at an early age, brain was allowed to blow a few notes on his father's horn every saturday morning. aubrey brain held the belief that students should not study the horn seriously until the later teenage years, when the teeth and embouchure became fully developed. during these years, brain studied piano and organ. it was not until the age of 15 that dennis was to transfer from st paul's school to the royal academy of music to study horn, under his father's tutelage. while there, he continued his piano studies under max pirani and organ under g. d. cunningham.