Kristian Steenstrup: Blow Your Mind

New book about brass technique from Professor of Trumpet at the Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus, Kristian Steenstrup

Trumpet Professor Kristian Steenstrup is an internationally renowned brass pedagogue, who for several years has drawn international students to the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus, Denmark. In 2004 he published the book “Teaching Brass”, and in 2007 as second edition and even translated into Japanese.

Kristian Steenstrup’s new book “Blow Your Mind” (2019) is a direct extension of the first book (both in English), where the focus especially was on the physiological aspects of brass performance. In the new book there is a greater focus on the mental aspects of playing and performing as a brass musician.

The Chicago legend

For a number of years Steenstrup himself was a student of the legendary brass teacher and tuba player in Chicago Symphony Arnold Jacobs (1915-1998). The Chicago orchestra was and still remains famous for their brass sound and Jacobs had enormous influence on several generations of brass players. Several European – including Danish – brass players have been in Chicago for studies and inspiration.

Jacobs developed a comprehensive and innovative pedagogy, based on a deep and systematic understanding of the physiology of respiration and of anatomy, acoustics, neurology, psychology, etc. Unfortunately, Jacobs never enshrined his extensive knowledge and experience into a book, and this partly serves as a background for Kristian Steenstrup’s authorship in combination with his own research and 25 years’ experience as a brass teacher.

Within the last decade a lot of literature has been published on the psychological and neurological aspects of music performance. In “Blow Your Mind” Steenstrup transfer parts of the new insights into practical brass pedagogy. For example in a section on breathing psychology, in a section on the Zen-thinking of getting-rid-of control, and a section on how the awareness of one’s mental focus can enhance one’s performance on stage.

The book is published by the Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark

Kristian Steenstrup can be contacted via e-mail: [email protected]