That's Not Spit, It's Condensation!

More practice and more effort won’t fix inconsistent playing. If sometimes you sound great and sometimes you don’t, and you don’t know why, this episode is for you. Maybe your preparation goes well and the audition doesn’t. Or one audition goes great and the next one, a few weeks later, doesn’t come close. Keep that up long enough and you walk into every audition not knowing which version of you w...

If you're looking to understand what goes in to winning an orchestral audition, download our FREE winning auditions workbook! http://www.goldmethod.us/auditions What if the way you think about orchestral auditions is the reason you play worse in them? Tessa Vermeulen, second/assistant principal flute of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, joins Ryan Beach and Kathleen Costello to talk about audit...

Most players who can't produce their best playing in an audition assume the problem is skill. If they could just get a little better, the pressure wouldn't matter. For some players that's true. But there are a lot of musicians who can already play well enough to win a job and still can't reliably show it on the day. If that's you, the problem isn't the skill you have....

Most players preparing for orchestral auditions are working hard on the wrong target. They practice, organize, record, run mock auditions, and work on the mental game, and still walk off stage knowing they have more than they showed. The problem usually isn't effort or talent. No one ever showed them what their audition preparation is supposed to produce. In this episode, Ryan talks about the...

FREE Winning Auditions Workbook: http://www.goldmethod.us/auditions - Orchestral audition preparation usually breaks down in the practice room, not on stage. Most classical musicians walk into an audition still wondering whether they practiced enough — and that question is what stops you playing with confidence under pressure. If you struggle with audition nerves, inconsistent playing, or the feel...

Kathleen Costello joins That's Not Spit, It's Condensation as co-host. Kathleen has been principal clarinet of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra for 20 years, played with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Orchestra, and performs in a chamber trio. She's also the co-founder — with Ryan — of the coaching program behind this show. In this episode we talk about where this podcast is headed: a reso...

Download your FREE audition preparation workbook here: http://www.goldmethod.us/auditions - In this episode, I'm sharing everything I know about how to win a professional audition, with actionable steps so you can apply this to your own audition preparation. - Orion Miller's episode on Jason Heath's podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCn6D6OglI8 Support the show

https://live.ryanbeachtrumpet.com/auditions Support the show

Dr. Jordi Albert has spent 27 years researching trumpet performance, trumpet pedagogy, and musician health. After working with over 1,500 trumpet players — from beginners to professionals — he has developed a research-backed methodology for solving the most common trumpet problems fast. In this episode, Dr. Albert breaks down: Why 98% of professional trumpet players experience learning difficultie...

Tuba professor and Bluecoats drum corps instructor Dr. Genevieve Clarkson joins the podcast to talk about what it really means to be a great music teacher. From purposeful practice and growth mindset to the unexpected lessons learned teaching at the highest level of drum corps competition, Jenny shares a philosophy of teaching that is equal parts inspiring and actionable. In this episode we cover:...

Praised as “brilliant…impeccable” by the New York Times and a musician  of “effortless understated virtuosity” by The Chicago Tribune, Christopher Martin is Principal Trumpet of the New York Philharmonic. Prior to this, he was Principal Trumpet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for eleven seasons. Mr. Martin has enjoyed a distinctive career of more than twenty years as solo trumpet of some of Amer...

In this episode, I'm sitting down with composer and trumpeter Kevin McKee to talk about his journey from trumpet performance to composition, how his playing background shapes his writing, and what makes his music so idiomatic and enjoyable to play. We dig deep into the inspiration and interpretive details behind Centennial Horizon, Kevin's evocative three-movement work for trumpet and pi...

Most musicians are practicing wrong—not because they're lazy or untalented, but because traditional practice methods don't align with how the brain actually learns. Dr. Molly Gebrian is a violist, neuroscientist, and author of Learn Faster, Perform Better . She teaches at New England Conservatory and has spent years translating brain science into practical strategies for musicians. In th...

