Music in Motion
Using Creative Motion to Enhance Your Performance
National Trumpet Competition
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia
March 16, 2007

Mary-Hannah Klontz was invited by to give a one- hour demonstration of Creative Motion for the trumpeters attending the National Trumpet Competition (NTC), held at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia on March 16, 2007.  Dr. Dennis Edelbrock, Executive Director of the NTC, paired the Music in Motion session with one given by Dr. Richard Cox (author of with the Managing Your Head and Body so You Can Become a Good Musician) to provide an opportunity for performers to learn how to triumph over performance anxiety.

Twenty-four trumpet players took time out from their intense schedule of playing in or listening to the competition performances to attend the Music in Motion session.   Mrs. Klontz enlisted the assistance of Scott Sabo, a well-known trumpet player in the Washington D.C. area, in the presentation.  Scott spent the early part of his career in the U.S. Marine and U.S. Army bands and attended The Cleveland Institute of Music where he received training in Dalcroze Eurhythmics.  (Creative Motion was founded by Martha Russell who studied with Jacques Dalcroze.) Mr. Sabo spoke about the benefits of using Eurhythmics and Creative Motion for his trumpet playing.  He demonstrated by playing excerpts of the Haydn Trumpet Concerto and orchestral repertoire as Mrs. Klontz involved the audience in various Creative Motion activities, including feeling a light weight body with helium balloons, an "ah" breath in the throat, dancing rhythms and swinging the meter with a partially filled jug!

A high school student in the competition, Eric Seligman, volunteered to be coached by Klontz and Sabo in a master class.  (Seligman was awarded fourth place in the competition)  He played the first movement of the Haydn Trumpet concerto twice; before any coaching and after.  Eric played beautifully both times, and although he was not always aware of the changes, the audience and clinicians detected subtle improvements in rhythm, tone and phrasing after the Creative Motion coaching.   Time flew by quickly and the audience agreed that despite the long day and late hour, they were refreshed and relaxed by the Music in Motion session.  Many expressed an interest in attending Windswept, the summer music conference in Creative Motion held each July at William Jewell College, MO.  Sample comments from participants include the following:

Very cool tools for internalizing ideas and expression!

I am very interested in applying physical theories to musicianship; I have studied

Yoga and have done some research in the Laban Shape/Effort theory.  I'd like to learn more about Creative Motion.

Mrs. Klontz recorded a short video master class at the National Trumpet Competition studios.  Those who wish to learn more about Creative Motion may check the NTC web site (http://www.nationaltrumpetcomp.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=6938) where the videos will be posted soon.