All students who want to improve should record themselves - especially their lessons. It is a small investment to make each lesson go as far as possible and it will help individual practice as well. I record myself often when I practice. It is a wonderful tool for improvement because when I evaluate my performance in this way I am not playing the trombone and I can observe objectively where I need improvement without trying to perform at the same time. The skill to focus on music while I perform is a liberation from inner dialogue that can be channeled into where it will help the most. Making critical notes after a performance with a good recording can inspire great practice sessions. Trying to be critical of yourself while performing is a recipe for disaster.

I notice the quickest progress from students who record themselves regularly. I believe this is because it is a fundamental tool for modern successful musicians, namely because our brains can evaluate or create moment to moment, but they cannot do both at once. Thus, recording allows us to effectively separate the two mindsets.

I recommend 2 minute recording sessions as a part of individual practice. Make a recording of yourself where all you concentrate on is great performance practice, then, put your horn down and review the recording with headphones making critical notes on where you would like to improve to inspire the next 15 - 30 minutes of practice. I love to record because it helps me to practice performing and above all, it keeps me honest.

Roger Rocco had a rule for practice that did away with dogmatic idealism very quickly. He insisted that students constantly ask themselves, "Did that work?" This is a tricky thing to ascertain while playing because the feedback to know whether a new concept does or does not work requires the performers ears be on the other side of the bell. If a student can record their practice it will be very easy to know immediately and for certain whether a new concept works from a 2 - 4 minute evaluation of the recording.

Music is an art form of perception. Use a recording to check in with the three "T's" - Time, Tune, Tone. Is your rhythm convincing? Are you playing in tune with yourself? Are you playing with a good tone throughout? Now, take it a step further - what are your phrase goals, and are you effectively demonstrating them? Can you hear a real difference between pianissimo and fortissimo? Is your crescendo all at once or over the two bars indicated by the composer and, more importantly, is the pitch consistent throughout your dynamic shift? Is the rhythm perceptible through your accelerando or rallentando? Let's face it, we work in sales and we are trying to sell people on a musically good quality product one phrase at a time. It's not about being right as much as it is to be convincing with our music. Evaluate your recordings with this in mind and you will go far.

With a Video recording you can check stage presence - do you look confident regardless of how you feel? You can evaluate posture, and anywhere you may be unnecessarily holding tension, especially your shoulders and slide arm. Take a good look at your breathing. Is there any way you can make your process more effortless? Easy? Elegant?

I video record every lesson I teach. It is not such a big deal that students record lessons, but it has become somewhat of a novelty that I take ownership of the recording process and the media myself in effort to facilitate their needs as a student. In addition, I've found that I often review these recordings myself in effort to improve my teaching abilities.

Due to the sheer number of students I record every week, I have gained experience in where to put the recording device so the mic levels are ideal for both trombone volume and spoken voice. Moreover, I know where the camera can be placed so that the student can get the best look at their embouchure, posture, and slide technique. My hope is that the archival recording has the greatest potential as a tool to facilitate growth in the student week to week. Of course, appropriate lesson video review, contemplation, and thoughtful practice is necessary as well.

Equipment