Peter Mansfield Trombone



Trombone Lessons Accompanying Composing and Recording Gig List About the Trombone Top Trombonists Links and Downloads F A Q
		Welcome to my Trombone Studio Here you will find information about me and my approach to playing and teaching the trombone. Among the brass instruments I play alto, tenor and bass trombone, baritone and euphonium, and have done the odd turn on tenor horn. I teach mainly at my home studio in Portslade, Brighton. About my Trombone Teaching Whatever style of music we want to play, secure technique and thorough understanding of the instrument is the best way forward. Armed with a great sound, wide range, good flexibility and articulation and a clear understanding of the instrument, we can develop jazz and rock style playing and improvisation as as required! Reading, ear playing and improvisation are all important, and can be learned progressively. About Me I have been a working musician and music teacher for the past 30 years, having studied music at York University under Wilfred Mellers. From 1978 to 1989 I was visiting professor of trombone and Euphonium at Kingston University as well as teaching extensively in maintained and independent schools in West Sussex. From 2000 to 2007 I was curriculum leader for trombone with the East Sussex Music Service, a post which I resigned to return to freelance playing and teaching. Since 2008 I have been retained as a house musician by P&O cruises and have travelled the world as a full time perfomer. This year I am resting from ships and looking forward to being able to do more teaching! More about . . . Having taken up trombone at the age of 12, my principal teachers were Denis Wick (London Symphony Orchestra, Guildhall School &c) Peter Gane (London Symphony, Guildhall), and Arthur Wilson (Philharmonia, Royal Opera, Royal College of Music). I was also able to learn close up with a great generation of jazz players including Chris Pyne, Malcolm Griffiths and the late lamented Paul Rutherford. As well as teaching, I have worked in a variety of fields as a pianist, trombonist, composer/arranger and teacher My performing experience covers every form of music from early music to avant-garde, from baroque classical and romantic to jazz and rock, not to mention some heavy stints of brass and wind bands, big bands and covers/function bands: all of which has given me a deep understanding of the common factors of musicianship which underly successful performance in any style. About the Alexander Technique 20 years ago I took time out to train as a teacher of the F M Alexander Technique and this forms an important strand in my thinking about the trombone and performance. Alexander teaches us to recognise that many of our learning difficulties are due to unconscious habits which we apply to everything we do. Very often something which feels very difficult will become easy if we can only stop doing the thing that makes it hard! I am very happy to be able to offer my skill in this technique to my brass students. Mostly it is employed in the background ie I am not teaching Alexander explicitly, but the 'Alexander awareness' will inform many of my comments and suggestions. I do also work in a more specialised way with brass players and other musicians who have experienced great trouble, pain and even illness through misuse in playing, and it is an enormous pleasure to help someone in this situation regain freedom and pleasure in making music. If you would like more information on the Alexander Technique please visit www.alexander-technique.me.uk Otherwise, take a look around the rest of this site for more information!