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The Brass Junkies

The Brass Junkies, hosted by former Boston Brass tuba player Andrew Hitz and a rotating cast of characters, features interviews with the best and brightest brass players in the world. Subject matter includes everything from the serious to the ridiculous, just like the music business.
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Now displaying: 2019
Dec 24, 2019

A "distilled and refined" Patrick Sheridan returns to the show to share his thoughts on passion projects and reflects on the loss of Sam Pilafian.

In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:

  • Shiverfest
  • Wide in the hips
  • Harry Watters
  • Susan Rider
  • Marine Band
  • Scratch and Sniff
  • How he picks projects
  • Playing, teaching, conducting and publishing
  • Distilled and refined
  • Seeing Pat in action at American Band College
  • How the project vetting has changed
  • I'm on your porch
  • Rainman of the tuba
  • Four Star Brass commission
  • 9-digit zip code
  • Big Bottom Band "RooDoo VooDoo"
  • Space Viking Mambo
  • G-Nasty: Private Eye
  • ABA Convention in Miami
  • Conducting the USAF Band at Midwest
  • Turtle dickies
  • Jacobs Quotes
  • Plate in Pat's head
  • Saying no to things
  • The gig mix and how it changes from year to year
  • Breathing Gym next steps project ideas
  • Passion projects
  • Dos Amigos
  • Brian McWhorter's "slactice"
  • Play vs. Work
  • Bassoons and thumbs
  • Madlibs
  • Icons
  • Abby Lannnan needs to return Lance's trombone
  • Reflections on the loss of Sam
  • Fasting for 100 days
  • Creed vs. Nickleback
  • Show notes
  • Skinny Jeans and Bad Shirts
  • Sorrow Soup

LINKS:

Want to help the show? Here are some ways:

Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

Dec 10, 2019

TBJ126: Trumpeter Susan Rider of "The President's Own" United States Marine Band on overcoming doubt, the importance of focus and jamming with her dad. Susan dropped serious conversation ninja on Andrew & Lance and made them have a normal conversation. Weird.

From her bio:

Trumpeter/cornetist Master Gunnery Sergeant Susan Rider joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in July 1997. Master Gunnery Sgt. Rider began her musical instruction at age 10. Upon graduating in 1985 from Northern University High School in Cedar Falls, she earned a bachelor’s degree in music in 1989 from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. She continued her studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, where in 1991 she earned a master’s degree in music and in 2000 earned a doctorate of music in brass pedagogy. Her trumpet instructors were Keith Johnson and Randy Grabowski of the University of Northern Iowa, and Charles Gorham and Edmund Cord of Indiana University.

Prior to joining “The President’s Own,” Master Gunnery Sgt. Rider performed with the Midland/Odessa Symphony in Texas, the Owensboro Symphony in Kentucky, and the Evansville Philharmonic and Columbus Indiana Philharmonic in Indiana. She also played in the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra in Charleston, S.C., and was a substitute with the New World Symphony in Miami. In addition to performing, she also taught studio trumpet in Odessa and at Purdue University in Indiana, and was an associate instructor at Indiana University for the brass and music education departments.

Master Gunnery Sgt. Rider has appeared as a Marine Band guest soloist with various groups including the Louisville Male High School Symphonic Band from Kentucky in 2001, and the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony in 2005, both at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago. She has performed with Monarch Brass at the International Women’s Brass Conferences in Toronto, Canada in 2010 and Cincinnati, Ohio in 2014; the International Trumpet Guild Conference in Columbus, Ohio in 2015; and the International Trombone Festival in New York in 2016. In addition to her musical duties, Master Gunnery Sgt. Rider has served as a Tour Coordinator since 2003, advancing and serving as on-site manager during the band’s annual concert tour.

In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:

  • B&B Meat Deli
  • Pat Sheridan
  • Being nice
  • Being from Iowa
  • Her grandpa was a stride piano player
  • Her Dad and uncles playing music together
  • Dad, a career chemist at U of Northern Iowa is making one-man "All Paul" albums at the age of 79
  • Wanting to play sax and ending up as a trumpet player
  • Jamming with her Dad at a Dixieland festival each year
  • Playing and talking about music with her older brother
  • The impact of her family and their support of her
  • Studying with Keith Johnson at UNI
  • Moving on to Indiana University and the influence of Ray Cramer
  • Andrew's conducting prowess
  • Auditioning in both 1996 and 1997 and the differences between the two auditions
  • Working, playing and teaching in Texas before winning the Marine Band gig
  • The importance of focus
  • Overcoming doubt
  • Studying with Ed Cord at IU and never really losing an audition
  • Remember when something went well and carry it with you
  • Trusting yourself
  • Meat-flavored mouthpieces

Links:

Want to help the show? Here are some ways:

Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

Nov 26, 2019

TBJ125: Andrew & Lance Give Thanks. Lance drops a bunch of questions on Andrew, testing his ability to be thankful. Hilarity ensues.

