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…..
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!
To learn more about the fabulous Joe Gransden (who promises to come do an interview with us soon:-), please visit:
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.
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
How will YOU celebrate?
We’d love to know, so please write us.
PEACE.
Trombone Love to Y’all
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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:
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:-)
]]>**** 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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
***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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
It’s obvious in her speech and her actions that she was born to teach. She’s an amazing woman……filled with wisdom, patience, humor, wit, compassion.
It was my honor to perform on her last concert with the High School and it is my pleasure to introduce her to all of you. For all of those who aspire to be great educators…..listen up. She is one of the best.
Here’s a great game to play to learn to HEAR better!
I stole the idea from Brad Edwards. Shhhhh! (I also stole some slide cream from him.) Brad’s wonderful web presence can be felt most strongly here: www.bonezone.org
It’s designed for 3 players and will involve chord identification. Doing this for a while with friends/students/teachers will REALLY open your ears. Enjoy…..
This is a portion of my interview with him on a recent visit to Atlanta. I will, in the very near future, have some clips from the master class he gave at GSU. For now, please enjoy this “hang with Brad”.
I hope all of you are having a good Summer so far! This is a great time of year to participate in outdoor music-making. Just remember the bug spray and wind clips:-)
There’s a new icon to your right ladies and gents————————————————————————–>
Our loyal friend Ron has nominated us for the “Blogger’s Choice Awards” for Best Video Blog! Thanks Ron…that means an awful lot to us. If you’d like to vote for us, follow this link and post a vote and comment: http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/blogs/show/47640
Thanks, everybody, for voting…..and thank you Ron!
Now, in this Episode it is my pleasure to introduce you to my friend Alex Henderson, rock star trombonist and mega-cool guy. He’s been performing for a long time now with one of my favorite groups, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Their website is here:
I’ve had the pleasure of playing in 3 different orchestras backing up this amazing, swingin’ band. Each time we’ve met up, Alex and I have had some great hangs. (Ask him about the Rat Brain:-) This time, I brought a camera so you all could meet him. Enjoy!
PS- if you happen to know the personnel on “Kenton: Wagner”, could you please email that information to me: tom@trombonelessons.com
Thanks in advance! We’ve been enjoying a well-preserved vinyl rendition of this masterpiece and we can’t find anything about it at Google.
After a breathtakingly beautiful concert (including Mr. Stout on euphonium playing the Bydlo solo from “Pictures at an Exhibition”!), it was our great treat to watch Rick do a master class at Columbus State University. He was hosted by Brad Palmer and his AMAZING studio. (You can find out more about Dr. Palmer, Columbus State, and the Schwob School of Music here: http://music.colstate.edu)
Mr. Stout filled the room with resonance whilst also filling it with wisdom. I think you will all really, really enjoy hearing him perform and speak. Personally, I caught a few golden nuggets in this master class that I plan on implementing immediately. Thanks for sharing with us all, Rick.
Also in this episode, we provide a few PSA’s on behalf of some friends. It allows us to stay in touch and keep everyone informed about the many cool things happening in Trombonia. We appreciate the emails, announcements, bulletins, fliers, and updates….
Enjoy. Peace. Thanks. Write.
In that interview, he talks about the International Euphonium Institute that he hosts at Emory University every Summer. It’s awesome! I can attest that this event is a lot of fun and very informative every year. Adam does a great job of stacking the faculty with world-class artists year after year. He and his wife, Janet, do an amazing job logistically and I marvel at their organizational skills. I recommend that those of you trombonists that “double” on euphonium consider attending. It’s a great way to get the fingers movin’ (and having the skills to play euphonium is a VERY good thing for trombonists). It’s good for us to gain some insight, too, into the Euphonium world. No need to harness any irrational fears of them simply because they play so fast and high. We should build bridges, not walls, right? Accept your Euphonium brothers and sisters to make the world a better place, right? C’mon trombone players, let us extend a hand in friendship to our mellower, more fluid, perhaps slightly less intelligible musical kin:-)
(One thing’s for sure, these fun-loving euphers have highly developed senses of humor.)
