Do you wanna know the single BIGGEST mistake people make when they first start learning an instrument? This might ruffle some feathers...
Ok here it is:
YOUTUBE. 😱
Okay, so hear us out. Yes, Youtube does have lots of helpful videos made by professionals. Also, we literally use Youtube as a way to send Facebook Live recordings to our community.
But... we've seen time and again that when someone first starts learning an instrument, they go to Youtube to try and learn and teach themselves. They watch lots of videos on embouchure, setup, articulation, hand position, and gather a mix of different methods and opinions. And, side note: just because someone is popular on youtube doesn't mean they give the best advice.
(One of Ana's horror stories is coming into a sax lesson with a beginner adult student... to find out they put their mouthpiece on backwards... as advised from a so-called woodwind expert on youtube 🧐)
Think of it like you're building a car. You grab a tire from over here. Brake pads from down the street. You happen upon a hood and throw that on there. Overtime you assemble a car using different car parts from all over the place. And sure, the car might run okay... but it's GONNA break down eventually.
We want to build you a Cadillac. We don't want your car breaking down.. it should get you where you want to go. And in style.
We don't want you feeling confused or frustrated that you still can't figure out why your high notes are cracking. Or why your articulation still sounds funny even though you are trying your best to follow everyone's advice. We don't want you feeling stuck. And we definitely don't want for you to have to relearn something that you spent months, or even YEARS learning the wrong way because someone told you to do it in a Youtube video.
So... how do you make that Cadillac?
Simple answer: understand how to actually make your playing work for YOU, SPECIFICALLY. You need the tools to understand how to produce the sound you want, or how to adjust your embouchure to prevent high notes from cracking. You need to understand how the embouchure functions, how to find the most comfortable position for your posture, or how to make your fingers faster. After all, you're building a freaking luxury car!
Making your playing ACTUALLY work for you, and giving you all the tools to be your own best teacher is the foundation of Virtual Woodwind Academy. We literally don't sleep at night unless we are SURE that our students and academy participants feel confident and empowered by their playing. Join the waitlist for the next round of woodwind academy here.
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