In this fun and lively discussion, we cover their gratitude related to their favorite or most memorable:

  1. Artist (Lance: Jeff Conner and Elvis Costello)
  2. Piece of art (Andrew: Monet, Leaves of Grass, The Godfather, "Two From the Vault" by the Grateful Dead, "Linchpin" by Seth Godin, all of Led Zeppelin)
  3. Piece of technology (Lance: Parker Mouthpieces, Jeff Conner, and EZ Pass)
  4. Family member that is not your spouse or kid (Lance: His Granpa Kenny Smith and Andrew's pumpkin pie story)
  5. Experience in the US (Andrew: Trey and Bernstein stories)
  6. Experience in HS (Andrew: talent show from Tanglewood)

Want to help the show? Here are some ways:

Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

Nov 12, 2019

TBJ124: Alan Baylock on arranging for the Airmen of Note, running the One O'Clock Lab Band at UNT and falling in love with the F Major 7 chord. Alan is an amazing arranger and bandleader and still manages to be a great guy!

From his bio:

Born and raised in a small town in Southwestern Pennsylvania, Alan Baylock has composed music that is performed throughout the world. One of the most respected and sought-after jazz composers and educators in the industry today, he is the director of the Grammy-nominated One O’Clock Lab Band at the University of North Texas, and previously served 20 years as Chief Arranger for the USAF Airmen of Note in Washington, D.C. The Alan Baylock Jazz Orchestra recorded three critically-acclaimed CDs and performed throughout the US for 15 years. Baylock graduated from Shenandoah University (BME f1990), where he later became Jazz Composer-in-Residence, and the University of North Texas (MM 1994).

Baylock travels extensively as guest conductor and clinician and has been featured with close to 100 professional, collegiate, high school (all-state and regional) and middle school jazz ensembles. Alan is on faculty at the National Jazz Workshop (NJW) and directed the NJW All-Star Big Band in performances on the east and west coast. He is an active member of the Jazz Education Network (JEN) where he mentors recipients of the annual Young Composers Award and is a guest clinician for the JENerations Jazz Festival. Thanks to the Nu Psi chapter, Alan became an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha in 2016 and became an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi (Kappa Epsilon chapter) in 2017.

Alan’s music has been performed and/or recorded by jazz greats Freddie Hubbard, Michael Brecker, Maynard Ferguson, Doc Severinsen, Joe Lovano, Paquito D’Rivera, Phil Woods, Arturo Sandoval, David Liebman, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Kenny Werner, Joshua Redman, Stefon Harris, Jerry Bergonzi, Nicholas Payton, Sean Jones, Tierney Sutton, Kurt Elling and many more. His eclectic talents have also led him to writing music for Roy Clark, Lee Greenwood, Wynonna, Al Jarreau, Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Spyro Gyra, Ronan Tynan, and symphony orchestras throughout the United States and abroad. His music is published by Alfred Music and ProJazzCharts.com.

Baylock lives in Denton, Texas with his wife, cellist Maria Baylock. In his spare time, Alan is an avid table tennis player.

In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:

  • Having to be nice to Andrew
  • His gig at UNT
  • His gig in the US Air Force Band
  • Being the arranger for the Airmen of Note, following Mike Crotty
  • What the schedule was like in the AF Band
  • Breaking the rules in writing
  • Growing up in SW Pennsylvania
  • Pittsburgh bus meets a sinkhole
  • Washington Nationals and the World Series
  • The mayhem of the Pittsburgh Pirates
  • Adam Gase Eyes
  • Getting started with music as a kid
  • Falling in love with the F Major 7 chord
  • "Renee"
  • Behest Meets Bequest
  • "Be Dead You Dog," I mean, "The Call"
  • Don't be afraid and don't judge too soon
  • Let the ideas flow when in creation mode
  • Study scores to learn what went before you
  • The correlation between how something looks and how it sounds
  • The brain on improv
  • Coaching young players/improvisers
  • Start with a blues scale/form or even just call and response
  • Jumping in
  • The push to bring improv beyond the jazz department at UNT and break down silos
  • The importance of visionary leadership
  • "You can't have success without succession," Brian Bowman
  • Clearing out Brian Bowman's office
  • Sweaty Brian Bowman
  • The sounds coming David Childs' office (next to Alan's office)
  • Sweaty Lips teaser
  • Lens
  • Fingered Fart Machine (FFM)
  • Duckles' cartoons (and viola prowess)

Links

Want to help the show? Here are some ways:

Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

Oct 25, 2019

TBJ123: Sam Pilafian Tribute

On October 25, 2019, Sam Pilafian would have turned 70. To mark this special occasion we decided to reach out to some of Sam's best friends to ask for stories, thoughts, reflections, and impressions. Mark Gould, Marty Hackleman, Jose Sibaja, Michael Sachs, JD Shaw, Patrick Sheridan, and Jose Sibaja shared stories ranging from hilarious to moving and we hope you find it as therapeutic as we have.

