Anyhoo………..the KSU Alumni and Friends Brass Band (also on FB!), has had a wonderful inaugural season. On March 2, 2012, in the FABULOUS Bailey Center on campus at Kennesaw State University, we held out third, and penultimate, concert of the season. This Podcast episode is the mp3 version of the entire show.  We were very thankful that The Boston Brass agreed to sit in with us (because THEY ARE COOL LIKE THAT!), and on ONE rehearsal (really, half a rehearsal)…..this is what we all did. I’ve never been so honored as to stand before this entourage of excellence, ladies and gentlemen. I am thankful to everyone involved and really looking forward to our next show:

SUNDAY, APRIL 29

In the Band Shell,outdoor amphitheater (!),  at KSU.

PLEASE “like” us on FaceBook and help us to spread the word, grow the hang, share the Love:)

Here is the Program from the Concert on March 2, 2012:

The Bailey Center

Kennesaw State University

Welcome!

Thank you for coming to our Inaugural Concert, ladies and gentlemen. We owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Harry Price, Director of KSU School of Music, and the KSU Alumni Association. Without their support, this venture may have never taken flight. But, take flight it has! On stage, performing for you tonight, are some of the very finest brass players and percussionists in the Southeastern United States. We have come together as a group to celebrate our passion for brass music, to explore some challenging repertoire, to revel in the SOUND….and, frankly, just to hang out. We don’t often get to assemble in such numbers; and some of us rarely see each other during the course of our professional lives. It is our pleasure to perform for you, and to show you what we like to do best. We have 3 more concerts scheduled throughout the academic year, and we hope you’ll come to all of them!

Nov.6            March 2            April 29

We have a FaceBook Page at “KSU Alumni and Friends Brass Band”. We invite you to “like” our page and stay informed of upcoming events. It also helps us spread the word, and we certainly appreciate it. Here’s a link:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/KSU-Alumni-and-Friends-Brass-Band/178483435549662

We hope you have had a chance to look around campus if you’re a first time visitor.  We’re very proud of the development and growth that has taken place here at KSU, this lovely acoustic space being but one terrific example. Some of the players on stage tonight are alum, some are faculty, (and some are students!). Some have absolutely no affiliation with the University whatsoever. All are friends! I would like to thank them all personally for being so generous, so tolerant, so wonderful. Please enjoy our Show!

Sincerely,

Dr. Tom Gibson

Musical Director

July 7-9 is the “Purtle.com Brass Camp”, ladies and gentlemen! It’s not too late to get yourself there. Visit Purtle.com for all the information. My apologies to Jeff for not being able to post the Skype interview we did about this really cool camp. Carl Lenthe and Harry Kim are guest artists this year. Plus, I think our good friend Rich Ita is going to have some of his wares on display. Should be a terrific time for those that can attend. I wish I could, but….

I’ll be back at PeckerWoodstock Festival….on a mountain top in Tennessee. Making music. Filming it. And posting it for y’all. Happy Summer Everybody!!!!!

Happy Birthday, Ed:)

tom@trombonelessons.com

Peace and Trombone Love.

-Dr.Tom

***I intend to share the Introduction and first 2 Chapters of this book with my Podcast viewers. The book, when published, will have quite a few more chapters. I have nearly completed it, and it will be sent for publication in the near future, I sincerely hope. Obviously, I would love for you to share these excerpts as freely as you wish. Thank you all. Trombone Love***

It’s a PDF episode, so please just click the icon below and let me know if you have any trouble downloading, OK? Shanks. I’m sorry it’s been so long since our last Episode. You know how it goes…….

It’s a PDF episode, so please just click the icon below and let me know if you have any trouble downloading, OK? Shanks. I’m sorry it’s been so long since our last Episode. You know how it goes…….

www.ita-web.org/itw/

FEB. 19, 2011 is BrassBlast/Double Reed Day at Kennesaw State University. An entire day of music-making and a chance for you to meet and work with some of the finest brass musicians I know. More details are at the link below. I hope to see many of you there!

http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/brass_blast.shtml

Mercer University Wind Ensemble, directed by Dr. Doug Hill

“Fandango”, by Joseph Turrin

Jonathan Swygert, trumpet Tom Gibson, trombone

More info about Mercer University is at: www.mercer.edu

And more about the wonderful music of Jospeh Turrin at: www.josephturrin.com

Hmmmmm, wanna play a duet:-)

More fiction. We are iced in here in Atlanta. Have been for 3 days straight. No school for the kids, no driving anywhere….so I write. It’s fun, this fiction business. It feels good to stretch the head. I hope you enjoy the 3rd installment…….just click the PDF icon below. I don’t know if it matters, but the 2 Episodes before this one are basically Chapters 1 and 2.

So………I went back for another lesson………not sure how I feel about that, but you can read about it by clicking the PDF icon below.

Happy New Year, everybody! Here’s a work of fiction for y’all, attached below as a PDF file. Just click the “PDF” icon. Fiction. It never happened.

Jonathan Swygert and Doug Hill, trumpets

Jay Hanselman, horn

Tom Gibson, trombone

Eric Bubacz, tuba

Find out more about beautiful Mercer University and The Townsend School of Music here:

http://www2.mercer.edu/Music/default.htm On this outing, we featured American music exclusively. In the video, I have included two classics from the quintet repertoire, and two very new pieces by our good friend H. Ross Wixon. His pieces heard herein, and many more, are available for purchase directly by contacting him. In the Brass Ensemble Podcast from Sewanee Music Festival (Episode 138), we featured his “Revolutions Per Minute”, you may remember. We love Ross’ music and highly recommend it! His email:

hrwixon@gmail.com

__________________________________________________________________

On the program, then:

“Scherzo” by John Cheetham

“Suite from West Side Story”, by L.Bernstein, arr. Jack Gale

“A Gentle Pause”, by H.Ross Wixon

“Energize!”, by H. Ross Wixon

______________________________________________________________________

We hope you enjoy our performance!

Thanks for all your time, Ed. Good luck this semester at Henderson State!

The composer Andrea Ferrante wrote this beautiful piece of music. Much more of his music can be heard and downloaded here:

http://www.free-scores.com/Download-PDF-Sheet-Music-ferrante-andrea.htm

Thanks for reading it down with me, Brent! We hope you enjoy it, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you, Andrea, for writing this…..I really love it.

http://www.free-scores.com/Download-PDF-Sheet-Music-ferrante-andrea.htm

Thank you, Andrea, your thoughtfulness is very much appreciated…………beautiful notes, sir! Bravo!

FaceBook Distraction Tom Gibson Trombonelessons.com

I really should be doing a thousand other things today, but I suffered another FaceBook distraction and I’m writing this episode to appease my conscience. Thank you for understanding, and may I invite you to be my FB friend? Welcome back to school, everybody!!!!!! Hope this semester goes extremely well for all of us. Yes, I was all set to type up some syllabi, and some fliers, and pay some bills…….then Sean posed the question on FB: “Can there be a song that grooves TOO hard?” HaHa! Great question, right? He was referring to this track, take a few minutes and check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDhrFsyOPOc

WOW! If you have never heard Gordon Goodwin’s band, you just got an earful. Now that YouTube has turned you onto their brilliance for FREE, you run straight away and BUY something of theirs, eh? That’s how this “new economy” works. Amen? I was blown away by that clip, and I have indeed heard a lot of that band. My first thought, since I’m in back-to-school mode, was: “you could do an entire semester about ‘ensemble style’ on that one cut”. I believe you really could. It’s masterful stuff, isn’t it? Here’s what I heard that I think might benefit some of you student-types…….

