WindWorks Trumpet Academy by Mystery to Mastery | Alistair | Activity https://mysterytomastery.com/member-profile/alistairneil/activity/ Activity feed for Alistair. Sun, 12 Apr 2026 15:37:20 +1000 https://buddypress.org/?v= en-AU 30 hourly 2 c3cd79b245188066811bfb0a736b7007 Alistair replied to the topic The Cat Empire and effortless playing in the forum WindWorks https://mysterytomastery.com/topic/the-cat-empire-and-effortless-playing/#post-102137 Sun, 03 Oct 2021 23:06:59 +1100 Didn’t get tickets to the final shows, which is a bit sad as I’ve seen them so many times in so many different venues and it’s always amazing. Will be enjoying the final show with the virtual tickets and a dance around my lounge room. Also, I saw your Facebook video post in the Windworks group and have responded there.

]]> 00123fc39753b2c0ca91c91d4db8ccba Alistair started the topic The Cat Empire and effortless playing in the forum WindWorks https://mysterytomastery.com/topic/the-cat-empire-and-effortless-playing/ Tue, 21 Sep 2021 01:48:31 +1000 Hi Windworkers,
Just wanted to share this video of my all time favourite band, whom have just announced they are splitting up and replacing about half the members 🙁 Anyway, for those who don’t know this is the band The Cat Empire, from Melbourne Australia.

Check out this video of the brass section trading solos and I want to share a few things…[Read more]

]]> 27132c42d1a4a2f9e8d24743c6fc15d2 Alistair replied to the topic Holding Back the Air in the forum WindWorks https://mysterytomastery.com/topic/holding-back-the-air/#post-71165 Sun, 17 Jan 2021 23:38:57 +1100 After a good inhale there are (to my mind) three ways to prevent the air from out.
1) By using the middle part of the tongue to create a seal (as taught in the course)
2) Use the very back of the tongue to create a seal (which is often mistaken for closing the throat)
3) By continuing to engage the inhale muscles.

Number 1 is what is taught and…[Read more]

]]> eb6e4332d27a51e52df4b1b6b36c43b1 Alistair replied to the topic Balanced Embouchure and TCE in the forum WindWorks https://mysterytomastery.com/topic/balanced-embouchure-and-tce/#post-68937 Fri, 18 Dec 2020 00:29:48 +1100

One point where I would take issue is when Alistair writes that BE “advocates for playing with a very small aperture.” BE does not recommend any particular set up of the lips – rather it is a set of exercises where the goal is to duplicate the sound on the cd and then the lips work out for themselves what to do.

Yes that’s true. The whole point…[Read more]

]]> 9e02fe1cabf5752d45bf562a5e201926 Alistair replied to the topic Zoom Meeting Confirmation in the forum WindWorks https://mysterytomastery.com/topic/zoom-meeting-confirmation/#post-66385 Wed, 18 Nov 2020 06:04:00 +1100 I’m sorry to hear that Greg. Nothing is more important than family. Thinking of you and your family at this time.
From Alistair

]]> 3b7654710afe10c5e12f1e777ecb1e18 Alistair replied to the topic Balanced Embouchure and TCE in the forum WindWorks https://mysterytomastery.com/topic/balanced-embouchure-and-tce/#post-66383 Wed, 18 Nov 2020 05:44:26 +1100 Hi Francis,
I did quite a bit of study of the Balanced Embouchure many years ago when it first came out and found it to have a lot of benefit.
It terms of describing how the lips work when playing it is quite different from Wind-works as BE describes more of rolling in and out to achieve the shape change. More of a focus of top and bottom lip…[Read more]

]]> 85eeb8ea74918125658ba9983b47eb05 Alistair replied to the topic Leadpipe makes me panic in the forum WindWorks https://mysterytomastery.com/topic/leadpipe-makes-me-panic/#post-34955 Sat, 02 Nov 2019 05:49:23 +1100 Don’t panic.
Do you panic because you can’t yet play a screaming double C like Wayne Bergeron? Of course not! That would be silly. This is the same thing.
This leadpipe routine that Chase Sanborn is sharing is very advanced.

Rather than panic, ask yourself, what I can learn from it? What is my reaction to seeing someone do that? What is the…[Read more]

]]> 14a0f0c82036aa1ef6afa19229515915 Alistair replied to the topic Bore, Bell size, choice of instrument and ease of playing in the forum WindWorks https://mysterytomastery.com/topic/bore-bell-size-choice-of-instrument-and-ease-of-playing/#post-31380 Sat, 07 Sep 2019 14:19:52 +1000 Also, I realise I probably didn’t answer the question about bore sizes and ease of playing but that is such a personal thing it almost can’t be answered. Smaller bore horns are more efficient if you can play them (correctly) and if the sound matches what you want but in the big picture, the grand scale of trumpet playing this is such a small…[Read more]

]]> 9c0e3075d5ce8d5a06ff74771dcbcbfd Alistair replied to the topic Bore, Bell size, choice of instrument and ease of playing in the forum WindWorks https://mysterytomastery.com/topic/bore-bell-size-choice-of-instrument-and-ease-of-playing/#post-31378 Sat, 07 Sep 2019 13:42:28 +1000 Personally I have always found the mouthpiece has more effect on the sound than the instrument. Of course the largest factor is yourself and your mental sound concept, but after that the mouthpiece has a bigger impact on the sound and the actually instrument itself less so. The instrument simply needs to feel comfortable to hold and play and have…[Read more]

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