Happy Birthday, Sam!

#yeahman

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We are happy to announce the next offering from Pedal Note Media: The Brass Legacy Project! Each season will feature stories from people around the music business about a different brass legend.

Who better to feature in Season One of the Brass Legacy Project than Sam Pilafian!

Sign up for the Brass Junkies newsletter and be the first to learn about when Season One will launch. Yeah man!

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Want to help the show? Here are some ways:

Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

Oct 15, 2019

TBJ122: Shelagh Abate on playing horn on Broadway, meeting Sting and the importance of networking. She gives us a great overview of life in a Broadway pit and what it takes to get (and stay) there.

From her bio:

SHELAGH ABATE is unquestionably one of New York’s most sought-after musicians. Shelagh’s love for the horn is almost as old as her love for music itself. Known for her simultaneously warm and assertive sound, her versatility and musical intuition has earned her a place in the lexicon of NYC’s busiest performers.

Shelagh has opened more than one dozen Broadway productions. Among them are Mary PoppinsA Gentleman’s Guide to Love and MurderSouth PacificHoneymoon in VegasEvitaFiddler on the Roof, Anastasia, and most currently Disney’s Frozen. Since arriving in New York in 2006, she has performed regularly with The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, The Mostly Mozart Festival, The American Ballet Theater, The American Symphony Orchestra, The Opera Orchestra of New York, is third horn with the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra and has been principal horn of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra under the artistic direction of Jaime Laredo since 1999. During the course of her career, she has been conducted by some of the great musicians of our time; Seiji Ozawa, Simon Rattle, Andre Previn, James Conlon, Gunther Schuller, James DePriest, Robert Spano, Carl St. Clair, John Williams, Marin Alsop, Jaime Laredo, Keith Lockhart, and Placido Domingo, to name a few.

Shelagh has established fluency in the commercial realm as well as the classical, having performed as part of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Michel Legrand, the ensembles of Earl McDonald, Gary Morgan, Jamie Baum, John Allmark, John Vanore and Greg Hopkins. Shelagh has recorded, performed live in concert, as well as on televised events with Sting, The Who, Tony Bennett, Rufus Wainwright, Lady Gaga, Barry Manilow, Joni Mitchell, Trey Anastasio, Club d’Elf, Josh Groban, Brian Wilson, Linda Ronstadt, and most recently with the 2019 Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall.

Chamber music has been at the very core of Shelagh’s success as a musician. A winner of the Coleman Competition (2000), and a founding member of the award-winning Triton Brass (Fischoff, Lyon & Concert Artist’s Guild, 2005), Shelagh has collaborated with her world-class and longtime colleagues in order to achieve what is only artistically possible through such an intimate medium. Together they have shared their gifts with many thousands of others through live performances, recordings, and through education. Shelagh will be returning as faculty with Triton Brass to the Boston University Tanglewood Institute for their 2019 season. She also served as faculty for more than a decade with the renown Atlantic Brass Quintet International Summer Seminar.  Through these summer programs, Shelagh is proud to have influenced, shaped and enriched the lives of many dozens of tomorrow’s musicians. Shelagh is an Artist in Residence at Boston College, and The Boston Conservatory of Music where she has performed and conducted clinics and masterclasses on a regular basis since 2003.

Shelagh’s early musical influences include extensive study with the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Richard Sebring, Toronto Symphony’s principal horn Neil Deland, and renowned pedagogue and performer Laura Klock. She has been a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center and with The National Repertory Orchestra. Shelagh holds a B.A. from Boston College, an M.M. from The University of Massachusetts at Amherst where she was a recipient of the Howard W. Lebow Scholarship, and an Artist Diploma from The New England Conservatory of Music, where she was a Walkenier Scholar. Shelagh is proud to be a Stephens Horns artist, playing one of the very first horns handcrafted by Stephen Shires https://www.stephenshorns.com.  

In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:

  • In the Lexicon!
  • Fun with pronunciations
  • Amhad Rashad
  • Baseball cards
  • Erasers and jewelry
  • Going to school with Andy Bove
  • Trent Austin's bio writer
  • Playing on Broadway eight times a week
  • Playing Disney's Frozen
  • Name-dropping 
  • How playing on Broadway works
  • Dealing with repetition
  • How the sub pool works and how to get started as a player
  • Dormant subs
  • Networking
  • The impact of social media on networking
  • Jeff Nelsen
  • Be nice
  • Pit orchestra size and the state of the industry
  • Horn job pool on Broadway
  • Horn writing rant
  • Horn: The Cornstarch of the Orchestra
  • Triton Brass
  • Working with Sam Pilafian
  • Playing with famous people from Trey Anastasio to Barry Manilow and Sting
  • Being married to Tony Kadleck
  • Facebrace

LINKS:

Want to help the show? Here are some ways:

Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

Oct 1, 2019

***We just launched a brand new Brass Junkies newsletter! It will change your life. Like, it's life-changing! Subscribe today to stay in the loop on all things Brass Junkies!***

Sign up by 10/31 for a chance for you and a friend to chat with The Brass Junkies!

