Thousands of Happier Lungs

  • "The breath builders worked great! We used them primarily for concert band season. I noticed a difference in the overall quality of sound we were getting by using them. I may need to order a few more this year. "

    — Merri Gensley, Band Director at Tuscarawas Valley High School in Ohio

  • My own experience with the Breath Builder has been most positive. As a tuba player, but 6'5", breath was never really a major issue for me. That was until I got Covid and for the first time in my life I found myself feeling short of breath. I kept the BB at my workbench in the shop and used it daily for at least two months following my bout with Covid and now keep up regularly with it.

    Ed, Brass Instrument Repair + Sales, Tuba player, Australia

  • The Breath Builder helped my students see an immediate improvement in their breath control. This device gives students objective feedback on the quality of their breathing. For more reserved students, the Breath Builder helped show them that they are capable of much deeper inhales and exhales than they had thought possible. Directing students to keep the ball up helps students move away from getting stuck on the mechanics of breathing and focus more on the quality of their air flow. I would highly recommend this device to other teachers and instrumentalists.

    Barry Zhou, Band director for New Canaan High School, CT

  • I’ve been using it and it’s been pretty helpful. I’m currently taking voice in college and doing shows while I’m in school, so I bought it to help develop more breath control. I’ve seen improvement and I’m definitely happy with the product!

    Akasha

  • I've really enjoyed my Breath Builder so far. I got it originally to extend the length of phrases and such and it's been good for that. But also I found that it is a good way to warm up before practice as it gets you to really focus on using the right muscles for breathing as well as warm them up. Just all in all a good product.

    Graceanna, Symphonic Bands Clarinet

  • I would say that so far, in using the Breath Builder, it has provided a unique challenge to both inhaling and exhaling. I have only used the device for 2 days and can see my breathing coordination to have improved. I believe that daily use will increase lung capacity too. I am very happy with the product. Also, their customer service is excellent!!

    Kurt, pianist, avid swimmer & snorkeler

  • The BB is way more helpful than I expected. I used to put so much emphasis on my lips and let my lips do most of the work, they were getting tired quicker and I would wake up with sore and swollen lips. That doesn’t happen anymore. The BB has helped to get rid of the shakiness of notes because I wasn’t able to evenly push air through the horn. I am able to sustain notes longer without wavering or trembling. The BB helps open up my lungs which opens up my tone. Since I’m letting the air do more of the work, it’s easier on my ‘chops’. I’m able to play with a more relaxed feel to it. Using the BB in conjunction with the BERP has allowed me to play with a more even tone without straining my lips.

    Brit, Student Wind Instrument Player

  • The Original Breath Builder is a fantastic breathing tool that I’ve recently purchased and have had more interest in using in comparison to another breathing tool that I have that costs more than $100. I find this as a great too, especially as a brass player because my mouthpiece can also easily fit on the plastic tubes so that I can buzz and do all of the necessary breathing exercises that I need to do with more visual effects as well as the resistance that comes with the device itself. I was drawn to it based on the simplicity of the device as well as the emphasis that Arnold Jacobs, tuba pedagogue, has placed on the tool. I am very satisfied with my purchase and the employees that I have interacted with are professional and courteous. I have recommended these to my students and I hope that they one day will benefit from them as I do. Being in COVID lockdown now it’s helped even more since a lot of us have tended to lock ourselves in and may not give our lungs as good as a workout as we used to. Thanks again for the wonderful support when the shipping company broke the first one.

    Johnathan, Brass player/Music instructor

  • I first was introduced to the Original Breath Builder in 1985 while I was in the process of cultivating my free-lance career in New York. I was astounded as to how little air I was actually using when playing the trombone. I could not even get the ball to rise on the Breath Builder initially!!! After consistently getting the ball to rise to the top of the cylinder, I was engaging in all the physical elements of breathing correctly without having to consciously direct my body! I was moving air efficiently, inhaling and exhaling greater quantities of air with greater ease and freedom. The freedom and increased air quantity immediately had a positive effect on my trombone playing, helping to make my tone fuller and richer than ever before! The Original Breath Builder truly is an essential tool for both increased beauty of tone on a wind instrument and for improved respiratory health.