Hey, did I mention that Adam is a really pretty decent golfer? Do you know what Adam’s mother said when he declared “Mommy, when I grow up I want to be a euphonium player!”. She wisely said, “Sorry, dear, but you can’t do both.” But I digress……
From Adam: “The International Euphonium Institute is a week long inspiring event focused on the euphonium that takes place from June 15-21, 2008 at Emory University. Geared towards rising 9th graders through adult players, the IEI brings together a vast faculty from around the globe of the top performers and teachers from around the world. The 2008 IEI features:
International Artists Jukka Myllys (Finland) and Øystein Baadsvik (Norway)
A return of Adam Frey, Brian Bowman, Gail Robertson, Tom Gibson, Caryl Conger, Magdalena Shumanova, and Martin Cochran
Commissioned new works by: Eric Ewazen (Sonata and Quartet), Roland Szentpali, and more to come…
A Conductors Perspective Master Class taught by Scott Stewart and Robert Ambrose
Military Band Audition Focus Classes
Arranging Class with Gail Robertson Teaching Assistants Mark Carlson and Jamie Lipton
Please visit our website for more information: www.euphonium.com
Best wishes and thanks, Adam Frey www.euphonium.com
Yamaha Performing Artist
Below is a PDF file for printing and sharing. It’s a poster with all the info about 2008 IEI. Please feel free to share it, post it, and inform your friends/teachers/students about it. Thanks!
Okay, one more: How do you keep a euphonium player in suspense?
This video shows how I like to go about keeping the slide clean. PLEASE use a lot of care when cleaning the slide. The metal is more delicate than you might imagine.
As always, if you have questions about this Episode, please contact us: tom@trombonelessons.com
PS- a message from our friend Abbie Conant: A friend of a friend is starting a Brass Ensemble in Tasmania. I know that some of our viewers live there, so I thought I’d pass this along. If you or someone you know would like to be in a Brass Ensemble in Tasmania, please contact Miss Jessica Borton via email: baschawolf@netspace.net.au
She’s also in need of some music for her band’s library and other resources, so if you can help her I’m sure she would appreciate it.
George Curran is the Bass Trombonist of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (http://www.atlantasymphony.org)
But you already knew that because you’ve met him on earlier episodes and bathed in his beautiful tone bath:-) For example, the re-edited Episode 71.
He writes a newsletter for all trombonists in the greater Atlanta area. These often cater specifically to the Atlanta scene, but George usually includes some great info for ALL trombonists. He has very kindly allowed us to publish and share them here at the TromboneLessons Podcasts. Thanks, George!
These are PDF files, ladies and gents, so you should be able to simply click the “pdf” icon below…….let me know if you have trouble opening the file.
PS- Special treat for you here, thanks to Wes! How big of a “rock star” was Jack Teagarden? This is too cool, check it out: http://video.aol.com/video-detail/teagarden-the-sliphorn-king/3889972002
Also in this episode, we announce that viewers of the Podcasts can use our password to download SmartMusic for $25. This is made possible by the generous contributions of you viewers. Thanks to everybody that has donated to make this possible.
SmartMusic, as you may know, is one of my favorite tools for music-making. It’s an incredible resource for those that make use of it. We encourage you all to check it out and try it. Hours of fun await you:-)
PS- just one day after this interview, Mr. Chastain performed his first Brandenburg Concerto! It’s a fabulous performance, available at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISt0Qxm5Z7Q
Clayton used to be a trombone player, but for some stupid reason, he switched to trumpet. Oh, well, seems to be working out well for him:-)
In this Episode, I’m pleased to introduce my friends from the US Air Force Reserve Band’s Brass Quintet. The players are:
Michael Richter, trumpet
Thomas Salyers, trumpet
Michael Pekarek, horn
John Caputo, trombone (and euphonium)
Michael Andrew, tuba
These guys are great! They have a new CD out, too. More info about the CD and the US Air Force Reserve Band can be found at their website: http://www.band.afrc.af.mil
A career as a military musician can be a really wonderful experience. If you have any questions about it, I would encourage you to contact these gentlemen. They are marvelous performers and seem to have a lot of fun doing their jobs. I’m sure they’d be happy to talk to you about their careers as military musicians. I speak from experience when I say that playing in a military band can be an awesome thing!
