(Minghui.org) I’ve practiced Falun Dafa for more than 20 years, and felt I had a good understanding of the Fa. However, I did not have a good understanding based on the Fa regarding my joining the Tian Guo Marching Band in the early days.
The local Falun Dafa assistant in New Jersey sent an email and informed us that Master wished to establish a band, and asked practitioners who could play instruments to join. I could read music scores and I played the violin when I was young, but I felt it would be hard to learn an instrument. Besides, I was already in my 50s.
I went to the mountain to do some work a few days later and I noticed some practitioners practicing the trumpet. I thought, “Will they be able to play in the band?”
But benevolent Master did not give up on me. When I returned a week later with a few other practitioners, Master said, “Quickly go and get your instruments and join the practice this afternoon.”
My mind went blank. Last week, I laughed at the practitioners who were trying to play trumpets, and now Master asked me to join the band. The other practitioners and I looked for the practitioner in-charge. When he asked me, “What instrument do you want?” I recalled that Master knows how to play the trumpet, so I thought that if I learned the trumpet, I might be taught by Master.
That afternoon, Master asked those of us who wanted to play the trumpet to gather in a circle. He taught us how to play the basic notes. I learned how to play, Do, Re, Me, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do, but I couldn’t play any notes higher than that. I felt anxious when I saw that some of the other practitioners were able to play the opening for the song, “Falun Dafa Is Good.”
What was I to do? A few weeks passed and I became even more anxious because I still couldn’t play the higher notes. I noticed Master teaching the other practitioners in the practice hall, so I asked him, “Master, why can’t I play the higher notes?”
He first looked at the way I played the trumpet. Then he corrected my posture and said, “Try again.” When I tried I was able to play the higher notes.
I followed Master’s suggestion when I practiced and I was finally able to play the high notes easily. When the other practitioners and I went to the mountain the following week to practice, Master asked me to play for him. I was not only able to play the high “So,” I was even able to play the high “La.” Master was very happy, tapped my shoulder, and said, “Not bad, practice hard.”
With Master’s encouragement, I had more confidence. Before long, I was able to play the opening of the song “Falun Dafa Is Good.” I later heard Master say that when a person starts learning to play the trumpet, they can only play “Do,” then he has to increase his range note by note. People have to practice for a long time before they can play the high “So” and “La.”
We practitioners were able to play the opening for “Falun Dafa Is Good” after practicing for just a few weeks. One practitioner said that when he brought the score for the song to his non-practitioner teacher, the man said the piece was so difficult that he wasn’t able to play it. We just learned how to play the trumpet and we realized we were only able to play such a complicated song because Master empowered us.
After I was able to play the high notes, I had trouble breathing correctly—if I didn’t breathe correctly, my sound quality wasn’t good and I had difficulty playing. When Master noticed I was using a lot of effort to play, he called me to one side and taught me how to breathe. Afterwards, he gave us a lesson in how to practice breathing.
We began practicing as a group. Since most of the trumpet players were new, their lips weren’t strong. One day, when most of the trumpet players were too tired to keep playing, I suddenly heard a crisp, loud, trumpet. I turned around and saw it was Master! He began joining our practice sessions whenever he had time. Even though he always sat in the last row, his trumpet notes echoed throughout the practice hall.
We participated in a parade in West Virginia, and when we arrived early that morning Master was already there. The starting point was on a university campus. When we headed there to practice I saw Master walking towards me. I greeted him and he took out a new mouthpiece from his pocket, and said, “This Bach trumpet mouthpiece is for you.” I felt a warm surge of appreciation as I recalled Master’s kindness:
When I was practicing one day Master noticed the coating on my mouthpiece had worn off, and said, “This mouthpiece does not look good.”
I replied, “A practitioner said I can have it re-coated.”
I was busy so I forgot to do that, but Master remembered such a small thing and bought me a new mouthpiece. I really did not know how to thank him for his meticulous care. When I looked up, Master had already walked away. How could I forget to thank him? I exclaimed, “Thank you, Master!”
The parade was about to begin, but a trumpet player was missing. Master didn’t want any vacant spots, so he put on the uniform and prepared to join us. Just as the parade was about to start, a practitioner suddenly exclaimed, “Here comes a trumpet player!” Master said, “In that case, I’ll take photos for all of you.”
When the parade started Master walked at the front of our group and photographed us. Our spirits and confidence were boosted when we saw him walking with us, and we played with extra enthusiasm. I used the new mouthpiece he gave me and the more I played the trumpet, the more energy I felt. Although the parade route was very long we did not feel tired. Everyone said that it was because Master had empowered us.
When we arrived at the end of the parade route, a practitioner said we could take a group photo with Master. Everyone was elated and gathered around Master to create this page of history in the Fa-rectification. Master brought us to watch a top US military band practice, and explained their practice to us. I understood Master was telling us that we needed to reach this standard. I felt we were immersed in Master’s grace whenever I recall those wonderful experiences we had at the mountain.