First of all, I have really good news: big bands are coming back! That’s evident in this town, and many of my friends are seeing evidence of it elsewhere around the country. AWESOME. It’s great on so many levels. Obviously, the music speaks for itself. It’s a big (phat!) wall of color coming at the audience with a vibrancy and intensity that occurs almost nowhere else in Nature. It’s a life-affirming energy, for sure, right!? In the hands of masterful craftsman and boundless imaginations, it is every bit as subtle, powerful, serene, calming, enraging, engaging, dynamic, legitimate…….as a symphony orchestra. Plus, and this is a big plus, every big band employs 4 trombonists. That’s one more than the typical orchestra. Jobs, people! WooHoo!!!!! That’s why you’re in school, I am assuming- to get some employment happening in the near future? Big band might just be one tasty piece in your puzzle-of-a-career lifestyle. But not if you don’t adapt to the style and learn to read, read, read. The best bands in your town are going to pay real money, relatively speaking. You want to be in the best bands in town. How much money do you think they have? It’s expensive to put on a show with an 18-piece band, as you might expect. It’s gets prohibitively expensive when that band needs hours of rehearsal to get things tight. They don’t have that kind of money, and they will not rehearse like your college ensemble, OK? READ like a monster. Don’t leave school without your sight-reading chops in perfect form. That entails more than right notes and right rhythms, but that’s a good place to start. This semester, don’t miss a single rhythm in rehearsal. Don’t suffer a single chipped note. Striving to do so will elevate your level of concentration to where it needs to be. Will power is sometimes our greatest weapon. Very quickly, though, start to get very fast at adapting tone color, articulation, releases, dynamic shading, etc. to the world around you. Everywhere you go, and no matter who’s in the section, blend and match. It’s a noble mission, and one that will prepare you for a career. Nobody likes to spend time rehearsing your part and nobody likes to play alongside somebody who seems to be on another wavelength. There’s a time and a place for that…..use your head and use your ears, right? Think of it this way: what are all the things that tick you off in other musicians? Don’t do any of those things, and you’ll probably be cool. So…..onto the recording: You’ll notice a couple things right away. The groove hits immediately and hits hard. That has much to do with their note-shaping. The way they start each note, the length and weight they put into it, the manner in which they finesse the release…..they each have the same shape in mind! Beauty. The second thing I sensed immediately was the balance and blend of timbres. You orchestral cats can certainly appreciate that. In fact, many of the timbres I hear in this band are quite appropriate in many orchestral settings. If you have in your mind an expansive gulf between these styles (orchestra v. big band), just listen a bit more closely. So much of the SAME stuff is happening- namely, attentive listening by everybody in the ensemble and a willingness (nay, compulsion!) to blend. It is absolutely a thing of beauty, as much here as in Bruckner. When overtones align in such delicious symmetry, it makes you wonder how big bands ever really left the scene, doesn’t it? Do you hear articulations that might be appropriate in orchestral settings? Do you hear that lightness and delicacy in some of the background figures? How often are you playing background figures in the orchestra? Same stuff! Don’t you think they shade dynamics as well as the NY Philharmonic? Don’t they balance and mix tone colors like Berlin Phil? That trumpet section sounds like a trumpet section. Do you see what I’m saying? When you come out of school, you should make it your goal to feel at home one night in the big band, the next night in the orchestra, the following morning a brass quintet, a weekend rock and roll section…..be a versatile musician, thus creating more opportunity for yourself.  The greatest compliment you can get would be something like: “wow, I thought you were a jazzer?”, or “well, I knew you were solid on excerpts, but you can swing!” Listening to this clip can enlighten you as to many of the ways that could start happening for you. It would be a great idea, if possible, to get yourself into the big band at school this semester. If you are primarily an orchestral player, like I was going into Grad. School, I think it’s a good idea to shut up and listen to the players that have been doing it for a while. Hopefully, your school has such players! Swallow your pride and assume the role of little fish in a big pond. Admit your ignorance, it’s quite alright. I know it’s hard. I mean I really know. Ask them questions, try to get with them and play duets. Do some listening hangs with them. I’ll bet you notice something about how they move their air and use their tongues effectively…..lightly. That was the biggest revelation to me, I think. Blowing steadily and tonguing lightly is the answer! It’ll groove harder, you can shape with more finesse, you won’t tire as quickly, the tone will be appealing, intonation will be lush….and on and on. Your ears will be ablaze with ideas. The next time you play Rossini, you might notice a marked improvement, too. Same stuff. Speaking of intonation, a common struggle with versatility of styles is versatility of equipment. Going from large-bore to small-bore or vice versa can present challenges….if you make them challenges. If you’re struggling with that, maybe this will help: Remember on the small horn that you’re not going to open your sound by opening your mouth. I was guilty of that for so long, and I see it in many students. It’s just a misconception. Your sound will open when the vibrations get pure, so keep the mouth, teeth, cheeks, and tongue in a more closed-up, compact formation. That solves many issues quickly. Because you’ll now have more dense meat firmly gathered at the center of the mouthpiece, your sound will beef up and your endurance will improve…..sometimes drastically. Occasionally, if you’re like me, you might sense the jaw wanting to drop and the tongue wanting to move into “hot potato” position again……gently close your mouth, please:-) While you don’t want the jaw to drop too much, you also never want to “lock” it in position. Bad idea. Let it float and let the ribbon of air direct it. Have you ever experimented with the horizontal motion of the jaw? Really gentle motions forward and back can reveal a lot to us about tone color and “sweet spots”. Never rigid motion, though, because I think that causes tension. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. That embouchure stuff is so subjective. I think Mr. Farkas did a fabulous job of explaining it in “The Art of Brass”, and that’s worth a read. I am a big believer in the power of metaphor in your music-making, too. If you spend some quality time listening and focusing your mind on the specific quality of sound you’re going for, or what exactly you’re trying to convey with your sound at this moment…..sometimes very quickly you can hear results. You want to get very quick at that! Imitating great players is a wonderful habit. Can you put JJ’s sound in your head, really deep in your head, then make it happen? On this recording, I can hear real clarity in the minds of these players. They have no doubt what’s about to come out the bell, because it is so solidly formulated in their mind. To practice that, often you won’t even need your horn! Sing in your head and be sure to nail every aspect of the style. Then try it on the horn if one’s nearby. Once again, I think when you switch back to the excerpts, you’re going to be pleased. Same stuff. One poignant aspect of this recording, to my ears, is in the bass bone hits. How many bass bone players would splat that all to Hades? I mean, how tempting would it be to lay BOMBS on the whole place right there, right!!!? Bass bone and lead trumpet…..those 2 chairs in the band require immense doses of maturity and refined taste, I really believe. Accordingly, I have immense amounts of respect for those that do it so well. How classy, tight, and grooving is this rendition!? Real control, mental and physical, from a really thoughtful musician. Up and down this band, truly. Have another listen and consider this: When you leave school, gigs are not going to pile up for you because you are the loudest, highest, fastest player in Jazz Ensemble I.

What else………..? As I say, I could go on and on about this recording and the revelations it inspired in me. Why don’t you go back and listen again, though, and enjoy. If you have insights to share with us, we’d all probably enjoy hearing them. I’m leaving comments open on this Episode. Thanks, Sean, for the lovely FaceBook distraction this morning. My wife, however, would like a word with you.

Peace, everyone, Trombone Love. Live it, love it, listen to it. Have a great semester!

Thanks, Marty!!!!!!!! Looks like this’ll be beautiful with Trombone Choir, too:-)

PS- I added a link to this at Episode152 “Free Sheet Music”. If you’re looking for fun, free stuff, that’s a good place to visit.

Guess what? I’m in Chautauqua, NY, this week playing Mahler 3!!!!! Don’t hate:-)

I have promised many of you via emails, Skype lessons, FB, etc., that I would post an episode dealing specifically and exclusively with TONGUING (a.k.a.” ARTICULATION”). Well, I’m sorry it took so long, but here it is.

As I mention in this episode, I filmed a DVD a while back that explains in great detail my concept of “Numbered Tonguing”. We hope to have an interested publisher pick that up soon and we will keep you posted. In this episode, though, is enough to think about initially. Teaching anything on the trombone is incredibly subjective, especially tonguing. How I feel when articulating a certain style may not be how you feel, does that make sense? So…….use the advice I offer in this Podcast, but take it and run with it. Experiment. Try lots of stuff. Record yourself and listen back. Soon, I think you’ll be able to clean up any sloppiness you might be experiencing; and you’ll probably learn a lot about note shapes in the process. Match those note-shapes to musical metaphors, and you’re gonna be a rock star:-)

Good luck, and as always, write with questions. My email address is:

tom@trombonelessons.com

If you are captivated by the photos of Chautauqua Institute and wish to learn more, check out their website below:

http://www.ciweb.org/

It is a very, very unique and special place. I feel very fortunate to have spent so much time there as a young man, and I will forever be grateful to Doc, Vern, Fred, and Eric for allowing me the opportunity to perform with the orchestra!

Trombone Love, all. Peace.

http://www.mercuryseason.com/

Or, watch Episode #92 of the Podcasts! That link is here:

http://tbonegib.podbean.com/2008/07/18/episode-92-mercury-orkestar/

On the beautiful grounds of Peckerwoodstock, near Sewanee, is IONA: An Art Sanctuary

It is the workshop of Edward Carlos and it is a most fascinating place. Please take a moment to enjoy his vision:

http://web.mac.com/fradubio/Carlos/Welcome.html

Thanks, everybody! Peace and Trombone Love……..lots more coming in the near future, now that I have found time to edit:-)

Here we go again, Wes and I, tackling some more “war horses” of the Trombone Duet literature and cracking each other up……enjoy! This is a big file, might work better if you download it first.

Il Brasso Magnifico, Inc. presents IL-BRASSO-IN-THE-PARK

“FOURTH OF JULY IN JUNE” Saturday, June 26, 2010 Piedmont Park Bandstand, adjacent to The Active Oval

Il Brasso Magnifico is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization dedicated to the presentation of professional music performances free of charge to the general public. See www.ilbrassomagnifico.org.

Special Guests: Steve Williams

Chief Musician Steve Williams plays alto saxophone and composes and arranges for the United States Navy Jazz Commodores in Washington, D.C.

