Improvisation and composition are deeply rooted in the ear-brain connection, more so than reading music, which is primarily an eye-brain process. Hearing is where musical creativity begins. To cultivate this, musicians—especially wind players—should practice by singing a pitch and then finding it on their instrument.

Charles describes an exercise that strengthens the connection between internal hearing and external execution. Over time, the goal is to eliminate the division between player and instrument to achieve unity where the instrument becomes an extension of the musician’s voice. Since instruments themselves lack humanity, it’s the player’s ear, voice, and expression that bring life and meaning to the sound.