Basing a music course on scientific method and research rather than “this is the way we have done it since the 1800s”, what sort of trickery is this?!? The 19th and the 20th century all dabbled around the edges of science, but scientific focus was mainly around improving the equipment rather than how we use it.

Roll in WindWorks and Greg Spence who not only recognised that playing brass is actually a scientific process but has managed to develop a program integrating a range of fields of science that have previously been neglected. While most musicians will acknowledge the role of physics, few actually think about physiology and even fewer think about psychology or neuroscience as critical factors of playing. It doesn’t matter If you play well or badly, physics still happens, sound waves will still be generated by oscillation through an aperture into the resonating body of the instrument.

This course takes that basic premise but adds a different slant to human physiology to improve efficiency of playing. Some of the most ground breaking elements include introducing psychology and the way we approach the instrument and neuroscience to change unhelpful neural pathways and create new useful neural pathways, so the efficient and effective methods encouraged by Greg become the new normal.

I wish I had started this way 40 years ago, who knows what path my life have taken.