Joe McCarthy

Chief Musician McCarthy is drummer and Chief in Charge of the United States Naval Academy Band’s jazz ensemble, “The Next Wave,” and is a world-renowned artist, clinician, and educator. He is leader of the Grammy Award winning Afro Bop Alliance. See www.joemcdrum.com.

11:00 a.m. Open Rehearsal (listeners welcome; free to the public)

2:00 p.m. Drum clinic by Joe McCarthy (free to the public) Clinic sponsors: Yamaha, Remo, Innovative Percussion, Zildjian Cymbals

4:00 p.m. Fourth of July in June concert performance (free to the public)

Additional free performances by members of Atlanta’s music community!

Il Brasso Magnifico supports the American Federation of Musicians and Atlanta chapter Local 148-462.

Mark Williamson & Steve Sherrill, Music Directors

Our friend Robbie Kleinberg is first to offer a terrific arrangement……for Trombone Quartet. And for FREE. This is a really beautiful arrangement, Robbie, and very nicely formatted. Thanks so much! Look for this being performed in an upcoming episode.

To my editor and publisher friends, I believe Robbie would like to do a WHOLE lot more work like this. If you like what you see and would like to know what else Mr. Kleinberg has in his catalog, please contact him at:

robbiekleinberg@gmail.com

Thanks again, Robbie! We all appreciate it. (Lots more free sheet music is at Episode 152, click HERE and check out the “Comments” section)

Download “O Magnum Mysterium” for Trombone Quartet (arr. Kleinberg) by clicking the PDF icon below:

I’ll leave the “Comments” open on this Episode, and if you know a great site for downloading free sheetmusic, please let us know. Perhaps you have a piece you’ve written that you’d like to link us to? If you prefer to send something as a PDF file to me, I’d be happy to post it as a separate Episode.

You can save this link and it will bring you back to this Episode every time (”refreshing” the page will post all new Comments):

Free Trombone Music

Thanks all, hit us with your links in the “Comments” area below……..I will not be patrolling this area regularly. If things get out of hand, please let me know:

tom@trombonelessons.com

Please add your link by clicking “Comments” below:

Originally published in 1920, I find this text almost poetic in its succinct beauty…..especially the admonition about “power signs” and “playing noisily”. HaHa! Nothing new under the sun, I suppose!

I’m going to print this out and hang it in my studio. I’ve attached a PDF so it should print for you, too. Read and Heed:

If you haven’t checked out Episode 151a, there are more duets and some info about Mr. Shuebruk to be found…….hope you enjoy these. It’s nice to play these great old tunes and experience a bit of time travel:-)

Here is the second book of Duets I found by Mr. Shuebruk: “36 Favorite Home Duets”.Download by clicking the PDF icon below:

Once in a while, I’ll go “Google-fishing” to see what sort of free, public-domain stuff is out there for trombonists…..and when you Google-fish, you gotta use good bait (search terms). I caught a big Google fish the other day and I want to share it with you. These are 2 books of Duets published in 1920, and written by Richard Shuebruk. Here’s a bit about him:

_________________________________

Richard Shuebruk was born in Bristol, England August 23, 1854.  Shuebruk came to the U.S. in 1876.  Richard Shuebruk joined the Boston Symphony trumpet section in the 1885-1886 season, and became Principal trumpet, the next season for one year.  In the 1920s and 1930s, Shuebruk was a music teacher in New York City.  Shuebruk also played in the Frederick Neil Innes (1854-1926) Band;nbsp; As a teacher, he is known for the advice: ‘Don’t blow harder for the high notes; Pinch tighter’.

________________________________

These duets are really fun, and better than many that I’ve run across. They’re tuneful, they’re full of nice harmonic progression…..and they’re free:-)

Although written for trumpet and trombone, we know that 2 trombones can play them, too, right? To read B-flat Treble Clef on Trombone, we read them as Tenor Clef and modify the key signature by adding 2 flats (or subtracting 2 sharps, as the case may be.)

I hope you enjoy these! My friend Kevin and I plan on filming an episode soon where we play some down for your amusement…..Wes and I have also had our fun with these, film at 11.

If you have some Google fish of your own that you’d like to share, please let me know! Or better yet, go here and share your link in the “Comments”:

http://tbonegib.podbean.com/2010/05/31/episode-152-free-trombone-sheetmusic-read-below/

Peace.

Download the Duets by clicking the PDF icon below:

School’s almost done for most of you, and if you haven’t made Summer plans for your musical enrichment, you are NOT too late…….but you’re close, so no more delays! Below are some links and some info about a few terrific opportunities for summer study. Parents, teachers, band directors, please encourage your young musicians to enroll in some sort of summer festival or workshop. Almost invariably, the “vibe” at these events is more low-key and geared towards fun. I think that’s one reason many professional players look forward to them every year, too. In the course of the normal season and/or academic year, we really put our noses to the grindstone and run ourselves through the wringer. Summer is that wonderful time of year when we remind ourselves about the bottom-line: music-making is about FUN! I’m going to list some events that I am recommending to all of my students. Most are located relatively close to the Atlanta area. If you want to stay closer to home, I would suggest contacting your nearest music school and using your Google to find events in your area. If you come up empty, contact me and perhaps we can dig deeper or make a bunch of calls. If you have an event you’d like to promote, let me know and I’ll happily post an ad for you. Here are my top recommendations for Summer 2010:

Kennesaw State University Summer Clinic for Music and Dance (June 6-11) (http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/music-clinic/)

This is primarily for high school students and I can attest that this one is FUN! Last year, in addition to the great ensemble experiences and chances to earn college scholarship money, we invited everyone from the area to join us each day for a reading session and “trombone hang”. It was great, and we’re gonna do it again this year. Deadline is fast-approaching, please get on it!

Townsend School of Music Band and Orchestra Clinic (June 20-26)

(http://www2.mercer.edu/Music/BandOrchestraCamp.htm)

The Townsend School of Music is at Mercer University in Macon, GA. Just about 70 miles south of Atlanta, some terrific things are happening at this school! The facilities, faculty, and students are top-notch. Once again, I am very proud to be a part of their Summer Clinic. I am also very proud to be on board as their Professor of Trombone. I encourage each of you to investigate this place……it’s very special:-)

The Southeast Trombone Symposium (June 22-26) (http://music.colstate.edu/trombone/STS_2010.php)

Lots more info at their website, but Brad Palmer, Colin Williams, Bill Thomas, and George Curran are on faculty for this……need I say more? Plus, I’m gonna sneak in one day for a master class:-) This week promises to be a life-changer for all participants! These gentlemen really know what they’re talking about and have some terrific concepts about music-making. I can’t wait! Again, deadline is approaching, act fast. If you have specific questions, please contact Dr. Palmer directly: palmer_bradley@colstate.edu

Jazz Orchestra Atlanta’s Summer Jazz Camp: (June 21-25) (http://www.orchestraatlanta.org/)

Brent Runnels and Gordon Vernick host this awesome event at Georgia State University each Summer. Last year, I remember a surprise visit (captured in Podcast Episode #130) by David Sanchez!!! The students at this camp every year show such tremendous musical growth over the course of one week, it’s really a treat! All-star faculty in the heart of Atlanta.

Sewanee Summer Music Festival (June 19- July 18) (http://www2.sewanee.edu/ssmf)

One of the best orchestral festivals in the country! Mark Babbitt teaches trombone along with other world-class faculty. (Like Eric Bubacz on tuba and David Brockett on horn!). I had one of the best experiences of my life there last summer. I hope to visit again this summer. This festival takes place on the scenic campus of The University of the South, in the spectacular mountains of Tennessee. If you can get to this festival…….do it! The people, the scenery, the music…..ahhhhhh.

International Euphonium Institute (June 20-27) (http://www.euphonium.com/ieifestival.html)

Although it’s probably too late to register as a participant, everyone in the Atlanta area should know about all the free and open-to-the-public events associated with this outstanding annual extravaganza. NOBODY does a better job than Adam Frey in organizing such a classy event. Hosted on the beautiful campus of Emory University, almost every day a concert is held in the amazing Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts. As I say, most are free and open to the public. Come hear some of the best brass playing anywhere! Check the website for concert schedules……see you there!!!!

On-Line Lessons

Y’all know I love to teach, right? If you think I can help you, I’d be honored to try. Maybe, with Summer coming, you want to just stay in shape and get some ideas about things to explore? Stay motivated? Stay inspired? Stay rockin’! Perhaps you’ve hit a plateau and want to try something different to take it somewhere else? If you have a very specific issue with the trombone, I might have light to shed. If I can’t help you, I’ll admit to that. I might be able to offer some helpful referrals in such a case. Maybe you just want to shoot the breeze and compare mouthpieces?