The Tian Guo Marching Band left Dragon Springs, in summer 2006 and went to New York City, then transferred to New Jersey. Master no longer personally taught or guided us, so we had to depend on ourselves. Although we were able to join community parades and were able to tell people about Falun Dafa, our techniques improved slowly, especially us trumpet players. Our sound quality and our stamina became our greatest issues, especially when the composers wrote some relatively difficult pieces which required advanced techniques, such as octave jumps.
A new conductor joined the band and suggested that every section find professionals to teach them. She arranged for someone who had a Master’s degree in the trumpet to be our section teacher. Although the class was large, we learned a lot and we improved. A year later, we were able to play the relatively difficult piece: “The Stars and Stripes Will Never Fall.” Two young practitioners took private lessons from this teacher. In just a few months, not only did their techniques improve, their tone became really good.
When I saw how quickly they improved I decided to take private lessons from this teacher. She did not teach me to play any difficult pieces but kept having me play all sorts of practice pieces, and she kept correcting my posture. I felt I hadn’t made much progress—instead my playing went downhill. Just as I was feeling dejected, the conductor told me, “Your tone improved a lot.” I was shocked, and when I asked my teacher she said, “Yes, it’s much better.” But I did not hear the difference.
When I thought about it I suddenly realized that because I used the teacher’s tone as my standard, I felt I could not meet the mark. I understood Master’s Fa principles about obtaining without pursuit. Because I improved so slowly I realized this showed that I was impatient and wanted quick success. I initially only planned to take lessons for eight months but now I felt that I could no longer do without her guidance.
My technique kept improving. The teacher helped me to correct my embouchure so I could play the higher notes better. I did not expect this to become a cultivation test. When I changed my embouchure, not only did I not improve when playing the high notes, I couldn’t play the high notes that I could play before. After I practiced for a week I started to doubt the teacher’s method. She saw my concerns, and said, “Don’t get anxious. It takes a few weeks to adapt to the new embouchure.”
Another week passed but there were still no results. I wanted to tell the teacher that I was not changing my embouchure. The teacher saw that I was getting anxious and said, “Please trust me.”
I did not dare tell the teacher that I felt her method was wrong and perhaps may not be suitable for me. Fortunately, I swallowed my words and one day I was able to play the high notes in a very relaxed and easy manner!
The sudden change delighted me. I was also glad that I relinquished attachments and changed my embouchure. During this process, I also saw that I did not do well in my “belief.” Master said, “...without mi xin in their schools and teachers, students would not acquire knowledge.” (“What is Mi Xin?,” Essentials for Further Advancement).
When I didn’t believe or trust my teacher didn’t this mean that I had a strong ego? After this experience I did whatever she asked. I kept reminding myself not to be impatient for quick success. After I changed my embouchure I was able to easily play the high notes. Then, she asked me to play more difficult pieces, one of which included a high C and D. She also wanted me to practice double and triple tonguing from the classic trumpet ARBAN technique. She also had me practice the phrasing techniques for classical and popular melodies from ARBAN’s curriculum. This course has 150 melodies, and she wanted me to play a piece once or twice a week. I’ve now played more than 130 pieces.
I’ve not only become familiar with all the playing methods for all sorts of music phrases, my sight-reading and understanding of scores has improved. She also taught me how to play some relatively difficult classical trumpet concertos. It felt as though she showed me a wide vast world, a realm where learning has no end. I was surprised when I realized that learning the trumpet was just like cultivation. There are many theories and methods, which are opposite from my preconceived notions.
The band recently rolled out exams. I felt that this would be a chance to understand the pieces in depth. Not only do I need to play the pieces, I also have to express the songs the way the composer wrote them. The conductor told us that we have to play like we are singing. My trumpet teacher often asked me to sing the piece once before playing it, as it is easier to infuse my emotions into my playing. Time became a big problem for me. I have homework every week. Some pieces are new and all that requires a lot of practice time. I have to go to work at a project’s office three days every week.
I also have to deliver newspapers or help with other projects. We also have to study the Fa and do the exercises every day. As such, the time left that I can use for practicing the trumpet is very limited. Thanks to my wife (fellow practitioner) for helping to prepare dinner so that I can study the Fa and do the exercises right after we eat. I tried not to waste any time by minimizing my web surfing, not watching television programs, not chatting, and avoiding meetings that are not related to me.
Time flies, and it’s been more than 19 years since we left the mountain. More than a decade ago, our trumpet teacher joined the Tian Guo Marching Band through an invitation by the conductor. Many of our trumpet section members have taken her classes. She has understood the truth, and watched Shen Yun. Her appearance is definitely not a coincidence. It must be an arrangement by Master. Master knew that it is hard for wind instrument players to improve without a teacher to guide them, so he arranged for a predestined person to come and teach us, so that our techniques can keep improving and we can thus attain better results in saving sentient beings.
Recalling the path that I walked for the past over 20 years, Master has been watching over us, be it on the mountain or off the mountain. As a trumpet player who has been personally nurtured by Master, I feel very fortunate. Thank you, Master, for arranging this cultivation path for me. I will continue on this path in a steadfast manner until I complete the mission that Master has given me.
Thank you, Master. Thank you, fellow practitioners.
Kindly correct me if my understanding id not in line with the Fa.
(Selected Sharing Article for the Tian Guo Marching Band 20th Anniversary)