What kind of belt do you wear?
Belt?
What does a belt have to do with music or trumpet playing?
Oh, wait a minute, I get it, when a lead trumpet player plays, they belt out the sound. Okay, cool, it makes sense now.
Nope, wrong assumption.
Don’t worry, I would have thought the same thing, and I am the one writing this.
This month’s blog is about a belt that a person wears around their waist. Sort of, about that. Well, I will be discussing belts and their uses.
Anyway.
Since June of 2025, my wife and I have lost weight. We have lost enough weight, combined, that it would total the weight of a small adult. We are feeling fantastic, and believe it or not, no surgery, diet supplements, or medications were used.
Therefore, we rely on belts to help us maintain a sense of decency while in public. The support of the belt keeps our pants and shorts in place, and we can walk around without worry.
But Dan, you may be asking, how does weight loss and belt wearing apply to music and trumpet playing?
Here we go…..ready?
Support, my friends, support.
Many instructors, directors, and teachers will say things like, “Support your sound, it is too thin,” or, “That sounds very nasal-like, support the sound with your diaphragm.”
Whenever we wear a belt, oftentimes, we forget it is around our waist. We are receiving the support without being aware that the support is "belted" around our waists. It becomes such a natural feeling that we function, with the support, untethered and freely.
An interesting issue we are experiencing is that we need different belts. Sure, we could use an awl and poke more holes into our belts and cinch them a little more around our waists; however, the end that would be pulled through would be an abundance of belt that would be in the way.
Going to a store and trying on a belt can, very loosely, be equated to practicing.
When we practice, correct practicing, and concentrate on support, sound, and sustenance, we are creating a habit of proper support that is untethered and free. We no longer concentrate on how to support or the need to support our sound. The support happens automatically.
Can the way we support or receive support change?
Yes.
Think about it this way.
When we support our friends, do we crush them and squeeze them as a way of showing support? No. There are times we need to let it be known that more support is needed, and we are there to offer our support. A little more to remind them that we are still there and they can rely on us to hold them up. It is the same way with music. I strive to maintain the same support when I am playing low notes or screaming high and stratospheric notes. However, I notice that, on specific notes and in certain ranges, the amount of physical support I need varies. Sometimes that has to do with my horn’s bore size, mouthpiece, or the slotting of my instrument, but the support changes slightly.
The more we learn, practice, perform, and lose weight, the more we may need to change the support we require so we can be at our best.
Be sure to find the appropriate support.
Be sure to be the support that is needed.
And.
Be sure to be the type of support that will help others put a notch in their own belts.