With the latest incarnations of iChat and Skype, the quality of live streaming audio/video is astounding. (It’s really too bad the iPad has no camera, but I suspect that will change in the near future. For those that haven’t been fortunate enough to play with one, they are the future. Gorgeous:-) I have been having a blast doing video lessons, and frankly I want to do a whole lot more. I’m pretty sure everyone’s gone away happy, too. Many come back, if that’s any evidence. I always do my best to help students find what’s best for themselves….I will not waste your time.

I love to teach. I’m pretty good at it, if I can be modest. I take it very sincerely and pedagogy fascinates me. When done earnestly, it’s every bit as rewarding as performing in my life. You love the trombone and want to dig deeper and broader by expanding your knowledge base. Look, we’re MADE for each other! Thankfully, technology can now bring us together:-)

If you’re interested in scheduling a lesson, please send me an email:

tom@trombonelessons.com

PLEASE: in the email, let me know at least 3 good days/times for us to meet. Keep in mind that I reside in Atlanta, USA. That is in the Eastern Time Zone. I don’t mind staying up late or waking up early……but let’s not be ridiculous. I’ll need to know your iChat/Skype name (mine is: Tbonegib). Other details we can discuss when I get your email, but you probably want to know what it costs…..

The video lessons are $60 (US) per session. I have a PayPal account set up to make things easy: tom@trombonelessons.com I hesitate to say that lessons are 1 hour in duration. They’re always longer. Occasionally, but rarely, connections will be dropped and we have to accommodate such technological snags. In general, I will endeavor to give you your money’s worth in 70-90 minutes. I fully realize that video lessons are a poor substitute for “being there”, and that’s why they’re cheaper. I swear, though, that these sessions can indeed be very fruitful and very worthwhile. I hope you’ll consider it if your tempted.

Thanks, everyone. Peace and Trombone Love…….tasty episodes forthcoming.

-Dr. Tom

tom@trombonelessons.com

Happy Easter, everybody!

For more than 50 years, this man has been traveling the world and sharing his love of trombone. I can remember seeing him almost 30 years ago, when I was just beginning to love the trombone. His influence on so many of us makes him a legend. I was honored to perform with the band and was thrilled to spend an hour with Larry as he shared stories and wisdom like only he can. All of this was facilitated by Jaime Parker, who joins us in this interview. Jaime and I both went to University Northern Colorado:-) He’s been with the band for a year and a half now, and apparently having the time of his life! I want to thank both of them for taking the time and being so gracious…….

Hope you enjoy meeting them! When The Glenn Miller Orchestra comes to your town, do yourself a huge favor and check them out! Truly astounding timbres, blend, and groove going on with that band:-)

I walk through the routine slowly with some hints and tips to make it more effective (and hopefully more fun!) for you.

I also talk about 2 new and terrific books:

Brad Edwards’ “Simply Singing for Winds”, and David Vining’s “The Breathing Book”. They’re both really good and maybe you want to treat yourself by buying them, eh?

The main focus of this very long episode, though, is SmartMusic. I’m such a fan of this program….I have seen how it has helped me and my students. Plus, every revision of the program is better and better. It is my sincere hope that this episode piques your curiosity enough to purchase the program and start digging into it. Have a blast!

Don’t know what that is? Oooooooo, you better go check it out:

http://www.smartmusic.com/

How awesome is it that we live in a world with such technology? This routine is designed to suck as much juice from this technology as possible. If you have some ideas and thoughts, we’ll hate you for not sharing! Please write me:

tom@trombonelessons.com

Actually, you know what? I’m gonna leave “Comments” open on this one so we can share ideas openly and quickly. We’ll see how that goes:-) You must click the Episode’s title line above to view comments….

Peace and Fun and Trombone Love to you all.

PS- Don’t forget about Brass Blast at KSU coming up February 13. CLICK HERE for more info, please.

To find the Vocalises’ in SmartMusic, go to: Solos>Trombone>Complete Book of Vocalises

These are quite nice as church offertory interludes, demonstrations in schools, or just for fun around the house:-)

I’ll talk more about SmartMusic and show y’all what it can do in the next Episode……you can check it out here:

http://www.smartmusic.com/

And, while you’re out on the Web, please take a moment to check this out….thanks, Matt, for sharing this at FaceBook. Awesome stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJew4fxHl1U

www.purtle.com

He teaches at Anderson University and he joins me here via iChat to discuss the  Brass Camp he’s organizing for this July 15-17. Jeff was a long-time student of the great Claude Gordon, who was in turn a long-time student of Herbert L. Clarke. That’s quite a pedagogical pedigree, don’t you think? (and a rather snazzy alliteration, too)

Through his website and through this Brass Camp, Jeff is really trying to introduce as many musicians as possible to the teachings of Claude Gordon. He’s a great guy and has an entrepreneurial spirit! I hope you enjoy meeting him.

More info about the Brass Camp can be viewed here:

http://www.purtle.com/brass-camp.html

We’re gonna have a “Brass Blast” at Kennesaw State University on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010

It’s gonna be awesome. Be there to hear some amazing performances, clinics, masterclasses by one of the most dynamic faculties anywhere (seriously, check the line-up at the website:-)

We’ll also have a brass ensemble for all participants. Rock on.

Registration deadline is Feb.8, so hurry and sign up. Lots more info is here:

http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/brass_blast.shtml

Email me with questions. I have attached a very snazzy poster for you, too.

I really hope to see you there! It is going to be a great day, and if you haven’t had a chance to see all the new facilities at KSU, prepare to be impressed.

Happy New Year, everybody. More episodes coming right up…….

I am very pleased to introduce my friend Dr. David Cutler to you, ladies and gentlemen. I think the world of him. He’s an extremely talented musician, and as it happens a gifted entrepreneur. This interview seems so timely. I have been having a lot of discussions with students, peers, and parents about making a career as a freelance musician.

Like David, I am an optimist. I believe that there has never been a better time to be a freelance musician. But I also know that most traditional educational tracts are not adequately preparing students. They have a job to do in making you the best performer you can be. The curriculum simply doesn’t have enough room for addressing some other issues related to being your own boss. His book addresses these issues. The accompanying website is great. He already has accumulated a wealth of resources, and it’s only going to grow. Please check it out and start thinking with fresh new ideas and a newly energized spirit. The world needs your music and is willing to pay for it. You’re going to need to be smart about running your business, though. As we discuss in the interview, the work you do will be largely of your creation. That’s the best part of being an entrepreneur, truly!

I hope you enjoy meeting David and take to heart some of the very good advice he shares herein. Then, you might consider visiting his website and buying his book. Being armed with knowledge and a variety of perspectives is a good way to be…..

www.savvymusician.com

You can live your dreams. You really can.

Peace:-)

Recent flooding and heartbreaking devastation inspired some of the Southeast’s finest musicians to host a benefit concert in Powder Springs, GA. In this episode, see some clips from the concert and learn how you can help.

Please visit the website for a list of our generous sponsors and the musicians that donated their time and talent to help their neighbors. Thanks to everyone that participated!

www.floodoffriendship.org

To learn more about the fabulous Joe Gransden (who promises to come do an interview with us soon:-), please visit:

joegransden.com

And if you think Wes can’t play any higher, go watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HChvUXMFFBA

Thanks, your support is much appreciated…….order a T-shirt and wear it with pride, eh? All proceeds go to those who need it most. If you prefer, I am accepting donations through my PayPal account, too (tom@trombonelessons.com). All donations to “Flood of Friendship” will be given to Salvation Army and/or CAMP Sweetwater.

Peace. Please remember to keep the victims of the flood in your thoughts and prayers.

music.mercer.edu

The campus is absolutely beautiful, in downtown Macon, GA. Wonderful architecture, peaceful, academic excellence….a wonderful place. It’s also quite close to Atlanta (about 70 miles). A new string conservatory and a new administration are launching this school into a new phase of excellence. As you can see, the brass faculty is superb. These are great players and good guys! I am proud to be a part of it. My goal is to have a conservatory vibe in my studio….now I need to recruit a few terrific students:-)

Graduates and Undergraduates: scholarships and assistantships are available to well-qualified students. Check us out and let me know if you have questions, OK?

***NOTICE: There is a deadline for Graduate Assistantship applications of January 19, 2010***

Thanks! Enjoy the recital……..

PS- Thanks for the email, Seth. Of course I should have put up more program info. My bad. Here is what you hear:

“This Old Man- March” by Robert Nagel

“Beale St. Blues” by W.C. Handy, arranged by Luther Henderson

“Contrapunctus I from the Art of Fugue” by J.S. Bach, arranged by Robert King

“Threepenny Opera Suite” by Kurt Weill, arranged by Karl Kramer

1) Overture

2) The Moritat of Mack the Knife

3) The Instead-of Song

4) Cannon-Song

“Dance” by Wilke Renwick

In Part 2, you’ll hear some of my favorite brass works from Brahms, Wagner, Elgar, and Tomasi.