    James T. Decker, Associate Professor of Trombone

  • I have been using the Breath Builder for myself and my students for over 15 years and I have seen great results in improving breath support and control. I find that the Breath Builder helps my students learn to inhale properly with less tension, as well as, connect with and learn to control air speed and volume. The Breath Builder is a valuable educational tool for all musicians looking to improve their breath support and even articulation techniques. From woodwinds to brass to voice the benefits are there for all musicians, and as an educator and musician, I highly recommend it.

    Mazonstudio

  • I’m already experiencing positive results. I am increasing my air capacity and am more aware of what it feels like to take in a bigger, more efficient breath. The increased air capacity is helping to improve my French horn playing on several levels. I’m producing a fuller sound, more flowing phrases and overall, it’s giving me a more enjoyable musical experience. Working with the Breath Builder is keeping my breathing fit for the rigors of horn playing! I also want to thank you for your excellent customer service and assistance answering questions when I was ordering.

    Susan

  • I was introduced to the breath builder in graduate school and have been using it daily ever since. The product has made such a profound difference with my tone and overall musicianship. Plus, it has also supported my health. I currently serve as Director of the University of California, Riverside Concert Band. One of the topics I focus a lot on is breathing and ways to maximize performance. I’ve been trying to find the breath builder in bulk for the students at UCR, who would really benefit from this product.

    Director, Concert Band University of California, Riverside Lauren Wasynczuk

  • :) Wait Time, Quality, Customer Service - All very good Thanks

    Jennifer

  • I had a teacher who shared this info with me years ago and made us all buy them. My son has asthma and is struggling with the concept of support while playing trumpet and of course this was the first thing that came to mind to help him visualize proper support.

    Ellen, Bassoonist and parent of trumpet player

  • The Original Breath Builder is so helpful for teaching students about airflow, as well as building range on their instrument. It has become an incredibly useful tool in my trombone studio. After I have my students do a few exercises on the BB, their sound immediately opens up and their high range solidifies. What a great tool!

    Nathan Tanouye, Associate Professor, Division of Jazz Studies/Studio Trombone, School of Music at University of Nevada, Las Vegas

  • We’ve started using the Original Breath Builder this Summer and our first night out with the band was mind blowingly awesome! Our staff and community couldn’t believe how big the band sounded at our first halftime show. The sound we get from our warmups, chorale, and show is noticeably the biggest and best it's ever been because we use the breath builders every day. Something else we started is when our sound gets too tight, we immediately go to breath builders for just a 30 second rep then back to the music. Then the music flows and the tone quality gets richer even if the kids lips are tired. This is going to be our most successful year yet. Thanks so much Original Breath Builders!

    Josh Nowlin Band Director, Whitney High School Band in Whitney, Texas

  • Where do I begin? I purchased my first Original Breath Builder from Harold Hanson in 1990, on the recommendation of a friend. At the time, I was a junior high band director who wanted to become a better tuba player and aspired to attend graduate school in tuba performance. I was struggling with response issues which I believe resulted, at least in part, from a recent embouchure change. In short, I was over-thinking the mechanics of playing (something I’ve always struggled with). Once I started using the breath builder as part of my regular practice routine and began moving more air, I and others quickly noticed a significant improvement in response, tone (fuller in all registers), and overall confidence. In short, I was able to focus on musical expression rather than the mechanics of playing. Over the years, I have found the breath builder to be an extremely useful tool, both as a performer and as a teacher. As a performer, it reinforces my ability to move air freely and when needed, in large quantities. It also helps me maintain a sufficient amount of air in my soft playing, as well as a constant flow of air when articulating rapidly. As a teaching tool, the breath builder is by far the most diverse and useful aid that I have come across in over 30 years of teaching all levels of low brass, from beginners to graduate students. It’s useful to promote effortless air flow, clarity of tone, clean articulation, dynamic control, range development (both high and low), and much more. In an age where there are so many breathing and performance aids at one’s disposal, the breath builder is by far the most useful. On a more personal note, I have even found it helpful in counteracting the side effects of my asthma and congestive heart failure. I wholeheartedly recommend the Original Breath Builder!

    David Graves, Assistant Band Director, Ennis (TX) ISD

Breathe Better Today