Help Sumner Publish his book Actors of Sound!

Actors of Sound! is a playful and passionate expression of the quest to understand the essence of music.

—Michael J. Gelb

Author of How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci

Like a Jedi Master, Sumner Erickson reveals “The Force” that not only spiritually connects us to our instruments, but gives us the ability to unleash our full potential as musicians and performers. Actors of Sound is a must read for the student or professional who is looking to enrich their practice and performance experiences, and take both to the next level.

—Jeffrey Curnow

Associate Principal Trumpet

The Philadelphia Orchestra

This book will enrich every musician and non-musician’s library. These words have the power to change our life in diverse ways!

—Sérgio Carolino, tubaist

Porto Symphony Orchestra Casa da Música

Yamaha International Artist and Clinician

Artistic Director of Gravíssimo! Alcobaça International Low Brass Festival and Academy

Hi, my name is Susan Teague. I'm a close friend of Sumner Erickson. He was one of my teachers at the somatic bodywork/humanistic psychology school I attended in Pittsburgh in the late 90's. We were 2 Texans involved in learning how to help humans be more embodied and wholly healthy, and we hit it off as fast friends!

Sumner is a world class tuba player. He was hired by Andre Previn to play with the Pittsburgh Symphony at age 18, during his first year at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music. He had a distinguished 23-year career with the symphony. He traveled the world and worked with the finest conductors & musicians. He recorded a beautifully meditative CD, S. Vasiliev's 24 Melodious Etudes for Tuba. He dedicated many years of his life to partnering with his brother, Roky Erickson, so Roky could re-emerge into the fullness of his life and return to his pioneering rock-n-roll career. That journey is featured in a documentary called You're Gonna Miss Me, which debuted at South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, TX in 2005.

Sumner has performed on dozens of commercial recorded releases as a tuba player. He has taught at many first class educational institutions for decades, including Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

As a singer/songwriter, Sumner has recorded 3 CDs of his original songs as a solo artist and with his band the Texcentrics. Several of my friends know Sumner from a beautiful house concert we had in Wylie, Texas to promote his CD: me, guitar & a mic. That was an awesome evening!

I also know Sumner as an activist for peace and an avid student of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., the Dalai Llama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Terry Real and other peacemakers. He has been privileged to meet Rev. Jessie Jackson, Rev. Michael Beckwith, Martin Luther King III, and Arun Ghandi. He volunteered to work on the campaigns of Barack Obama & Beto O'Rourke. Sumner has stated for decades that his purpose in life is to be a beneficial presence on the planet.

Sumner's activism, his music performance background that began in the 70s, & his background in embodied humanistic psychology, all inform his teaching style as he shares what he knows with music students at all levels.

I am thrilled Sumner has written his first book. Actors of Sound synthesizes all his knowledge, experience, wisdom, joy & intuition into what could be called a spiritual guide for musicians - and for life itself.

Sumner has been unofficially working on this book since the mid-80s. Officially, 14 years ago, he sent an outline of the book to his friend Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser, a respected mentor, teacher, author, and Vice President of Education for Conn-Selmer, Inc. Dr. Lautzenheiser is a nationally recognized voice touting the importance of arts education for every child. Within hours of receiving the book outline from Sumner, Dr. Lautzenheiser replied with something like: on a scale of 1 to 10, I give it 128. Are you ready to be published?

Fast forward to today, Sumner is ready to be published. Actors of Sound! is almost "there" - ready for 2024 publication. Like the vast majority of folks working in the arts, Sumner is seeking some love and financial support so he can focus on the final steps of bringing his baby home.

Actors of Sound! already has an astonishing foreword, and stellar endorsements from highly distinguished folks in & out of the orchestra, music teaching, and music performance fields (see below). Sumner has been working with a brilliant editor he respects immensely and fronting his own money for that service.

Here's some of what the Gofundme campaign money will be used for:

Thank you for your attention so far.

If you want to go ahead and donate a bit or a lot to help Sumner release his book in 2024, scroll on down & donate now. :)

If you want to read more, below is the incredible Foreword from Dr. Tim & many stellar endorsements.

If you can't donate, please share and send a prayer for completion to the Universe. You never know which musician, music teacher, conductor, composer, or supporter of the arts will be inspired by reading about this campaign, and possibly be willing to contribute.

Love,

Susan

FOREWORD:

After a half century of being involved in the world of music in some capacity, I have been fortunate to meet those who stand at the forefront of the music-making and music-learning communities. For me, Sumner Erickson resides at the forefront as a much- respected colleague, a dear friend and—above all—someone who has been a mentoring guide in embracing the incomparable value of music as it relates to each and every aspect of our lives. He is a quiet genius who selflessly opens his heart-n-soul to those who are willing to ascend to the next level of artistry.

We can now posture ourselves behind his eyes via his creative authorship of Actors of Sound! Receiving the completed copy of his manuscript, I knew it would be extraordinary; however, my certain prediction fell far short of the masterpiece you now hold in your hands. This is not a MERE READ, but rather a LIFELONG STUDY.

From the “get-go,” Mr. Erickson spotlights the WHY of his literary efforts fueled by his heartfelt challenge: “. . . a strong, compelling personal reason I speak of my opinions throughout this book is to hopefully strengthen, solidify and empower your opinions!”

Be prepared to THINK and THINK DEEPLY. You will find yourself reading three sentences then putting the book aside as you process Sumner’s delivered thoughts. Trust me, I suggest taking a walk and letting the notions sift through your OPEN mind; it is worth your investment of intellectual exploration. This is not about AGREEMENT, but rather about UNDERSTANDING . . . the UNDERSTANDING of the depth of LIFE provided by MUSIC—not the notes, but the MUSIC: THE EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION GENERATED FROM THE SOUND.