More info, and more music from the concert, are in Episode#135

More about the Festival can be found at their website:

http://www2.sewanee.edu/ssmf

Once again, my congratulations and thanks to all the wonderful musicians in this video! My visit to Sewanee was a highlight of my Summer.

I very much appreciate the comments about “The Big Picture”. I hope this installment, too, is useful and helpful in your playing and teaching.

Peace.

I welcome all comments, as always, to:

tom@trombonelessons.com

Peace.

I instantly fell in love with the place and the people. (To all the Sewanee Festival ‘bone players: y’all are missed badly already. Thanks for the great hang! I wish you all the very best in your musical adventures; please stay in touch.)

I have mentioned this before, but I really believe that Music students need to get out to these festivals each Summer. At SSMF ‘09, the music-making was exceptional in every way. The faculty, staff, and students were the best! I had a fantastic visit.

The schedule was rigorous for these players, and I can only imagine how tired their chops were when this concert rolled around.(But hey, that’s what Summer festivals are all about: play, play, play, right!?) Still, these talented brass players mustered the physical and mental energy to pull off this spectacular performance in the splendor of All Saints Chapel. Under the baton of Mr. David Brockett (and myself on a few works) and organized by Mr. Eric Bubacz, this was a really fun night of brass music! On the bill are a few classics, a few new arrangements, and a fantastic original composition by Ross Wixon, a trumpet player at the Festival and a 2009 Young Artist award recipient. Ross, it was one of my favorite pieces on the program! I look forward to playing a lot more of your music.

As I say, the students in this ensemble were some of the most studious, talented, and fun people I have had the pleasure of knowing. Their attitudes were terrific. Perhaps that has a small bit to do with their teachers at the festival:

Mark Babbitt inspired the trombones like nobody can. Mr. Brockett, in addition to being the Maestro herein, is the horn teacher par excellence. My good friend, colleague, and fellow Atlantan, Eric Bubacz taught the tuba players. And the inimitable, one-of-a-kind Russ DeVuyst cultivated the sound of this most astounding group of trumpet artists. (I would like to give Congrats to Mr. Logan Anderson and Miss Kyra Sims, who were finalists in the SSMF Solo Competition, just 2 nights before this brass ensemble concert. Logan performed a jaw-dropping Arutunian “Trumpet Concerto” and Kyra sang in a beautifully polished Mozart Horn Concerto. Nicely done, both of you!)

I hope you all enjoy viewing Part 1. More to come in Part 2. To those seen in the video………Bravo! You should be very proud of yourselves and I hope you refer to this video when you need a shot of inspiration. Love you all.

For info about the Sewanee Summer Music Festival, please visit their website:

http://www2.sewanee.edu/ssmf

A new project happening in Atlanta, Il Brasso Magnifico is the brainchild of our friend Mark Williamson.

What makes this group unique is the fact that all the literature performed is public domain. Plus, all recordings, performances, and sheet music will be FREE to the general public. Wow! Thanks, Mark:-)

And, let’s be honest…..the guy is a MONSTER E-flat horn player!

Please visit the website and tell your friends:

www.ilbrassomagnifico.org

Really, this is Part 2 of Part 4 (Episode 131). Make sense:-)

Everybody ready to go back to school!? Here’s to a productive year of musical growth and creation of lifelong friendships!

More than anything else, I sensed that the estate of Mr. Fagan would be thrilled to have these trombones fall into the hands of appreciative owners. That’s where you come in! If something in this collection piques your interest, please make an offer to Mr. Stone. His email address is:

fultonstone@bellsouth.net

(Of special interest might be a “starter kit” for an eager and deserving beginner. Trombone, mutes, slide cream, spray bottle, stand light, etc. If you have a worthy young player in your life, please inquire with Mr. Stone.)

And, if you knew Benjamin Fagan and have any anecdotes to share with his family, they would be most appreciative. Thanks everybody. Enjoy this. Mr. Fagan was quite obviously a man with a passion for our beloved Trombone. May he rest in eternal peace.

More with Lynda herein…..she’s a trooper for doing this, eh? Many, many of you have written to say that you’re enjoying these “lessons with Lynda”. I conveyed your support to her and she says THANKS!

Many of you, too, have questions (really great questions!) about some of the topics we have been discussing. It amazes me how closely some of you pay attention to these. I promise to do my best to address your questions in upcoming episodes. The Numbered Tonguing concept, especially, seems to have struck a chord and has certainly brought forth a deluge of inquiries. One day very soon, I’ll do a thorough and concise explanation for you. I really think the system, however you wish to employ it, will do good things for your music.

Things have been incredibly busy around here, but I hope that you know I appreciate the emails and FaceBook memos. As busy as things may get, I’ll always try to make time for the Podcasts (some very good ones in the editing room as we speak. Honest.)

TROMBONE LOVE to you! Here’s Lynda…………

PS- my Sewanee friends, the video of the Brass Ensemble concert is fabulous. I will post “part 1″ later this week….BRAVO!!!!!

JOA does a LOT towards enhancing the jazz scene here in Atlanta: for students, teachers, pros, and lovers of jazz. If you’d like to know more about upcoming events, or would like to support them, please visit their website: OrchestraAtlanta.org

Thanks to Brent, Gordon, Mace, Justin and all the staff/faculty at the JOA/GSU Jazz Camp. I had a blast!!!!

A special thanks to 2 very special guests in this episode: Joe Gransden and David Sanchez. They are two of the finest musicians I know. Visit them on the web:

JoeGransden.com

David Sanchez

I will put up some footage from those in the next few weeks. Plus, I’m heading to the Sewannee Music Festival for a few weeks, where I also hope to capture some good footage for you. The letters and emails are great! Thanks so much to all of you, and my new FaceBook friends. BTW- some of you have noticed that the last few Episodes won’t synch with your iPod. I was experimenting with a new codec, as per Apple’s instructions (argh!). They should play fine on your computer, and when I have a moment I will change the format back to the good ole MP4. Sorry about that.

Many questions have come about the “Numbered Articulations” that Lynda and I have been discussing in the lessons. This is NOT the same system as Buddy Baker used. I have modified his concept and adapted it over the years to suit my purposes and my students’. Any shortcomings in the system are entirely MINE:-) I certainly wouldn’t want you to blame Mr. Baker for anything I do, OK?

That being said, I very much appreciate the fact that many of you find the information helpful. I would encourage you to delve deeper and contact me with any questions (there is a rather elaborate explanation of my Numbered Tonguing System at trombonelessons.com) I certainly encourage you to play around with the system and if you feel the need to adapt it to your purposes, do it! The bottom line is this: the system demands that you pay very close attention to the start, body, and end of notes. ANY system that makes you listen more carefully is a good one, eh? Just having increased awareness will make your music better, believe me. How much awareness you have is up to you! I don’t think you can have too much. Open the ears and the imagination to the same degree. Here’s some more with Lynda……….

Hello to all my new Facebook friends, too. You are very kind friends, indeed. We should plan a party here in Atlanta…….hmmm.

In this Episode, I have decided (as many of you have advised and requested) to get back to basics: learning to play the trombone. Truthfully, the Podcasts were originally intended to do just that. So, I found a very courageous volunteer in Lynda Jones. She’s been playing trombone for just 1 year, after spending 20 years in the US Army….. as a horn player!

I love to teach, that’s a fact. Hopefully, many of you do, too. Having done it now for so many years and with such a diverse studio, I find it more enjoyable now than ever. The goal of the teacher, in my opinion, is to inform and inspire simultaneously. A good teacher knows a lot about the student: background, goals, habits of thought, etc. One sure way to stay inspired yourself is to endeavor to do all you can to help students fulfill their potential…..

Thanks again, Lynda, for being a willing participant!

In this Episode, Newell Sheridan (assisted by Lynda Jones) conducts the interview and Hadyn gives a very insightful glimpse into the trombone scene on the other side of the world……

(Y’all might chuckle like I did when Newell puts the “hard sell” on Hadyn to consider a Shires. Ha! Can’t blame a guy for tryin’)

is THE WEEK to celebrate all things TROMBONE (Thanks, Colleen!)

 There’s more info here:

 http://www.trombone.net/itw/ 

 How will YOU celebrate?

 We’d love to know, so please write us.

 PEACE.

Trombone Love to Y’all

He is presently starting a new line of small-bore “commercial” trombones. You may have noticed the very unique trombone that Elliot Mason’s been playing lately…..that’s Mike’s creation.

Some of the innovations and features he’s adding to these horns I found most fascinating. I know you’ll enjoy meeting him! I sure did. Thanks so much, Dave and Mike. Great to meet you and I can’t wait to visit the shop in KC.

You can visit their shop on the Web, too, to learn more:

bachorndoctor.com

Just keep your head out of it and remember that no one is judging you! There are no rules. Just blow and have some fun, eh?

I think you’ll agree, too, that his trombone playing is absolutely gorgeous. I hope you enjoy meeting him!

Harry, thanks for the great “hang”.

