Biography

Roy Stevens: The Teacher Who Took the Mystery Out of Brass Playing

In a cramped Manhattan studio in the 1970s, trumpet players would gather, horns in hand, waiting their turn with Roy Stevens. Lessons weren’t private affairs—they were open sessions, part masterclass, part workshop, where no one could hide. Students sat shoulder to shoulder, listening as Stevens dissected embouchures, explained muscular coordination, and demonstrated how to build a setting that wouldn’t collapse under pressure.It wasn’t the place for the timid. But for those willing to learn, it was transformative.In October 2008, decades after those studio sessions, a tribute website was launched to preserve the legacy of this remarkable teacher. Its purpose was simple: to share who Roy Stevens really was—as both a musician and a man—and to provide reliable information in a landscape where too much of what’s said about him today is secondhand or inaccurate.

In 2012, four years after the site went live, Bill Moriarity—the original editor of Roy Stevens’ Embouchure Self-Analysis: The Stevens-Costello Embouchure Technique — was brought in to help republish the book, making it more affordable and widely available. Although Moriarity initially planned to revise the text, a thorough review convinced him that Stevens’ writing was already clear, concise, and technically sound. The book is now available through CreateSpace, an Amazon company (view it here).

Another of Stevens’ star pupils, lead trumpeter Roy Roman, contributed excerpts from his own instructional video to accompany the book. Roman, a fixture in New York’s competitive music scene, often spoke of how Stevens rebuilt his embouchure and confidence at a crucial point in his career. When Roman later hit the road with Lionel Hampton, Stevens’ reputation as a teacher who could produce results had already been firmly established.

Inside the studio

Stevens’ lessons felt more like community gatherings than formal classes. Players of all levels—novices sitting next to seasoned pros—watched as Stevens guided each student, correcting problems in real time. His embouchure approach was grounded in the scientific laws of muscular activity, breath control, volume, and frequency of sound—principles later documented by Dr. John Basmajian at Emory University using a video oscilloscope and decibel meter.Because the Stevens-Costello method was based on these physical principles rather than trial and error, many students faced the same technical hurdles, and everyone benefited from watching their peers’ adjustments. For young players, Stevens provided something priceless: a consistent embouchure setting, one that couldn’t be harmed by overplaying or bad habits. With a solid physical foundation, a trumpeter’s limits were determined only by conditioning, not by flawed technique. Embouchure stopped being a mystery.
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The man beyond the method

Stevens wasn’t just a teacher—he was an active performer. In addition to running his studio, he played jazz with the Tony Martell Orchestra at New York’s Roseland Ballroom, often taking the vocal mic between trumpet solos. Students who spent long hours at his studio sometimes became part of his personal circle, visiting him at his home in Larchmont, New York, where they met his wife, Mary, and their loyal German Shepherd, Chops.

Setting the record straight

Today, information about Roy Stevens is scattered, and often inaccurate. Too many stories rely on hearsay rather than firsthand experience. The tribute site was created not to defend or debate the Stevens-Costello method—a topic already argued endlessly online—but to show Stevens as he truly was: a musician, a mentor, and a teacher who gave his students control over their own playing.Today, information about Roy Stevens is scattered, and often inaccurate. Too many stories rely on hearsay rather than firsthand experience. The tribute site was created not to defend or debate the Stevens-Costello method—a topic already argued endlessly online—but to show Stevens as he truly was: a musician, a mentor, and a teacher who gave his students control over their own playing.This site exists to keep Roy Stevens’ name and work alive for future generations of trumpet players—so that his lessons, his music, and his approach to teaching will not be lost to time or buried in misinformation.