TBJ121: Trumpeter Wayne du Maine on working with Bernstein and Prince, but not at the same time. He is one of the busiest and most successful musicians working today and he shares how he balances it all with a smile on his face.

From his bio:

A native of St. Louis, Wayne J. du Maine currently performs with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, New York City Opera, Rodney Mack Philadelphia Big Brass, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and with contemporary music ensembles such as Speculum Musicae, Sospeso, and ST-X Xenakis. Mr. du Maine is a member of the Manhattan Brass and with Mercury and the Brooklyn Philharmonic Brass Quintets, he is dedicated to performing and introducing live music to thousands of school children in the NYC area, NJ and PA. Wayne has worked with a broad spectrum of artists ranging from Leonard Bernstein and Leonard Slatkin to Hank Jones, Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Patti Lupone and Audra MacDonald. He has been a soloist with the orchestras of St. Louis, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. He can be heard on recordings with the New York Philharmonic, Met Opera Orchestra, numerous commercials, motion pictures and with Prince on his New Power Soul recording.

Mr. du Maine is on the faculty of Columbia and Princeton Universities as well as Bar Harbor Brass Week. At the Juilliard School, Wayne teaches trumpet in the Music Advancement Program and serves as a teaching assistant in the Instrumental Music Program. He is also on the conducting faculty of the Elisabeth Morrow Summer Strings and now is Music Director of the Concert Band and Jazz Ensemble at the Elisabeth Morrow School. Recently, Wayne made his Brooklyn Philharmonic conducting debut to critical acclaim and will make his Westchester Philharmonic debut in Spring, 2011.

Mr. du Maine has performed at music festivals in Aspen, Spoleto, Tanglewood, Vermont Mozart, Bowdoin, Marlboro, Berkshire Choral, and the Manchester (VT) Music Festival. Wayne just completed a two year run of Fiddler on the Roof where he was associate conductor. He is currently a member of the show How The Grinch Stole Christmas and has served as associate conductor at the hit revival of South Pacific at Lincoln Center. Highlights of recent performances include the Boys Choir of Harlem, Take 6, Martha's Vineyard Chamber Music Society, Absolute Ensemble, soloist with the Cincinnati Symphony, Peter, Paul and Mary, and the rock band Jesus H. Christ, where he plays keyboards.

A member of two softball leagues in Central Park, Wayne resides in New Jersey with his wife, Sharon and daughter Sequoia.

In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:

  • Stanley Cup/St. Louis Blues
  • NYU brass program
  • Learning the ropes as an administrator
  • Recruiting and fundraising
  • Negotiating and the art of pricing
  • 1990 Tanglewood performance of Copland's Third Symphony under Bernstein
  • Conducting
  • Scotch and cigarettes
  • Prioritization and scheduling
  • Playing in the stage bands at The Met
  • Mark Gould
  • Portfolio career/freelancing
  • Looking 7-9 months ahead to manage uneven income
  • Playing on Broadway while still in school
  • The importance of sightreading
  • How he guides his students
  • Wayne du Maine's Beer Course With Trumpet
  • Recording with Prince

Links:

Want to help the show? Here are some ways:

Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

Sep 17, 2019

TBJ120: Colin WIlliams (Brass Junkies Rewind)

Hey all! This is our first Brass Junkies Rewind. We're hoping to occasionally highlight a particularly good early episode that many people might have missed. This was back from Episode 26, way before I got more "creative" with the show notes. Simpler times.

***We just launched a brand new Brass Junkies newsletter! It will change your life. Like, it's life-changing! Subscribe today to stay in the loop on all things Brass Junkies!***

Colin Williams, newly tenured Associate Principal Trombone with the New York Philharmonic joins Andrew & Lance in a very frank and honest discussion about recovering from chop injury. Colin also sets Andrew's heart aflame, describing his experience playing w/Trey Anastasio from Phish, talks about what it is like working w/Joe Alessi (spoiler alert, it's pretty good), and his thoughts on what makes for effective orchestral management. 

Oh, and he hates wearing tails. Like a lot.

Links:

Colin's Page at NY Phil 

Want to help the show? Here are some ways:

Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. NOTE: The original interview was produced by Austin Boyer and Buddy Deshler.

Sep 9, 2019

Brass Junkies Extra: Tubist Aubrey Foard of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra on the state of the lockout

In this special episode of The Brass Junkies, Aubrey Foard catches us up on where things stand with the BSO lockout.

