Joseph C. Simmons, Founder of Anatowind
Joseph Simmons passed away in August of 2008. He had established Anatowind to answer questions about his own playing as a french horn player. He felt that if he could not totally understand how to improve his own playing to his satisfaction how would he help others?
As a result of his research he received a Patent # 714264 from the U.S. Government in 1961, which read “Teaching proper muscular coordination in the playing of musical instruments through personal demonstrations, Clinics reports, etc.”
Through this research he established the principle that the first vocabulary for previous traditional approaches to wind performance, which are not of a truly scientific nature, will be brought into evidence. A sense of logic pertaining to the functioning of the anatomy will be developed, which will prove that there is one coordinated effort of the anatomy which will produce a higher quality of musical performance, and not several uncoordinated efforts as had been thought previously.
Under this caption we will post his thoughts on music and its future for people who want to update their musical development.
The following is an example of Joseph Simmons‘ thinking on Anatowind in the late 1950’s.
Anatowind and Technical Skill
Have you ever stopped to think of the relationship between the skill of your band — its development in terms of the anatomy in wind playing? I am sure that all of us would enjoy our rehearsals more if our students could do their executions with less effort and with greater accuracy. How much repeating do you do in rehearsal because the students possess no terminology adequate to see or understand the results that you are seeking? Is it enough to say, “bite up a little firmer on the clarinet so your pitch will be better”? Without an understanding of the anatomy, the foregoing statement is meaningless, rightfully or wrongfully. I have often maintained that our comments to our bands leave much to be desired in the way of a communication with the student on meaningful terminology. Would it not be much more educational to say to the clarinetist the Risorius area of the Anatowind process is not functioning. Then during a scheduled appointment with the student or during a clarinet session, show the students how correction in the foregoing region would not only solve the tonal problem but would cure the intonation problem as well. So much intonation headaches are a result of faulty playing procedures which Anatowind can well correct. Can technical skill develop at a normal pace if handicapped by faulty anatomy functioning? Does correct breathing really solve much technical problems? What is the relationship between correct breathing and other anatomical functioning? Would it sound reasonable at this point to state that reading efficiency would be increased fifty percent provided the Anatowind processes are working in order?
What is the relationship between “bodily tensions” and speed efficiency? What happens to tone when the body becomes too tense? What happens to the overall tone of your band when at least thirty percent of your students are not blowing their horns correctly, even to the half-way point, according to anatowind statistics? Do we directors expect our students to perform under an approach which ignores too many of the points cited in this article? How much true interest in playing an instrument is lost as a result of our ignoring too many of the principles cited in Anatowind?
A Temporary Escape
In the summer of 1941, after a year teaching, our player went back to college and studied some of the other instruments — baritone sax, bass clarinet, etc. This started a full-scale musical development in which he went from one instrument to another and obtained status that many directors like to have — that of being able to play all the band instruments. this also had its limitations since there is no one who can play all the instruments and take the time needed to grow physiologically on each — “he who thinks he is the master of everything is the master of none”. However, having the opportunity to play all the different instruments gave the player a temporary escape from the lingering physiological problem. Throughout the summer the payer received satisfaction from playing the different instruments and developed a rather capable technique on them, but he felt he was going nowhere from the standpoint of his physiological development.
During the course of my earlier years of teaching and playing, it seemed that there could be much improvement made in areas pertaining to music instruction. Such improvements could mean that the parent and child would have a more logical procedure given for wind instrumental performance. It also seemed that there could be an evolutionary process of approaching music so that a parent or child could receive guidance, engage in discussion, or even test the aptitude for performance before starting the actual playing of music. Heretofore, the music experience was not preceded by too much consultation on the part of music advisors simply because of lack of time, lack of communication, and other factors. All of this has helped develop a degree of skepticism on the part of parents and children. They are fearful of the music experience because of the “emissions” along the way. All parents and children are united in feeling that a music experience is vital, however the fear of involvement without knowing enough answers during this whole process has developed this very logical fear. This fear is justified in scope, since our music promotional developments have not provided enough consultation, conferences, and such whereby the parent or child may know something about that is to be expected in the music experience.As I looked upon this whole matter, it seemed that there must be a way to answer many of the questions which arose in such speculations. This desire to find such meanings kept me busy at the task of trying to find an underlying science upon which to base materials for the benefit of parent and child. Through years of research and teaching, such a science evolved in the Anatowind Clinic.