BTW- I just received word from Colin that he has been invited to the Final round for the Principal Trombone job with the Boston Symphony! I know we all join in wishing him the best of luck. Although, as I was recently reminded….luck comes to the well-prepared mind:-) You’re an inspiration to us all, Colin. Bravo.
Wow, it’s been nearly 3 weeks since our last post……sorry to those of you suffering withdrawals:-) Things have been quite busy ’round here, so I apologize for the delay. But, I’ve got a good one for you this week:
Through our friend, Dr. Robert Ambrose, the Atlanta Trombone Quartet (actually a quintet) was asked to record a newly published work by Andrew Rindfleisch. It is a beautiful quartet for trombones entitled “Chorale and Prayer”. In this episode, you get a peek into the recording session. I think you’ll agree that the music is absolutely gorgeous. It’s also nice to see the great interaction between these master trombonists and Robert, who produced the recording. Our thanks to the members of The Church of the Redeemer here in Atlanta. Their lovely sanctuary proved to be the perfect venue for this solemn and uplifting music.
You’ll hear only a portion of the piece. If you’d like to hear the rest of it, we think you should buy it and play it with your friends! Trombone Love to Mr. Rindfleisch, you know?
It’s available through Manzo Music, at: www.manzomusic.com
If you’d like to know more about the composer, Andrew Rindfleisch, please visit his website: www.andrewrindfleisch.com
Thanks for all the great emails! We are thrilled and humbled by the responses we’re getting to the Podcasts. Love you guys. Peace.
For those that teach or are sincere about winning an audition, this should be of tremendous value. We encourage you to read it, dwell upon it, put it into practice, and read it again. Then, email us when you win the gig!
He was very kind in sharing with us all his guide to “Audition Preparation” (apparently, it works!) That PDF document will be available as a supplement to this video. I think we all owe Weston a big THANKS for his willingness to share it…..it’s great!
Weston, thanks for the visit and the wonderful interview! Best of luck to you, sir, as you aim towards the highest musical peaks.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we proudly present Mr. Weston Sprott…….
Most of us, of course, know and love Sam from his days with The Empire Brass. Some of us met him when we first encountered The Breathing Gym, the outstanding DVD/book he did in collaboration with Pat Sheridan. They since have completed The Brass Gym, and both of those you should probably own. Find them here:
Honestly, though, you just won’t find a nicer, hipper, cooler,more musical, more fun-loving, more travelled, more thoughtful, more compassionate guy than Mr. Sam Pilafian. I met him while on tour with the Boston Brass this past December. I will have more video from that tour in the very near future. Everyone associated with The Boston Brass is amazing. Please visit their website:
Hope you enjoy this one! Thanks to Sam for being such a gracious participant. Part 2 coming soon.
BTW- the clips from this and upcoming videos from Chicago and New York would not have been possible without the kindness of Bob Scarr (superb trombonist and flight-plan coordinator for Delta Airlines here in Atlanta.) I can’t thank him enough, so I’ll thank him often. This one’s for you, Bob! Trombone Love to you, sir.
More info about Oman can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oman
Brian was able take this journey because of an ad he saw at the website “Musical Chairs”, which has a tremendous listing of jobs all over the world. That website is here: http://www.musicalchairs.info/
I love trying new stuff, especially when it’s of such high quality as these mouthpieces. Jeff can be contacted for more info at this address: jefftaylor@griegomouthpieces.com
The Griego website is here: http://www.griegomouthpieces.com
So, Bill brought his contra, I grabbed an alto, Tom swapped the tuba for a Conn 88H, and Brent held court on his bass trombone…..and we had ourselves a “hang”. A really fun afternoon it was.
Also in this episode, I answer some accumulating Viewer Mails. Thanks for all of those and don’t fret if I haven’t gotten to yours yet. We’ll strive hard to get to them all, promise.
Please enjoy this episode and let us know your thoughts. As always and forever, peace.
Let’s all go practice now. We gotta keep getting better to make more and more Trombone Love for this crazy world of ours, right? Collectively, we can make some noise!