We rehearsed once for each of the 2 sessions in this Episode, then rolled camera.  Some of Brad’s students were in the audience, but that’s it. YOU were our intended audience and this performance is for all of our viewers. Thanks for all the love and support you give to us. We hope you enjoy these impromptu “hangs”. Our goal is to do more and more of these. Getting together with friends and “pushing the envelope” with challenging music is a great way to spend an afternoon! (If you have suggestions for future repertoire, or if you write for trombone ensemble, please let us know.)

I would personally like to thank all the performers in this Episode:

Colin Williams, Bill Thomas, Brad Palmer, George Curran, Mark McConnell, Jim Cumiskey, and Jeff Koonce.

You guys rock my face off:-)

Special thanks to Colin and Brad for organizing everyone’s schedule. Thanks, too, to Columbus State University, for allowing us access to the magnificent Legacy Hall.

We hope you enjoy these, ladies and gentlemen, and perhaps gain from them. There is within this episode a nice variety of musical styles. There are no edits (whose got that kind of time?). Is there a note or 2 we’d like to have back….sure. But that ain’t what this is about. This is a “live” performance as best we could manage. I can tell you discussions were had about phrasing, articulations, balance, timbre, tempi, etc. Chamber music really makes you listen and “fit in”. To the students among us: there are some MASTERS at work here, I hope you are paying attention!

Perhaps you could really learn by watching this with friends (they needn’t be trombonists) and discussing/debating/dissecting our performance…..what do you notice? What do you hear? What do you like? What do you hate? Send us questions if they arise. We really are inviting feedback, have I mentioned that? Your feedback will help us on the next go-around. May it be soon!

PS- Know what? We don’t even have a name for our group yet!?

Any suggestions???????

Thanks, everybody……

Peace:-)

To our friend Jim Pugh, on being chosen by NPR (National Public Radio) as one of the “10 Best Classical CD’s of 2008”.

Jim, as you know, was our guest on Episodes #32 and 33. He is a class act and we cannot think of a more worthy recipient of this honor. Way to go Jim! You inspire us all.

Every one of us should own this album (you know, if you like TROMBONE)……you can get it at iTunes by clicking here. When I listen to Mr. Pugh on this album, it strikes me that everything is “in the pocket”. His groove, the pristine articulations, the presence or absence of vibrato, quality of motion through the phrase, and on and on. It’s perfect trombone playing to my ears. Delicious!

Here’s a review from NPR’s website:

Pugh: Trombone Concerto: IIIArtist: James (Jim) Pugh Album: X Over Trombone Song: Concerto for trombone & orchestra Most frequently asked question in the 22-year history of Performance Today: Did Mozart write the PT theme? Nope, it was written for the show by trombonist and composer James Pugh. Pugh is the eclectic’s eclectic: He played with the Woody Herman Big Band, he’s recorded classical music with Yo-Yo Ma and electric jazz with Chick Corea, he tours with Steely Dan, he’s a first-call player for film-soundtrack sessions and he teaches at the University of Illinois. This CD features three jazzy concertos for trombone and orchestra including Pugh’s own trombone romp from 1992.

Enjoy! Thanks, Jon, for setting this up. Thanks Joe and Pete. We are all so thankful that the 3 of you spent some time with us. Trombone Love to you all…and thanks for letting us all know just what that means.

The Alessi Seminar sounds like a place we all should be, eh?

Please visit:

www.alessiseminar.com

In this episode, learn more about Mercer University, The Townsend School of Music, The Robert McDuffie Center for Strings, the town of Macon, and more. Dr. John Dickson tells us all about it.

If after watching this, you want to know more, please visit their website:

www.mercer.edu

Or, as always, write me and I’ll help however I can: tom@trombonelessons.com

Thanks, everyone!

Philos Brass!

I think you’ll love ‘em.

Thanks for the hang, guys. I really enjoyed meeting you. Sorry about the Eagles. But GO STEELERS!!!!!

Just an audio clip here, ladies and gents, in mp3 format. A chance for you to really stretch those ears and show your listening prowess:-)

Who IS this trombone artist? A prize for the first one to correctly identify this beautiful sound. (Not sure what the prize is just yet, but it will be radically cool and you’ll want to win it.)

I’ll leave the “Comments” open on this one (God help us all!) so you can readily venture a guess. You can always email me, too, with a guess or comments:

tom@trombonelessons.com

Very soon, this artist will be coming on to sit and chat with us about his adventurous and fun-filled life with the trombone… and lucky for us, he has a lot more tracks to share.

Please Enjoy:

Sorry for the false alarm…..but as always:

Peace, and Happy New Year everybody!

Sincerely, Dr. Tom

I will be teaching at Kennesaw State University and Mercer University next year, though! Boy, do I LOVE to teach:-)

www.slidedr.com

**** SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FOR OUR FRIENDS****

I just spoke with Santa, and he says he might have something here for you under the tree come Christmas morning. You have been a good boy or girl, right? Well, some of your trombone-playing friends in Atlanta have a really nice musical gift for you. Check back Christmas morning, OK? Peace.

Dr. Upchurch was very kind in allowing camera to roll. He’s quite eloquent and photogenic, wouldn’t you agree…..perhaps I was set up:-) The conversation in this episode comes after more than an hour of the most thorough explanation of slide technology that you may ever see. That footage will air ASAP, and I highly recommend it to everyone. He truly knows slides.

He knows much more than that. This was a good conversation. In it, he explains for us all a whole lot more than proper tube alignment. Thanks, John, for the hospitality and generosity. I couldn’t be happier with my slides, and I feel like I earned a degree in Humanity in one afternoon.

PS- I’d like to mention this again: I just saw our resident digeredoo expert  Jay Evans (and friends….there’s Jen!) on the “Renaissance Christmas” DVD done in Chicago. It is really wonderful. If you have loved ones asking you about your Santa list, this would be an ideal gift for a good girl or boy:

Renaissance Christmas: “Join Chicago’s celebrated Music of the Baroque Chorus and Brass ensemble for A Renaissance Christmas”

PPS- Holiday Party, December 15, 7pm in Powder Springs, GA (email for info)

Peace.

LOOK! Now you can now download The Piedmont Trombone Society’s debut album “Let’s Get Lost” (winner of the ITA’s 2004 Kai Winding Award). Click the button below for details. We thank you for your support! We will use these profits to start our 2nd album. Thanks, everybody.

While I was browsing the web for free Brass Quintet music, I came across your arrangement for ‘America the Beautiful,’ and I thought it could use a bit of beautifying. So I typeset it with Lilypond.

Included in the zipped attachment are the pdfs for parts and score, as well as full Lilypond source.

– Ross” ___________________________________________

Oh, you “thought it could use a bit of beautifying” did you, Ross!? Oh, really. Hmm. Well……..

……thanks! You rock. I really appreciate it. I’ve got lots more if you’re bored:-)

Attached as a .ZIP file to this Episode, friends, is Ross’ work. Beautiful indeed! This is an arrangement for standard Brass Quintet. I’m going to look deeper at Lilypond (check it out HERE). Seems like many of you are using it, eh? Honestly, can I become proficient quickly? I’m curious. I’m a decent Finale user.

PS- I just saw our resident digeredoo expert  Jay Evans (and friends) on the “Renaissance Christmas” DVD done in Chicago. It is really wonderful. If you have loved ones asking you about your Santa list, this would be an ideal gift for a good girl or boy:

Renaissance Christmas: “Join Chicago’s celebrated Music of the Baroque Chorus and Brass ensemble for A Renaissance Christmas”

LOOK! Now you can now download The Piedmont Trombone Society’s debut album “Let’s Get Lost” (winner of the ITA’s 2004 Kai Winding Award). Click the button below for details. We thank you for your support! We will use these profits to start our 2nd album. Thanks, everybody.

Befitting a king. Naturally. It boggles the mind that Joe doesn’t play trombone!

LOOK! Now you can now download The Piedmont Trombone Society’s debut album “Let’s Get Lost” (winner of the ITA’s 2004 Kai Winding Award). Click the button below for details. We thank you for your support! We will use these profits to start our 2nd album. Thanks, everybody.

Enjoy!

PS- don’t deny yourself Part 1 and 3 of this series with Joe…and if you’re ever at The Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta, by all means please feel free to: visit Might Mo, applaud between numbers, put your trash in the receptacles, and refrain from sticking gum under the seat. It is, after all, Joe’s house:-)

LOOK! Now you can now download The Piedmont Trombone Society’s debut album “Let’s Get Lost” (winner of the ITA’s 2004 Kai Winding Award). Click the button below for details. We thank you for your support! We will use these profits to start our 2nd album. Thanks, everybody.

(PHOTO below is by Jessica McGowan, of AJC.com)

Joe Patten is living a most exceptional life, and is possessed of a powerful mind. This is the first in a 3-part series. In Parts 1 and 2, he will give us a tour of his pride and joy, Mighty Mo. Then, in Part 3, he very kindly welcomes us all into his MOST unique home….easily the most exclusive residence in Atlanta.