I once heard a conductor of an ensemble say, “As soon as we learn all the notes and the various dynamics, we will start focusing on the musicality of the piece.” Hmmm? Is the cart before the horse? If they are “separate” in approach (notes/music), they will be “separate” in performance. The energy of the music/art/connection *is* the energy of the notes/sound. They are ONE IN THE SAME. This is revealed time and time again as Maestro Erickson brings his musical blueprint to our awareness: We are the music; the music is us.

The construction of Actors of Sound! circumvents the typical research shared in many texts. It catapults to the words of the SAGES who reach far beyond technique (the obvious), but focus on the HUMAN INTEGRATION of the SPIRIT—or, if you will, INSPIRATION . . . redirecting one’s energies to BEING and not just DOING. Rest assured, as you read, you will also FEEL.

Not to give away the final “AHA!” of the book, however, you will soon become aware of “authentic magic,” not some verbal slight-of-hand, but the realization that your reading journey has taken you to a destination of JOY and given you the road signs for expanding your own rainbow of possibilities. For music? YES. For life? ABSOLUTELY!

...letthemusicbegin...

—Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser, world renowned and award-winning music educator, composer and author

MORE ENDORSEMENTS:

Sumner's editor, Gina, suggested he start gathering endorsements for the book from colleagues, mentors, and people he respects. He sent out requests, and boy did these folks deliver! Sumner calls these an embarrassment of riches:

Sumner Erickson has given the world a very special gift. If someone takes his advice, they will undoubtedly be on a path to become the greatest musician they can be.

This was a book that I really needed to read. I urge anyone who wants to better themselves artistically to read this gem of a book. Sumner Erickson is a treasure, and with this book, has bestowed upon the world a treasure trove of wisdom. For those who wish to seriously partake in it, it will undoubtedly help them forge a path to true artistic expressive freedom…!

—Bernhard Scully (He, Him, His)

Artistic Director, Cormont Music

https://horncamp.org/

Associate Professor of Horn

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

I am beside myself with excitement that all of the lessons I’ve learned from Sumner have finally been put on paper for mass dissemination to every musician brave enough to try another path.

—Staff Sergeant Joshua Warren, tubaist

56th Army Band

Joint Base Lewis-McCord, WA

Sumner Erickson's book, Actors of Sound: Making the Intangible Magic of Musical Expression Tangible (While Enjoying the Unlimited Power of the Zone and Flow), makes a joyous sound! His groundbreaking instruction on the importance of how to create meaningful music brings a revolutionary message to musicians of all ages and skill levels. Erickson is here to move not just your sound but your soul. Don't simply heed his decades of experience, instead put his words into action and allow your music to soar. You and your audience deserve all that Erickson's masterclass has to offer. His wisdom will profoundly change your artistry!

—Molly Guzzino, Executive Director, Flaming Heart

Media, LLC

Actors of Sound addresses a critical area of musical ‘being’ often missing or only addressed as an afterthought to technical, rhythmical and note mastery. It encourages one to embrace the gestalt of playing at all times, whether in the practice room or with an audience.

—John Soroka

Principal Percussionist & Associate Principal Timpanist - 1978-2008

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Sumner is a gift to his craft. All who will surrender the chalk lines of form and norms on the fields of their heart and minds to explore his true moral creativity will meet music afresh—like hearing a favorite song for the first time. Only tireless curiosity, joy and wonder can connect these dots. Rare is the person who can decouple the braiding of cause and effect and re-enthrone the noble aim when it has been smothered and lost in the economy of method. The intersection of form and essence are the residence of integrity. These truly courageous words live at that address.

—Tyler Norton

Ethos Pioneer and Visionary

Cofounder of ASEA

Actors of Sound! is a deep dive into the emotional side of music and is scholarly in every way. Sumner's passion for music shines through. There is much here for every musician.

—Jim Self, DMA, tubaist

LA Opera

Pasadena and Pacific Symphonies

Hollywood Bowl Orchestra

Adjunct Professor of Tuba and Chamber Music at USC Thornton School of Music

Veteran Hollywood studio musician

composer

jazz artist

Sumner’s book is a treasure trove of wonderful ideas which can take you beyond the technical concerns of playing an instrument and allow you to experience and express music on a higher artistic level.

—Mark Tetreault, Principal Tubaist

Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Above all, Sumner is a person who is exemplary, in the most real of ways, of an individual who is always striving for the very best he can be, for his spirit and the essence of his being, and this is really at the heart of why we do music, isn't it?

—Phil Van Ouse

Conductor, Slippery Rock Brass Band

Co-founder of the Pittsburgh Youth Concert Orchestra www.pyco.org and the PYCO School of Music www.pycosom.com

Tubaist, Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh Ballet

If you are still reading, yay you! Please donate and/or share.

If you want to read more, here are some words from Sumner about finishing this book:

To quote my former boss Marissa Jansons:

Music includes technique.

Technique does not include music.

From the bible we learn:

Where there is no vision, the people perish.

Humbly, my goal with Actors of Sound is to make sure we only have vision-included musicmaking.

After “at least” 14 years in working towards this my first book, I would be so grateful for assistance getting her out to the world. I cannot express the magnitude of my appreciation for your consideration.

This is the book I wish I had when I was a young musician. I hope and pray that Actors Of Sound will permanently enable everyone to make sure they are participating in music ONLY brought to being through their vision.

As Susan said, if you don't wish to donate, shares & prayers for completion are much appreciated!

Peace & Love,

Sumner