Gary is retired from West Texas A&M University, where he was the Director of Bands. He was invited to do a clinic at the Texas Bandmasters Convention on INTONATION. He asked if he could use our Bruckner 8 in his presentation. We were honored to abide, of course, but if you’ll recall the audio fidelity was not the greatest. In Episode 18, the audio feed is off my camera’s mic. Not bad, but not great. We had the really nice mics in the hall recording the entire session, though. So I re-edited the video for Mr. Garner, using the better audio from the mics in the hall.
This is just a very short clip, but I think you’ll like it…….the complete discussion about this excerpt can be found in Episode 18.
If you have good speakers and/or good headphones, now’s the time to use ‘em.
Sounds like the beginning of a good joke. Well, just watch what happens!
Spontaneous improvisation. Good for the chops, good for the ears, good for the mind, good for the ensemble, good for the soul.
These are trained professionals (believe it or not), please do attempt this at home.
Participating in this soiree are myself, Lee Watts, Wes, and a guy who suggested that we never, EVER, show this publicly. (He’s our musical guru, though I suspect he secretly wishes for a demotion.)
By the way, this all happened in beautiful Kentucky. Lee makes a very clever allusion to this fact, if you pay attention…assuming you last that long:-)
When I was in the Navy Band, our drum major, Jeff Myers, had a wonderful tradition of marching ’round Capitol Hill in Washington, DC playing Christmas Carols with a brass group. It was always the highlight of everyone’s Holiday Season.
When Katlyn and I moved to Atlanta, we decided to keep the tradition alive……this year was the 5th Annual Brass Caroling at Country Walk. It was a real joy and I thank all the wonderful musicians that joined in the merriment. You guys are the best!
Also in this Episode is a great tip for you bass trombonists that suffer pain in your hand, shoulder, etc. Lee Watts shows us his remedy for holding the tortuous beast known as the Bass Trombone. It’s a little stocking-stuffer tidbit for you:-)
Thanks, Lee! You can check out Lee’s website at: http://wattsbone.com/
Also, thanks to the talented Tim Redman for the still photos. He’s pretty awesome with a camera, check him out at Flicker: http://www.flickr.com/photos/trombontim/
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays everybody.
By the way…….still no sign of my taped interview with Joe Robinson. ARGH!! Would y’all mind saying a little prayer and/or rubbing your good luck charm that I might find that thing? Much appreciated.
Thanks to all the great people at Slippery Rock University! What a scene they’ve got going on up there in the beautiful countryside….Brian Meixner, Steve Hawk, David Glover, Jeremy Long. That’s an amazing faculty from what I witnessed. The students, too, were killin’ me with their enthusiasm and skill level. It was a fun day this year for Trombone Day at The Rock. Thanks, guys, for the terrific “hang”. Visit Slippery Rock’s website here:
http://academics.sru.edu/music/index.html
More to come. I love y’all more every day….the emails are much appreciated! The kindness is wonderful. The arguments are insightful. The inquiries are delightful. The criticisms? I take those to heart, too. You guys are tough, smart, fun, and good. What can I say? Thanks for keeping it real.
Think I’ll shoot for 4 more Episodes before the New Year:-)
Then, I don’t know how we’ll keep this ball rolling. I beg for your input, please. One thing’s for sure, we need more viewer interaction. We’ll be diving into that realm hardcore, that’s my New Year’s resolution!
Happy Holidays and Peace to us all…..Trombone Love. It’s more contagious than the dreaded Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease. Just ask Wes!
Vaclav Nelhybel: Interplays Published by: J. Christopher Music Company
Ten Duets For Tenor Trombone - Pederson Published by:Kendor Music (www.kendormusic.com)
We hope you have half as much fun watching as we did playing:-)
It’s the most stressful time of year for musicians, we hope you’re keeping your cool and enjoying every opportunity to play….I guess we can all breathe a heavy sigh after the New Year, eh? Peace, everybody, and Happy Holidays!
Donald was invited to perform in recital at Morningside Presbyterian Church here in Atlanta. The church is celebrating the restoration of their powerful, beautiful organ. Our good friend (and Tubist with the Georgia Brass Band!), Robert Coulter, headed up the restoration and did a terrific job. Congrats Robert! Read more about Robert here: http://coulterorgans.com/
On the recital program was the “Stabat Mater” adapted by Franz Liszt from a work by Rossini. It is for Trombone and Organ.