Many things have been written in tribute to this man. He is an expert in X-Ray technology, he has a renowned vintage car collection (he helped build some of the first NASCAR’s!), and he has an inspiring love for Mighty Mo, the Fox Theatre’s Grand Lady. Perhaps if you haven’t yet viewed Episode 105, our visit with Larry Embury and Mighty Mo, you may wish to do so before watching this one. It might give you a better appreciation for what you see here. Whatever you wish:-)

You can read more about Joe by CLICKING HERE.

Thanks, Joe, for the chance to spend an afternoon with you….we won’t soon forget it.

LOOK! Now you can now download The Piedmont Trombone Society’s debut album “Let’s Get Lost” (winner of the ITA’s 2004 Kai Winding Award). Click the button below for details. We thank you for your support! We will use these profits to start our 2nd album. Thanks, everybody.

Click here for Directions:

http://www.countrywalk.org/

Please join us if you can……..families are welcome, of course. Happy Holidays, everyone!

Also in this PDF Episode is an interview done recently for the Italian Trombone Society.

My thanks to Gianluca Pizzin for the invitation to speak with him!

LOOK! Now you can now download The Piedmont Trombone Society’s debut album “Let’s Get Lost” (winner of the ITA’s 2004 Kai Winding Award). Click the button below for details. We thank you for your support! We will use these profits to start our 2nd album. Thanks, everybody.

I’ve heard him tell people that I was his teacher. The truth is, I have learned more from him than I ever could impart to any student. He inspires me (and everyone around him) and I’m glad to make the introduction for you. Please enjoy meeting him, then stop by his website to say “Hello”. One quick glimpse at his Guestbook and you can see quite clearly that his influence is widespread and often profound. His website is here:

www.martymikles.com

In this Episode, I was honored to join Marty and his friends in the studio to record a new song, “Stand Up”. (Darryl, Robert, Bernie, and Lex….you guys rock!) Marty composed it, orchestrated it, sang it, played guitar on it, helped record and produce it. Amazing. His solo album, “Running in Circles” is fabulous, too!

Thanks, Marty, and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone (well, those in the United States….to all else, PEACE:-)

LOOK! Now you can now download The Piedmont Trombone Society’s debut album “Let’s Get Lost” (winner of the ITA’s 2004 Kai Winding Award). Click the button below for details. We thank you for your support! We will use these profits to start our 2nd album. Thanks, everybody.

Tone Generator: http://www.nch.com.au/tonegen/

Audacity (great recording software….and FREE): http://audacity.sourceforge.net

And this we received from Ron:

“You may find these two websites helpful with the supporting calculations you may need to make:

<http://www.birdsoft.demon.co.uk/music/notecalc.htm> is a Frequency to Note calculator.  Put in a frequency and it will provide the nearest note and the offset in cents (440Hz = A4).

<http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/notes.html> goes the other way giving a table for finding the frequency of a given note….While looking for a better tuner, I came across a better source of data for generating drones: Go to the Peterson Tuner website (click here) and click on Tuning Library, then select Cents to Frequency Chart from the pull down menu. A programmable table is generated which gives note to frequency (and vice versa) translations. This includes offsets by a number of cents, which eases building intervals with just temperament, etc. You can also go directly to the page at:

http://www.petersontuners.com/index.cfm?category=15

Peterson Tuners uses Adobe Flash for the display of this table.”

Thanks to Ron, Greg, and all of you for the great feedback. Students, believe me: even a cursory exploration of these resources, I believe, will improve your overall sound production and intonation. It will open your ears, and perhaps the creative mind.

Check out Kingsized HERE Ladies and Gents: www.kingsized.biz

Episode 106, Part Two may not appear in your iTunes window. It has a .ZIP file attached to it containing a CD of Drones prepared by Brad Edwards. To access and download the Drones CD, please visit Episode 106 (Part 2) at the Podcast homepage:

http://tbonegib.podbean.com/

Thanks!

The Contents of the CD can be viewed (and printed) by clicking HERE.

Enjoy! Thanks again, Brad.

Once you click the link below, 376MB of juicy drones will begin to download…..

Following this video Episode, I will post a HUGE audio Episode as Part 2. It’s large because the files are not compressed. They will sound great as you play along with them. It is an entire CD of drones that Brad has very graciously given us. Thanks, Brad!

BTW- Brad’s website is:

www.bonezone.org

***NOTICE: the responses to both Boko’s interview and Larry’s tour of “Mighty Mo” have been terrific. Thanks for the overwhelming feedback. I am glad you liked them so much! I am preparing the footage of Joe Patten and you’ll find him to be a fascinating gentlemen, I trust. Thanks, all! Enjoy the Drones.***

Larry was most kind in giving us a tour of “Mighty Mo” from the helm. While this episode may have precious little to do with trombone…I trust you will find this time well spent. Any musician who loves his instrument like Larry loves his “Mighty Mo” is a delight to witness. I hope you agree! Besides, you ain’t never seen an instrument like “Mo”. If you’ve been fortunate enough to attend a show at The Fox and hear Larry “live”, then you know what I mean.

He does shows throughout the year, with his “Larry, Carols, and Mo” Christmas Concert being among the most popular annual events in town! Tickets are free, but you better get them early each year. More about Larry can be learned at the Fox’ website:

http://www.foxtheatre.org/

You can order his recordings while there, too, and I highly recommend the DVD/CD done in 5.1 Surround Sound. It’s called “Sonic Bloom”. Check it out HERE.

He is also a musical force behind DuoArts, and you can learn more about that HERE.

Hope you enjoy meeting Larry and “Mighty Mo” ladies and gentlemen. Next time you’re in Atlanta and are lucky enough to catch a show at the Fox, stop by the console and say hello! I’m quite sure that Larry would love to meet you.

Thanks for the quality time, Larry! See you at the Holiday Show:-)

This episode is an interview with the Musical Director of this $14 Million extravaganza, Mr. Boko Suzuki. He has a LOT of great insights and tips for those of you looking forward to a career playing shows! It’s one of my favorite things to do as a freelancer, because it involves a plethora of styles, lots of different equipment, mutes, etc.

Also, these productions are of the highest imaginable quality….and working with such professionalism is inspiring. The cast, crew, and musicians on this production of “Wicked” were world-class. Talented beyond belief and extremely committed to excellence night after night after night.

I hope you enjoy meeting Mr. Suzuki. We wish him and all of his colleagues safe travels and good times as they tour what may very well go down as one of the greatest musicals of all time. It is a sensational theatre experience.”Defying Gravity”, “For Good”, “I’m Not That Girl”, “No Good Deed”…..these are great tunes!

You can learn more about the show here:

http://www.wickedthemusical.com/

Boko also hosts a Podcast for singers. Check it out HERE.

Thanks, Boko, for taking the time to share with us all.

***NOTICE: some big files are forthcoming, for you subscribers to this Podcast. Just a head’s up….don’t want to fill your hard drive and get hate mail. Might be time for an external hard drive for all these juicy episodes, though! On Nov. 17, I’ll post a fascinating interview with Larry Douglas Embury, resident organist at The Fox Theatre and Master of “Mighty Mo”, one of the world’s largest Theatre Organs. That Episode will be about 250MB of goodness, and it will be followed by a series of Episodes with the one-of-a-kind Joe Patten. ***

“Tom and Colin,

My grad student (Andrew Shelton) just recorded all four of the Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) All-state tenor trombone etudes, and I have them up on the website and will be putting them on youtube soon.  I was hoping I could get you to send a word out about it, and perhaps even plug the site on the podcast?  I just want to make sure all of the high schoolers know about this resource and have access to it.  Let me know what you think.  Thanks! The etudes can be found on the CSU Trombone Studio website:

http://music.colstate.edu/trombone

Brad”

Thanks, Brad and Andrew! Very well done, gents.

Viewers, if you know of other sites where All-State etudes are so expertly demonstrated, please alert us and we will get the word out. Good luck at your audition, everyone:-)

PS- my interview with Mr. Boko Suzuki, maestro of the Broadway tour of “Wicked” will post on Nov. 10 and you won’t want to miss it. He has a TON of great information, I know you’ll enjoy meeting him!

-Dr. Tom

tom@trombonelessons.com

Wycliffe Gordon is our guest!

Yup, that’s right. He graciously took time out of his very busy schedule to sit down with David Lynch and myself. Hope you enjoy this one, ladies and gentlemen…..Happy 100!

Visit Wycliffe’s Homepage to see and hear all about this versatile Trombone Artist:

www.wycliffegordon.com

Thanks to Wycliffe, Howard Lovett of Studio South Productions, and the band members for their incredible hospitality. The studio in which we are filming has quite a history……The Godfather of Soul, James Brown, recorded there! In fact, Howard had the honor of working with him on many occasions. Obviously, there’s still a TON of funk in the room.