From his bio:

Aubrey Foard is the principal tubist of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, a position he has held since 2018. He also serves as Lecturer of Tuba and Euphonium at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and as Artist Faculty at the Brevard Music Center. Mr. Foard was most recently principal tubist of the Charlotte Symphony, where he had performed since 2012. He has previously held principal tuba positions in the Santa Barbara, West Virginia, Canton, Youngstown, and Albany Symphonies as well as with the Britt Festival Orchestra. He has performed as a guest musician with several other orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Cleveland Orchestra, the North Carolina Symphony, the Louisville Orchestra, Arizona MusicFest, and as Acting Principal Tubist with the San Diego Symphony.

Aubrey gives us an inside look at how the lockout has impacted the musicians over these last few months. 

We discuss:

  • Expiration of their contract
  • Summer bargaining sessions
  • His first act as a member of the BSO
  • Management's offers vs. the players'
  • Cancellation of the summer season and the start of the lockout
  • Lack of progress in negotiations
  • Aubrey taking 47 auditions before landing the BSO gig
  • Taiwan Tubamania
  • Finding Baltimore Symphony recordings in Taipei
  • Individual overscale negotiations
  • Leaving the Charlotte Symphony
  • The impact of previous management decisions on today's situation
  • The difference between a 40-week and a 52-week orchestra
  • Playing with the San Diego Symphony in the summers
  • How uncertainty of the future of the orchestra has impacted him personally
  • Having to hit the road to make it work
  • The impact on his family
  • 15-20 other cities have already reached out to have Baltimore Symphony players sub with their orchestras
  • ICSOM Call to action has provided over $250,000 so far
  • "The BSO without the O is just BS"
  • Lessons from the experience (stay united and get involved)
  • Throwing a mega-brass concert to support the musicians
  • Collecting data for the creation of a fact sheet and data project
  • Michael Kaiser, make great art and market it brilliantly
  • Places and people who are doing it right in the industry
  • Aubrey Bergauer of the California Symphony
  • Deborah Borda of the New York Philharmonic
  • Mark Niehaus of the Milwaukee Symphony 
  • Phil Munds and Andy Balio on The Brass Junkies
  • Future Symphony Institute

Here's a link to a recent article from Baltimore Sun outlining the state of things:

"BSO and musicians in marathon contract negotiations as deadline looms"

Here's a link to the musicians' Facebook page:

BSO Musicians Facebook page

And their website:

BSO Musicians Website

The players' GoFundMe page:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/keep-the-o-in-bso

Sep 3, 2019

TBJ119: Clarke Rigsby of Tempest Recording on Paul McCartney, Steve Gadd and his Most Improved Player trophy

Clarke Rigsby of Tempest Recording has acquired a reputation amongst his peers for being “musically militant.” Nuff said.

From his site:

Clarke Rigsby of Tempest Recording has acquired a reputation amongst his peers for being “musically militant.” Today, technology often overshadows or masks (or invents…) true musical talent, and although Clarke has the tools to “fix it in the mix,” he’d rather let music come from the musician and not the machine. Clarke combines his technical savvy and musical talent with his engineering and production experience giving his clients the appropriate combination for producing a first-rate project.

Since 1980, Clarke’s recording history would be called diverse. Clarke has worked with such artists as Paul McCartney, Joey DeFrancesco, Glen Campbell, Ike Turner, Deepak Chopra, Dr. Billy Taylor, Hal Blaine, David Grisman, Jimmy Smith, The Phoenix Boys Choir, The Four Tops, Bobby Hutcherson, Don Edwards, James Moody, Rex Allen, Waylon Jennings, Frank Gambale, Alice Cooper, James Galway, Boston Brass, Brownie McGee, Tower of Power, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Joe Alessi, Phil Smith (New York Philharmonic), Mark O’Connor, Peter Erskine, El Chicano, Honey Boy Edwards, UNM Wind Ensemble, Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra, Eric Burdon, Snuff Garrett, Lee Hazlewood, R. L. Burnside, Little Milton, Bo Diddley, Harvey Mason, Warren Jones, The Ahn Trio, The Arizona State University Marching Band, Bill Conte, River City Brass. With old pals Tim & Willy (KMLE Radio..) he’s done projects with a “who’s who” list of country music stars including Rascal Flatts, LeAnn Rimes, Steve Wariner, Trisha Yearwood, Sugarland, Billy Dean, Wynonna Judd, Dierks Bentley, Blake Sheldon, Colin Raye, Clint Black, Phil Vasser, Little Big Town, Travis Tritt, Trick Pony, Lee Ann Womack, Terri Clark, along comedians Frank Caliendo and Tim Hawkins, among many others.

