking air into the body. Is the air being placed high in the chest area or in the abdominal region? I would encourage you to take some time and do further study with this one area to see if you can make a change that causes more relaxation in your performance.
Remember, music should relax instead of causing tension.
March 2020
The students find that playing a tone and having the strobe show the results makes it challenging and interactive. They say "Can I do it again?"
They are learning what to look for in terms of proper tonal formation and how adjustments equals better results.
Jan 2020
As a teacher of 30 years in Public School Music, I have realized that saying to students the following has little connection. "Just take a deep breath" is not understood so I have to show them what it looks like and sounds like. I do this because most students are not aware of the breathing process and how it is so much different than breathing when talking.
If you want to update ideas on proper breathing process, contact the clinic for further information
Feb - 2020
My thoughts on teaching are the following:
You first need to listen to your students in order to find out their needs and desires.
Secondly, In order to understand their musical goals, you must start with one note and help them understand what is working and what needs direction in terms of physiology. Have them read out of manual as a starting point and let them discover for themselves (with some direction from you)
A more coordinative way to play their musical instrument. The beauty of the Anatowind Musical Teaching process is that we use Aural, Neural and Visual to stimulate learning and better desired outcomes
6/15/19
My article today focuses on the Middle School Band Director. What drives your teaching approach with the students you start at this tender age? Do try and make sure they play “clean”
Or do you allow them to play only what they can handle? Do you push range on them too fast? Do you allow for tone to “open up or do you demand a “Pretty tone?”
These are all areas that middle school music teachers have to deal with on a daily basis, as I am one of those teachers. I can tell you that what drives my teaching is staying connected to my own playing through the Anatowind Teaching Musical Process. You must be growing as a musician in order to better assist the students you work with. If you are disconnected then your teaching will be disconnected as well as a lack of empathy for the students.
The Anatowind Musical Teaching Process offers Individualized instruction for every student as a result of the Doctoral Dissertation that was done. I can assure that the study of classical music will not guarantee improvement of student tone or range unless you first understand their muscular function. I was a product of the “conventional music program and was not increasing in my tonal or range development, until I met The Anatowind Music Clinic. It was at this point that I began to see the relationship of a disbalance of muscular function due to my Projected jaw. A plan of study was discussed and as a result I am a much better player and happier player.
I invite you to Contact the clinic for further information in regards to better understanding of how Proper muscular coordination relates to better performance.
Thomas Burt, Band Director, Medford Middle School - Medford Wisconsin
I thought you might be interested to take a look at the Anatowind Musical Clinic Teaching Process. The Clinic is based in Beloit, WI. I have been a student there and their teaching has allowed me to make a career out of music. So you might ask “What does this have to do with teaching middle school students to play an instrument?”
I will start by saying that had I not gotten in contact with Jim Simmons at the Anatowind Music Clinic in 1977, I would not be making a living in music as a teacher and performer. I practiced and did not feel I was getting better; in fact, I would get jealous when I heard and saw another trumpet player that could do things that I only dreamed of being able to do. What they came to help me understand is that playing a musical instrument must start with the person, which is the proper order in dealing with students. I had to realize what my muscles were doing and not doing properly and then do the correction of muscular coordination in order to see improvement.
Now when it comes to teaching sixth and seventh grade band students, I take seriously their concerns so they do not enter into musical depression and wonder what is going on. If they are given the proper base they will have a much better chance of continuing to play their instrument. So it is the teaching process from Anatowind Music Clinic that helps to identify the needs each player has. These needs are very individual due to their own head structure (lips, teeth and jaw).
As I said earlier, if it had not been for Anatowind Music Clinic I would not be playing trumpet today because I started to realize I was not growing as a player. My physiology had to be understood in order for growth to occur.
Oct 2020
The fact that I can play at any moment with my students, gives me great confidence and enjoyment! I am able to play what I want with out having to worry whether or not can play the part or demonstrate what I need to to my students.
I would not be teaching/playing music had it not been for the teaching process and understanding my Personal physiology.
