Denis Wick artist  Steven Mead  discusses his origins with Denis Wick Products, as well as the process and origins behind each mouthpiece he's designed with Denis Wick Products.

With horn players, what we put in the bell is very important. It starts at the very beginning with how to hold the instrument. The right hand position can make or break things like tuning, tone quality, projection, how easily the instrument plays, and even the range.

While muted passages become more common as players advance, the need for a mute in band or orchestra can happen after only a couple years. As with the position of the hand, the mute choice makes all the difference in how the horn plays.

Music is imaginary. It is created in our imagination. "If we want to have the greatest amount of success manifesting our imagination into reality, we need a strong connection to the physical world." Enter the mouthpiece. What you buzz is what you hear. "Buzzing is like singing for your lips." Continue the discussion in this video clinic title Buzzing - the Secret to Brass Playing Success with long time Denis Wick artist, Victor Haskins. Make sure to follow his YouTube page and access a huge library of performance and career advice for brass players.

The rim is the part of the mouthpiece that physically contacts our face. As a result, it is the part of the mouthpiece that effects our comfort most. So what makes a rim comfortable?

Laughter is the best medicine, and an excellent teacher. Laugh and learn while you explore these 9 pieces of performance and career advice. All that extra laughter is good for the chop muscles too!

When finding a new mouthpiece, our advice at Denis Wick is to always let your best sound lead your choice. Denis Wick artist Christopher Bill follows this advice, but it is not fool proof! Learn about his journey to the product he currently uses in this recent interview.

A great band director is the start to a great music education. However every great band director knows a great private teacher will lead their students to the next level. These private teachers are carefully chosen by band directors because they can mold the future success of each of their students and encourage the growth of their band programs. 

So what is a band director looking for in a great private teacher?

In his web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Jerry Seinfeld says of performing: “I don’t accept the judging of process. It doesn’t matter [how you prepare]. We’re all trying to get to the same island. Whether you, swim, fly, surf, or skydive in, it doesn’t matter. What matters is when the red light comes on.”