In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:

  • Andrew's birthday!
  • Clarke's start in the music business
  • From L.A. to Phoenix
  • Deciding to stay in Phoenix due to the L.A. scene in the early 80's
  • Building his studio
  • The joys of dealing with the city government
  • Clarke and Paul McCartney on top of a bus
  • Working with Phil Ramone
  • Working with Sam Pilafian
  • How they met
  • "It's called development"
  • Working with Steve Gadd and Joey DeFrancesco
  • Boston Brass working with Steve Gadd
  • Andrew actively ignoring Clarke's video
  • Sweaty Lance
  • Gadd's process
  • Steely Dan stories
  • How he got started doing brass recordings
  • How the recording process is a learning opportunity and makes you a better musician
  • Recording the River City Brass Band
  • Freaking out at the green
  • Eating at Rizzo's on Clarke's 50th birthday
  • The Revenants
  • Winning an Emmy
  • Doing a jazz record with Frankie Valli
  • His "Most Improved Player" trophy
  • Working with Tower of Power
  • Tower of Power and the ASU Marching Band
  • Teaching at ASU
  • Recording for musicians
  • The impact of new technologies
  • Bison
  • TSA Agents
  • Awkward segues
  • Gadd AF Band

LINKS:

Want to help the show? Here are some ways:

Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

 

Aug 20, 2019

TBJ118: Trumpet player and builder Trent Austin on Clark Terry, making sacrifices for your dreams and an augmented trumpet

Trumpeting Renaissance Man Trent Austin lives up to the title: entrepreneur, player, designer, and raconteur.

Celebrated trumpet artist, educator/clinician and entrepreneur, Trent Austin is a trumpeting Renaissance Man. His brilliant performances and recordings in both the jazz and classical music worlds, as well as packed-house Master Classes have garnered him rave reviews, awards and International acclaim.

A prodigy, in high school Austin performed at the opening of Euro-Disney and also was a featured performer at the 1992 Montreux Jazz Festival. He was selected first trumpet of the Maine All-State Music Festival and was awarded a full music scholarship to the University of New Hampshire to study classical trumpet. Austin’s other early career awards include being named to the prestigious Berklee Grammy® High School Jazz Band in 1993 and designated lead trumpet of the 1995 Disney All-American Show Band.  He was also a featured soloist at the 1996 Harmony Ridge Brass Festival and at the 1997 Lake Placid Institute of the Arts Seminar. 

As an in-demand pro, Trent has performed with a lengthy list of music’s Who’s Who: Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole, Joe Williams, Clark Terry, Jack Jones, Bob Brookmeyer, Maria Schneider, Peter Erskine, Arturo Sandoval, Hal Galper, Dick Oatts, Marvin Stamm, Red Holloway, Jesse Davis, Dick Johnson, Kenny Werner, and Bob Wilber. For eleven years, Austin was a featured trumpet soloist with the famed Artie Shaw Orchestra. He is currently a first-call performer in the Kansas City Metro

Austin has recorded  4  CDs.  Trumpet 101 (2001), Two-Toned (2006),  Meditations for Solo Trumpet (2009), and Trumpet 102 (2012).  Each of these efforts demonstrates Austin’s impeccable command of his instrument and marvelous artistic approach.

Trent has studied jazz improvisation privately with greats Jerry Bergonzi, Kenny Werner, Chuck Findley and engaged in extensive studies with Hal Crook and Charlie Banacos. His primary classical instructors include studies with Robert Stibler of the University of New Hampshire, Benjamin Wright of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and with Edward Carroll, formerly musical director of the New York Trumpet Ensemble.

Fiercely dedicated to the cause and development of music and jazz education, Trent was a trumpet professor  at the University of Southern Maine for 9 years and regularly provides clinics and Master Classes nationwide at various trumpet and brass conferences, including at the International Trumpet Guild Conference and other trumpet/brass conferences. Austin also maintains an active teaching studio in Kansas City, MO and worldwide online via Skype, providing trumpet and jazz improvisation lessons. 

In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:

  • Trumpeting Renaissance Man
  • Moving to Kansas City from Boston
  • Impossible Tuna
  • Impossible Tuba
  • Bribery will get you everywhere
  • Trumpet placebo
  • Machining and Geekery
  • Designing horns for Adams
  • Bonding with his dad
  • Computedated
  • Mouthpiece as a gateway drug
  • Common tweaks
  • Fraggle Rock
  • Clark Terry buttermilk story
  • A good horn cleaning regimen
  • Stanford TRB TB story
  • Nick the Bio Writer
  • Adventures in Unnecessary Trumpet Modification
  • Dents in critical areas
  • Heavy valve caps
  • Everything affects everything
  • The King of Trumpet Geeks
  • Augmented trumpet
  • The fate of brick and mortar stores
  • Specialty stores will have an easier time surviving
  • ITEC vs. ITG
  • The influence of Clark Terry
  • The Clark Terry "Keep On Keepin' On" documentary
  • Trentbot 2000
  • Everything is monetizable
  • It's all about the hang
  • Bob Malone
  • Making sacrifices for your dreams
  • How badly do you want it?
  • Sleep harder
  • Gold-plated water key screw

LINKS:

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Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

Aug 6, 2019
TBJ117: Mike Nickens, Director of "The Green Machine" pep band at George Mason University, on being unapologetic about who he is and leading by example (while carrying a scepter). He has built a gig for himself which allows him to be fully him while enabling his students to do the same.
 
