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The Functional Musician

The Functional Musician is dedicated to helping classical musicians perform without pain!

09/09/2025

To all my narrow ISA musicians - this is for you!

07/09/2025

This is one of the most important concepts that can:
Decrease overall tension
Decrease accessory breathing tension
Increase movement in the trunk and ribcage
Improve your overall access to your breath support
Improve your nervous systems ability to handle stress (performance anxiety, anyone?)
Make your breaths “quieter”
Add an element of longevity to your performance career
And the list goes on, seriously, learning to stack (without controlling is essential).
If you want to learn how to stack, stay tuned! You can also join my breathing program waitlist, early bird enrollment will open soon!

05/09/2025

Embouchure symptoms ≠ injury or dystonia.
I was inspired to make this content from a fantastic conversation I had with earlier today.
Of course, there are circumstances where injuries or dystonia does happen, and in which case, seek a qualified medical professional, however…
Until that moment happens - reflect, adjust, and start developing the health and wellness you need to feel your best. Often times, many of these variables have remedies or protocols that are in your control.

02/09/2025

Calling all trombonists!
This past summer I opened my trombone studio doors and had a BLAST working with everyone.
Topics ranged from: playing with less tension, developing the low range, working on developing an effortless breath, slide technique performance anxiety, and other random tensions present in the body.
With that said, I’m opening my virtual studio doors again this fall for a max of 5 trombonists (schedule is packed - but this work is fulfilling!)
If you’re someone who wants support or guidance with any of the following:
Tension-related playing
Breathing-related tension
Posture-related issues
Instability in the embouchure (could be on the horn, discomfort in the jaw, tmj symptoms, etc.)
Or other fundamentals you feel need attention on the trombone.
If this interests you - shoot me a DM and let’s chat and see if we are a good fit!

31/08/2025

If I struggled with breathing-related tension, here is what I’d do.
Connect to my parasympathic nervous system - without doing so, I’m not going to get very far in restoring my capacity to move or breathe.
Restore A-P cylindrical expansion! We need to be able to expand in the ribcage and abdomen at the same time in all directions!
Lastly, I want to reestablish my ground contacts, specifically the right foot. Regardless of ISA, establishing our ground contacts is essential for managing pressure and accessing our full capacity to breathe.

19/08/2025

A French hornist came to me with debilitating headaches, neck & jaw pain, relying on daily ibuprofen just to get through.  In our initial assessment we found a global right torsion pattern. The hips, thorax, and skull were all subtly turning right.
Instead of forcing more practice or “more support,” we reverse-engineered the twist, starting at the face & jaw.
With gentle jaw decompression, cranial expansion breathing, and simple alignment drills, she felt early wins!  “My breath is clearer.”.
“My sinuses are opening.”
“I’ve never opened my jaw this wide.”  Five months later, after untwisting the thorax, pelvis, and feet…
She is no longer relying on daily ibuprofen!
Her headaches are also down, and she is able to leave without the fear of pain coming up.
If you’re a wind/brass player dealing with jaw, neck, or headache issues, there is a path forward! Heading into September I have a few 1-1 spots open for those with complex cases or those looking for targeted, movement-based help. Sign-up for the wait list in Bi0

16/08/2025

Breathing is foundational, and it cannot be forced!
If you’re someone who is a narrow ISA (ISA > 90 degrees) and is struggling with the breath, give this quick 8 minute routine a try before, during, or after your next practice session.
But first - hit the save button so you can refer back to this when you want!
The BIGGEST tip I can give is to prioritize easy breathing and establish a tempo.
We begin we a slow exhale through the mouth - around 4-6 counts, only exhale to what is comfortable, no squeezing or ab tension allowed
We then pause (don’t let go of your ribcage or abdomen shape) for 3-5 seconds. If you feel starved for air - the length is too much. Shorten and work within your limits.
Then inhale as quietly and evenly as possible through the nose, ideally matching the exhale.
Repeat for 5-8 breaths!
Lastly, to achieve an appropriate stack you must be able to access the sit bones and foot contacts (feet flat on the ground).
Interested to learn more? Make sure to sign up for my breathing program wait list. The next launch is around the corner and will be sending out information within the next few weeks. This is a game changing program for anyone struggling with breathing-related tension.

12/08/2025

Breathing is a movement!
We take 20-25k breaths a day…phew!
And the quality of those breaths matter. In fact…
They will directly influence how much access you have to your tidal volume, overall movement capabilities, and how much resting muscle tension you have.
Crazy thing is, the quality of our breath is also affected by our environment, internal stress, external stress, and many other factors.
So it’s not uncommon to see many people stuck in cycles of tension, exhalation strategies, and the eventual manifestation of Valsalva-related playing problems if these strategies are not addressed.

27/07/2025

Had a blast playing the Lion King with the this weekend.
Beautiful hall, beautiful people, and a daily dose of Hans Zimmer. Thanks for having me out, this was definitely an experience I’ll never forget.

26/07/2025

Huge thank you to the for inviting me and allowing me to present on musician health and wellness this past week.
The students were engaged, asked brilliant questions, and inspired me through their playing and curiosity.
I also left feeling full from fantastic food, incredible faculty recitals and conversations, and hope to return to New Mexico sometime in the future!
Lastly, to all of the new friends and old friends I reconnected with, thank you for making this trip special. You know who you are 😎

25/07/2025

What an amazing trip!
A little late to this post, but had a blast presenting and performing in London, ON at this years
Although my picture game was weak, it was so much fun meeting new people, connecting with old friends, and leaving feeling inspired by four days of music.
Huge shout out to the best presenter collaborators and - this presentation was special and will be a treasured experience for years to come.
Another shoutout to for giving me the opportunity to play tenor and bass in the ITF Composers Workshop trombone choir.
Lastly, shoutout to the entire staff and student workers that focused on the behind the scenes and making this festival run smoothly. I can’t imagine how much work and preparation this takes and every time I attend the level and experience continues to rise. Bravo and thank you for your hard work🙏

27/06/2025

Last day to enroll!
This is the LAST day to secure your spot for the breathing beta program.
To all the wind musicians who struggle with the breath…
To all of the wind musicians who are confused about breathing cues…
And to the all the wind musicians who struggle with tension with the breath…
It’s time to take action and It’s time to put this behind you.
There is a better way. Less tension. Improved posture. Efficient support. And improved calm and focus!
These benefits (and more!) await you if you can dedicate just 10-15 minutes a day for the next month.
Come join this community and put your breathing tension to rest 😴🤓😎
L1nk 1n b10

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