Confidence wasn’t missing — it was misunderstood. In this episode, Ryan sits down with trumpet player and educator Stephen Wadsack to unpack how deeply held beliefs about confidence can quietly shape — and limit — the way we practice, perform, and grow as musicians. What starts as a conversation about auditions and orchestral playing turns into something much deeper: how confusing confidence with...

Many trumpet players experience frustration, inconsistency, or uncertainty in their practice — and assume that’s just normal. In this video, I break down 3 trumpet practice habits that are common, but don’t have to stay that way. These habits often feel normal because they’re widespread, especially when players work hard without a clear system, feedback loop, or defined outcome. The goal here isn’...

In this episode, I share the full story of my recent audition for the Principal Trumpet position with the Philadelphia Orchestra — one of the highest-profile trumpet auditions in the world. I made the finals, but the real takeaway wasn’t the result. It was the stillness, clarity, and confidence I felt throughout the entire process, even when things weren’t going my way. If you’re a trumpet player,...

In this episode of That’s Not Spit, It’s Condensation, I sit down with tubist and teacher Ron Von Dreau to talk about what it takes to build and sustain a thriving private teaching studio. Ron has taught in Texas for decades, managing studios of 60–80+ students while also teaching at the university level, directing band programs, and balancing freelance performing. His story is full of lessons for...

In this episode, I'm going to break down the real reason auditions feel so brutal—and what separates the winners from everyone else. It's not luck. It's not just talent. It's a learnable set of skills that anyone can develop. If you’ve ever walked off stage thinking “I thought I was ready… what happened?”—this is for you. You’ll learn: ✅ The mindset shift that changes everythi...

In this episode, we break down how to master lip trills, develop faster and cleaner technique, and play with more freedom—without adding tension. You’ll learn why “lip trills” aren’t actually about the lips, how to train your air and embouchure for effortless control, and the exact exercises that build dazzling technique you can trust in any performance. We also explore how brass band playing can...

In this episode of That's Not Spit, It's Condensation , I sit down with Victor Djonorh , longtime band director at Summit Middle School and assistant director at Edmond Santa Fe, to dive deep into the realities of teaching music at the middle and high school level . We cover:  🎵 How he accidentally became a tuba player  🎓 Lessons from his time at Oklahoma City University  👨‍🏫 What he...

In this episode, I’m joined by Johanna Yarbrough, who recently transitioned from her role as second horn with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to become the Professor of French Horn at Louisiana State University. What begins as a conversation about career trajectory quickly unfolds into a vulnerable and deeply insightful look at the realities of orchestral life—and what it means to grow beyond it. J...

Doug McVey is the founder of Vennture mouthpieces. He guides the technical direction of Vennture, oversees the development of VennCAD, and designs the tooling and processes used to produce Vennture custom mouthpieces. www.vennture.mp Support the show

Michael Anderson is the recently retired Professor of Trumpet at the Wanda L. Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University. He is a member of the International Trumpet Guild Board of Directors and ITG Journal editorial committee, Executive Director of the Guild’s web site, and chairman of the ITG technology committee. He is the ITG Journal columnist for Trumpet Technology and has presented and...

Karl Sievers grew up in Louisville, KY. His teachers include Leon Rapier, former principal trumpet in the Louisville Orchestra; Louis Davidson, former principal trumpet in the Cleveland Orchestra; William Adam at Indiana University; and others. Karl holds a DMA in Trumpet Performance, is in his 24th season as principal trumpet in the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, and has recently retired from a Pres...

William A. Baker, was appointed Bass Trombonist of the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra in 2024 by Music Director Enrique Mazzola . He also currently serves as the Principal Bass Trombonist of the Monterey Symphony , a post he has held since 2018.  From 2021-2024, Will primarily performed with the San Francisco Symphony , including over 200 performances, and European Tour, and the 2023 SFS recordi...