From his bio:
 
Serving as Director of Campus Life Ensembles and Collaborative Arts, and as an Associate Professor of Music, Dr. Michael W. Nickens (a.k.a. Doc Nix) is most recognized as the leader of the “Green Machine”, which in 2015 was named the #1 pep band in college basketball by the NCAA and commended by the Senate and House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia. In addition, Dr. Nickens launched Mason’s fife and drum corps and WGI world-champion drumline, and oversees Mason’s winterguard. This collection of performing units, known as the “Green Machine Ensembles”, are internationally known for their thrilling, high-energy performances at Mason ceremonies and basketball games, professional sports games and events (Capitals, Nationals, Wizards, and Redskins), community events (Celebrate Fairfax, and the Nike Womens’ Half Marathon), and marching competitions, as well as their popular internet videos that have over 100 million views collectively.

Dr. Nickens was named the 2016 Faculty Member of the Year by the George Mason University Alumni Association. He served as a Faculty Representative to the Board of Visitors, Chair of the Faculty of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, Chair of the CVPA  Diversity Committee, and as a member of the School of Music’s Graduate Committee. Having joined the faculty of Mason’s School of Music in fall 2006, he has taught courses in sight-singing/ear training, popular music in America, improvisatory music, brass methods, applied tuba, composition, chamber music, and jazz improvisation, as well as collaborations with Mason’s School of Dance. In addition, he was a co-founder and co-conductor of the Colonial Athletic Association’s “Breakfast with the Bands” intercollegiate pep band showcase.

During summers, he has taught tuba and euphonium, conducting, jazz performance, composition, improvisation, chamber music, large ensemble performance, and theory at the Performing Arts Institute at Wyoming Seminary in Kingston, Pennsylvania, the Music, Art, and Theatre (MAT) Camp in Evanston, Wyoming, and the Northern Arizona University Music Camp in Flagstaff, Arizona, and at Mason’s Potomac Arts Academy.  He has also coached a professional marching ensemble, “Mix It Up”, at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia.
 
Dr. Nickens was born in Washington DC and grew up in the Fairfax County Public Schools in Alexandria, Virginia. He completed his academic degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, Yale University, and the University of Michigan.

In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:

  • Strain the pool
  • Mouthpieces
  • Intentionally unhelpful
  • Fun standard euphonium literature
  • Doc Nix
  • Lance's newsletter
  • Went to some schools
  • Hard choices, mid-stream
  • George Mason University Men's Basketball team in 2006
  • Starting The Green Machine at George Mason
  • Encourage musicians to find their way to their best self
  • Building things from the ground up
  • Turning his gig into a tenure-track position
  • Picking tunes for the band, based on the world around him
  • From Bon Jovi to Snoop Dog
  • Creation of the arrangements
  • How to teach students to arrange
  • Broadening the instrumentation of the group beyond "traditional" pep bands
  • Using what you have
  • Empowering himself
  • Timing the tunes within a game
  • The budget (from the Dean of Admissions)
  • Additional funds coming through University Life and tuition dollars through the School of Music
  • Doing fundraising directly through their website
  • Wearing a pimp suit
  • 18-19 suits overall
  • Carrying a scepter, wearing shades
  • Blockbusting
  • The Green Machine as a manifestation of who he is
  • Conductor/Drum Major/Mascot
  • Being unapologetic about who he is and leading by example
  • Mr. Miyagi
  • Making love and joy happen
  • Andrew is a hater hater
  • Playing a gig at Duquesne University
  • The current makeup of The Green Machine
  • The nine groups which exist under The Green Machine umbrella
  • Celebrating Aretha Franklin
  • Playing with the National Symphony to backup Nas (one of his heroes)
  • 8-bit comedy rap videos
  • The odor was fine

LINKS:

Want to help the show? Here are some ways:

  • Help others find the show by leaving a rating and review on iTunes.
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  • Show some love to our sponsors: The brass program at The Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University and Parker Mouthpieces (including the Andrew Hitz and Lance LaDuke models.)
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Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

Jul 23, 2019

We're back with another Listener's Choice episode! This time, Walter asks about the recording process. Andrew & Lance unpack the process of making an album and preview their upcoming Cones and Tones project.

