Ha! We’re all whack jobs, Bill, that’s the great thing about the trumpet…

Here’s my $.02 FWIW, but looking forward to see what Greg / others say:

1. Maggio – I do think that there are some similarities in what Maggio and Greg prescribe. At the end of the day, it’s more or less about reducing the size of the aperture by contracting the lips forwards towards the center of the mouthpiece (Oooohh) by engaging the aperture corners. Less is more, not overtightening and clamping down top to bottom and cutting off the air column, but instead interacting with the air column in a cooperative, delicate balance.

2. You’ll achieve higher notes by reducing the size of the aperture by contracting the aperture corners inwards towards the center of the air column. Keeping tension to a minimum is key, avoiding tightening the throat and elsewhere.

3. Yes, a combination of all of those–charting our progress, noting how it feels, etc.

4. Yes, unfortunately, there is always a chance you can allow tension to insidiously creep back into your emouchure…and that does happen to me, but I get better and better at noticing it sooner and sooner and I am getting better and better at dealing with it.

My $.02 FWIW