Some of you probably know the story of the Stabat Mater (”sorrowful Mother”). The music tries to evoke the emotions of Mary as she watched Jesus suffer on the Cross. For more info, and a translation of the text, you can follow this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stabat_Mater
We hope you enjoy our rehearsal/performance of the “Cujus animam (Rossini - Stabat Mater) for Trombone and Organ” by Franz Liszt (1811-1886).
In this Episode:
1) I send a big “THANK YOU!” to North Hills High School, my Alma Mater and still the best band in the land. THE BEST. David, thanks! Areta, I love you. On behalf of all present and former students, thanks for sticking it out for so many years and with such passion. We hope your impending retirement is filled with fun! To Paul, thanks for the uplifting talk and the great company. It was very good to see you after too many years.
2) I send another big “THANK YOU!” to Dr. Brian Meixner and all the fun people at Slippery Rock University (http://academics.sru.edu/music/index.html). Trombone Day at The Rock was a wonderful event! We’ll soon have an Episode with some highlights for you. Suffice it to say that the people, the campus, and the sounds were all of the highest order. Thanks so much Brian.
3) I eat a big dose of humble pie served up by “joe”. Um…….thanks, joe:-)
4) I think out loud with the talented musicians of the GYSO Brass Band.
Comments are welcome. If you have a different take on the matter and/or some expertise to share, we sure would love to hear it. If you’re bored enough to watch this entire Episode, perhaps you’re bored enough to send your comments to:
tom@trombonelessons.com
PS- As Thanksgiving approaches for those of us in the United States, I know that this year I am thankful for many, many things. Family, friends, health, memories, dreams, the gift of Music……..and these Podcasts. To all of you, thanks! Bryce and Ella have a Holiday Greeting for the viewers of the Podcast. Happy Holidays everyone everywhere:
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9509924750
Mr. Stefanuk joins me on piano and gives a brief introduction of himself and his fascinating piece. We had only one hour to get something together for you, but I felt compelled to do so. Trombone Love. It does that. We really hope you like this piece. I had to make a few rough edits but this is essentially LIVE, as we just finished a couple hours ago.
We filmed in the sanctuary at Johnson’s Ferry Baptist Church and we thank them for their hospitality. Look for Part 2 very soon (we all anxiously await Colin’s renditions of the Tomasi “Concerto” and Peaslee’s “Arrows of Time”, don’t we? Yeah, baby.)
Peace, everyone. I’m off tomorrow to Slippery Rock University for Trombone Day! I’ll also be paying a visit to my Alma Mater, North Hills High School in Pittsburgh. Looking forward to it, as I haven’t seen the place in almost 20 years. Time really flies, we are wise to make the most of it, eh? Hope to meet some of you on the road….
Well, it’s the least I could do……because it looks like the LIVE recital scheduled for Nov. 12 will necessarily be postponed. Sorry, but coordinating everybody’s busy schedule is proving most difficult. Besides, you know who’s too kind? Nick in Wisconsin is too kind. Your letter, Nick, was one of the nicest things I’ve ever read. We wish you the very, very best as you pursue your dreams and share your talents with the world, making it a better place for all. If there is ever anything we can do to help, never hesitate to ask, OK? We dedicate this Episode to you, sir. Hope you love it.
So, as for the recital…..we’ll get ‘er done just as soon as possible. In the meantime, please enjoy this Episode. Joining Colin in this impressive performance are Catherine Lynn, Helen Kim, and Brad Ritchie. Like the Persichetti Episode (#31), these fabulous musicians give us a glimpse into the fine art of Chamber Music for trombone. If you’ve attempted to perform on trombone with string players in a chamber setting, then you will surely appreciate the musical sensitivity, dexterity, lightness, transparency, and awareness shown by Colin in this video. I marvel at it every time I watch. It is very refreshing at times to hear a trombone in this context. In the hands of a master artist, ours really is the greatest of instruments, isn’t it?
Mark is one talented fellow……a former Euphonium player with the US Air Force Band in Washington, DC, he is now a law partner at Alston&Bird here in Atlanta. He also makes great music on piano, trombone (all styles, including tasty jazz), and E-flat alto Horn. He is the Principal Horn player for the Georgia Brass Band.