To contact Howard about Studio South Productions:

4014 Columbia Rd. Augusta, GA 30907 ph: (706) 651-1962

email: studiosouth@knology.net

This article was written more than 10 years ago. Very hard for me to swallow that fact. We don’t grow younger, eh? This was published in the ITA Journal and a number of other publications and it really received a lot of positive feedback.

I meant to include this one in the last batch….an oversight on my part, my apologies. It’s very interesting to read this again after so may experiences have accumulated since I wrote the article. I’ve spent an awful lot of time on both sides of the screen, and it’s difficult to follow your own advice, isn’t it? But this was an article initially intended as a personal journal entry. It began as a note to myself, because even in 1997 I knew that I’d be on the other side of the screen soon enough.

I want to thank my friend Tim for encouraging me to post it here. Tim is one of the finest musicians I have EVER known and he claims that the article effected him deeply as a young player in high school. Tim, even if you’re lying about that, I love you brother.

*PS- this is NOT Episode 100. Check back in just a few days and I will have a delicious trombonistic treat for all of us. I wanted to do something special for the 100, but I had no idea who was gonna come on camera with us. You’re gonna be blown away, believe me. I was!

PPS- this posting comes to you live from the stunning (and cheap!) Sunset Inn in Augusta, GA. I’m here for a few days to open the new season with the Augusta Symphony. I’ll be playing a lot of 2nd Trombone here this year with Brad Edwards to my right and David Lynch to my left. Good times. You might be interested to know that Dr. Edwards (of Episode 88) played a most spectacular Bolero this evening! Bravo Zulu, soldier. That’s always a cause for joy in trombonedom, is it not ladies and gentlemen? Let’s all raise a glass and toast Brad’s and every other lovely rendition of that pesky charmer.

I was initially tempted to re-write some of these, but decided against that. They are as I intended at the time of their writing, and there’s something valid about that. In any case, they have elicited lively responses in some forums. I thought I would share them with you and if you have strong feelings for or against my observations……that is as it should be. We would all benefit from knowing your thoughts. In truth, if these articles prove so contentious that they initiate a rousing debate whereby we ALL learn something; that would not be a bad thing in the least, now would it?

The articles have been posted on my website for some time, and they are entitled:

1) Static Energy: The Musician’s Enemy

2) Achieve v. Receive; Serious v. Sincere

3) Good v. Great Players

I hope you gain from reading them. Perhaps they will open avenues of thought that are new for you.

PS- Since writing the 2nd article, I have learned that many people have intense negative feelings about Martin Luther. I hope that context can overcome these, my apologies if that fails. His life’s revelation is used only as an example. I was pondering the good in the man, not the bad. Frankly, I was educated by a reader who knew far more than me and I thank him for expanding my knowledge.

Nothing but a few links in this Episode ladies and gentlemen. Many thanks to our viewers who have been sending links to trombone-related goodness on the Web. Here are some of my most recent favorites: First is the story of Bernie Clifton, a man from England who uses his trombone to spread good cheer and fun…….can you imagine that?

Check out Bernie’s clip from BBC News:

http://news.bbc.co.uk:80/2/hi/uk_news/england/7570836.stm

You make the trombone community proud, Bernie:-)

Next up are a few clips of perhaps the biggest “rock star” of the trombone…..Jack Teagarden. It might be difficult for us to imagine in this day and age, but Mr. Teagarden’s unrivaled musicality and virtuosity made him a star of “pop” culture. Here are some wonderful examples (both of these clips can be viewed Full Screen):

“The Pied Piper of Basin Street”

“The Slip Horn King of Polaroo”

Seems like every note he played had melodious intentions, eh? If you’d like to hear a LOT more of Jack Teagarden, check this out:

http://www.truveo.com/search.php?query=jack+teagarden&uqs=

Thanks Adam and Jonathan for sending these links. Great stuff!

Mr. Kleinberg is a very talented young man, as you’ll hear in this episode. I get the sense he works very hard, too, at his music. Inspiring.

We hope you enjoy this one as we play some duets and talk a bit about trombone and other stuff. The duets we play are by Marco Katz and Michael Davis. They both write great stuff for trombonists! Please visit their websites and buy their wares:

Marco Katz’ website: www.marcokatz.com

Michael Davis’ website: www.hip-bonemusic.com

PS- this is a large file, but I think you’ll agree that it looks and sounds better than most previous episodes. Robbie, you see, is also a whiz with computers and brought along his HD camera. He hipped me to some new compression formats and convinced me that a new camera is in order (IE: fund drive may start soon:-)

What can I say, it’s a learning process and I thank Robbie for his technical expertise. And, while I’m at it, I thank ALL of you for the support and advice you are giving. I appreciate it tremendously……..Y’all are smart, Ron:-)

Goal-Setting to Achieve Your Dreams from your friends at trombonelessons.com

Being the best you can be and achieving all your dreams is a life-long pursuit. One never really “arrives”. The most successful, satisfied, and self-actualized people are those who continuously set goals for themselves while taking humble pride in the accomplishments they’ve had. Never looking in the rear-view mirror….always the windshield! If you have chosen to be a professional musician, you must understand that the level of competition you will face is extreme. That’s because the jobs you’ll compete for are so desirable. That level of competition should excite you. It should certainly motivate you. It should make you feel alive….a full-blown participant in YOUR life experience. You are blessed to feel this way. You need to foster that energy and feed off of it for the rest of your musical life. To keep yourself “plowing ahead” and “staying the course” on the way to your dreams, we have developed some Goal-setting Worksheets for you.

Students: use these worksheets to declare your dreams and pursue them with clarity, focus, and sincerity. Work smarter, not harder, by tracking your short, mid, and long-term progress over the course of days, weeks, months, and years.

Teachers: help your students stay on track by grading them every week and every few months with these worksheets.

The Worksheets: (Please Print as many copies as needed and keep them in your Trombone Notebook)

Long-Term Goals: this worksheet should ideally be reviewed and “tweaked” every New Year. It sets long-term goals that are not necessarily trombone-specific. As you progress in your career, however, the more you’ll come to understand how everything relates to overall happiness and fulfillment. This will get your head thinking in those terms.

Mid-Term Goals: this worksheet encompasses roughly a one-year or one-semester time period. It is decidedly more trombone-specific in its content and should be revisited (but not edited) every few weeks. Teachers can use this to evaluate a students progress throughout the semester; even using it to determine a final grade.

Short-Term Goals: each Sunday night, review last week’s worksheet, grade yourself on the week’s work, and fill out a new sheet for the upcoming week. This simple habit will make you a better player for life.

As always, we invite your comments and would love to be appraised of your progress. Please write us at:

tom@trombonelessons.com

Thanks, Andy.

I wanted to give some friendly advice to Jordan, because the transition from high school to college can be tough. Here, I try to share with him what I know about being successful in your Freshman year and beyond. I hope you find this helpful and do write with questions/comments.

The Goal Sheets we refer to can be found here:

http://trombonelessons.com/goals/goalsmain.html

They really work; please consider using them or developing your own.

Gordon Cherry’s excellent resources are here:

http://www.cherry-classics.com/sheetMusicFrame.html

Best of luck, everyone, this year at school! Strive hard and enjoy the process, eh?

The food and amenities on board were world-class. I felt almost guilty being so pampered. Almost:-)

All the while, we were being treated to the music of David Fulton and his Orchestra, a really groovin’ 10-piece band led by Dave. They have 3 saxes, 1 bone, 2 trumpets, guitar, piano, bass, and drums in the group.

Dave’s a fantastic ‘bone player (what a tone!) and has been cruising as a musician for 9 years. He now “runs the show” and is Musical Director aboard the Legend. Turns out, he’s from Marietta….right down the road from me. We have many, many mutual friends and enjoyed sharing dozens of stories. The music world in general, and the trombone world specifically, are small worlds indeed.

Have you ever wondered what this gig might be like? Hear it from Dave in this episode….and learn how you can audition for Carnival. You can visit Carnival’s Entertainment website, too, to learn more and see some great clips:

www.carnivalentertainment.com

Hope you enjoy meeting Mr. David Fulton, everyone.

If you have any leads for him in finding a nice new axe, email me and I’ll put you in touch with him:

tom@trombonelessons.com

Thanks.

Sure to put a smile on your face (we hope!), please enjoy meeting some members of this whacked-out, manic, groovin’ band.

They can be visited on the Web at:

www.myspace.com/mercuryseason

Hope to see you at a show!

Oystein Baadsvik, the great Norwegian Tubist, was a special guest at this year’s International Euphonium Institute at Emory University. He was kind enough to grant us this interview and we all enjoyed getting to know him. I am quite sure that you will, too.

You can visit Mr. Baadsvik at his website:

http://www.baadsvik.com

Thank you, Mr. Baadsvik, for a great week at IEI and we hope to see you again very soon!

You can learn more about Emory University, the host of IEI, and their Music Department here:

http://music.emory.edu/