For this year’s talent show at the law firm (all to benefit the charities of United Way), Mark arranged and wrote some trios for brass with added percussion. Joining him in this performance clip are Tom Hooten (trumpet), Stuart Gerber (percussion) and Colin Williams (trombone).
After viewing this Episode and hearing what Mark has to say about these pieces, we invite you to download them in PDF format for your enjoyment! Just our little way of saying THANKS EVERYBODY!
Hope you enjoy meeting Mark……..
Peace:-)
Hollie Lawing, Tim Redman, and myself took a road trip to South Carolina this week to visit with Scott Hartman! Scott has long been one of our favorite trombonists. His career has primarily involved chamber music: Empire Brass, Four of a Kind, and now Proteus 7. He is presently the Trombone Professor at Yale University.
He was in Spartanburg, SC, for a performance with Proteus 7. See them on the Web at: www.proteus7.com
This amazing septet was premiering a Halloween Show with the Spartanburg Philharmonic, directed by Scott’s lovely wife, Sarah Ioannides. This fine ensemble is also on the Web: www.spartanburgphilharmonic.org
Almost the entire show was written by the group’s lead trumpeter and fabulously gifted composer, Anthony DiLorenzo.
Between rehearsal and the concert, Scott was kind enough to sit down and visit with us. We hope you enjoy meeting the wonderful Scott Hartman and Proteus 7……..
Newell is a purveyor of some very high quality trombones and equipment. Here, he talks about the Shires Trombones and the process of finding the horn that’s JUST right for you.
I hope you enjoy meeting him! You can contact him by visiting his website, sheridanbrass.com, or:
E-mail: nsherida@bellsouth.net Phone: 205-978-3773
Wait until you see how it all played out…………..enjoy!
I talk about a review of Colin playing the Creston a few years ago with the Atlanta Symphony. Here’s the review:
“Review: ASO plays Creston on trombone By Pierre Ruhe | Friday, October 1, 2004 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution CONCERT REVIEW Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
…..This week, the ASO helped revive a worthy composer from irrelevancy. Paul Creston (1906-1985) didn’t live to see a concert-hall revival of his music, but nowadays you can hear all his important works on CD and, increasingly, experience them live.
Creston’s music is “an embodiment of the affirmative, lyrical, melodic strain that dominated American music in the 1930s and for a time afterward,” wrote critic-conductor Will Crutchfield in an obituary. Creston rightly joins the company of Copland, Piston and Barber.
Creston’s 1947 Fantasy for Trombone, one of his best-known works, served to introduce the ASO’s principal trombonist, Colin Williams, who joined the orchestra three years ago and is now making his official solo debut.
In the jazzy Fantasy, Williams was heard, finally, to his advantage. In the treacherous Symphony Hall acoustic, the orchestral trombones’ warm bass notes get absorbed by the stage walls and the bright high notes get polarized to a blinding glare, like sunlight off a swimming pool. At stage front, we heard Williams au natural: his clean, “white” tone, with very little vibrato and exceptionally pure and lovely soft notes.
And for the ASO, with their committed playing this week and last, they showed that it’s likely the romantic vs. modernist argument will seem quaint in another generation. This would follow the Wagner (progressive) vs. Brahms (retro) debates, which eventually subsided, leaving both men on the winning side. What survives isn’t ideology, it’s good art. As an encore, Williams and the orchestra played “The Blue Bells of Scotland,” an amusing and sentimental work by Arthur Pryor, the trombonist in John Philip Sousa’s band a century ago. Where the Creston was unfailingly polite, Pryor asks the soloist to scale heights, blow elephant calls and raspberries, all accompanied by oom-pah-pahs from the orchestra. Williams breezed through the moto perpetuo variations with mostly machine-drilled aplomb.”
The GYSO Brass Band is open, by audition, to any players aged 21-under. We have featured the brass band in earlier Episodes of the podcasts, including a performance with Chris Martin (Episode 29) and a 3-part series about a newly commissioned work by Jen Mitchell.
Here is a video I helped put together about the GYSO program. If you are a young musician in the area, you should really consider checking out what GYSO has to offer. For more info, see their website: www.georgiayouthsymphony.org
If you want info specifically about the Brass Band, please contact me directly at: tom@trombonelessons.com
Thanks, all!