In this fun & lively episode, we cover:

  • Lance as a home remodeler
  • Andrew Phish shows
  • Thank you, Ticketmaster
  • Marty Erickson, Craig Knox, and the sousaphone pusher
  • 8-tracks
  • Walter
  • What is the relevance of an album today?
  • Does "album-length" matter any more?
  • What makes for a cohesive project?
  • Who are you trying to reach?
  • Clarity of vision
  • Engineer and producer
  • TEM 174: Sam Pilafian on producing
  • How to track
  • Mental preparation
  • In the sessions
  • Paper edits
  • Not just listening to your own part
  • Cutler and JD
  • When things go wrong (buzz in the piano)
  • Mixing and mastering
  • Label or no label
  • Mechanical rights

LINKS:

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  • Help others find the show by leaving a rating and review on iTunes.
  • Show us some love on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
  • Help us pay the bills (and get regular bonus episodes!) by becoming a Patreon patron.
  • Show some love to our sponsors: The brass program at The Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University and Parker Mouthpieces (including the Andrew Hitz and Lance LaDuke models.)
  • Tell your friends!

Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

Jul 9, 2019

TBJ115: Hiram Diaz, euphonium player in "The President's Own" Marine Band, on the High Bridge Brass Quintet, audition prep and being a terrible shot.

From his Marine Band bio page:

Euphonium player Staff Sergeant Hiram Diaz joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in January 2012. Staff Sgt. Diaz began his musical instruction at age 12. He graduated in 2003 from the New World School of the Arts in Miami and continued his education at the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music (CCM) where he earned a bachelor’s degree in music performance in 2007. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree from the University of North Texas in Denton, where he studies with euphonium professor Brian Bowman. His instructors also included Timothy Northcut of CCM and Jay Bertolet, former principal tuba with the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra.

Prior to joining “The President’s Own,” Staff Sgt. Diaz was a member of the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence Band (283d Army Band) in Ft. Benning, Ga.

In 2016, he performed Tom Davoren’s Ascension with trumpet/cornet player Gunnery Sgt. Amy McCabe as featured soloists on the national concert tour.

Watch Staff Sgt. Diaz's interview in Spanish about the 2013 Inauguration.

Watch Master Sgt. Mark Jenkins and Staff Sergeant Hiram Diaz's Masterclass: March Performance Practice with Euphoniums of "The President's Own" U.S. Marine Band

In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:

  • Hiram's trombone playing
  • Christmas and Easter gigs
  • Being in the Marine Band since 2012
  • Meeting Lance in 2002 at the Falcone Festival
  • He's like the Victor Borge of the euphonium
  • Lance judging Hiram and meeting his parents
  • Eating at Hooters five times (not at all like the South Florida Hooters)
  • Greensboro ITEC, "The Captain's Log"
  • Moving from the Army Bands system to the Marine Band at the age of 26
  • Fort Sill, where you learn to kill
  • Rich Kelley story in Lawton, Texas
  • Being a terrible shot
  • Spiders yelling at little kids
  • Marine Band audition and audition prep
  • Lots of recording himself
  • Staying with Chris Buckley
  • Studying with Brian Bowman
  • Studying with Tim Northcutt
  • Playing in a post band vs. being in a premiere band
  • Doubling on trombone and singing
  • The similarities between Andrew's son and Ella Fitzgerald
  • Chris Castellanos' karaoke parody Jedi mastery
  • Growing up in Miami across from Sam Pilafian's sister and swimming in her pool
  • His Cuban heritage
  • Going to the New World School of the Arts for high school
  • Lessons on self-confidence and building his ears with Sam Pilafian
  • What is happening from that man's face?
  • Hiram's favorite food (made by his Mom)
  • The lack of sour oranges in DC makes him bitter (sorry)
  • John Abbracciamento's retirement ceremony
  • The High Bridge Bass Quintet
  • The worse the flooring, the stronger he will get

Links:

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  • Help others find the show by leaving a rating and review on iTunes.
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  • Help us pay the bills (and get regular bonus episodes!) by becoming a Patreon patron.
  • Show some love to our sponsors: The brass program at The Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University and Parker Mouthpieces (including the Andrew Hitz and Lance LaDuke models.)
  • Tell your friends!

Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

Jun 25, 2019

From John's Marine Band bio:

Trumpeter/cornetist Master Gunnery Sergeant John Abbracciamento joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in November 1992. Master Gunnery Sgt. Abbracciamento began his musical instruction at age 8. After graduating from Valley Stream South High School in 1978, he attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. He completed his bachelor’s degree in music at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1983 and also earned a master’s degree from Mannes College of Music in New York in 1985. He studied trumpet with Armando Ghitalla of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and John Ware and Vincent Penzarella of the New York Philharmonic.

Prior to joining “The President’s Own,” Master Gunnery Sgt. Abbracciamento was a substitute with the New York Philharmonic and toured Europe with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.

In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:

  • John retiring from "The President's Own" United States Marine Band after 27 years
  • Be prepared and know that the system is in place to support you
  • The importance of realizing that you are joining a section
  • The diversity of demands in The Marine Band
  • Us math am smart like
  • What John will miss most
  • Why he decided to retire now
  • Change is hard
  • Going back to school to becomes a physical therapist
  • The impact of standing at attention for long periods of time
  • Helping musicians deal with pain
  • John's retirement remarks
  • Hiram Diaz
  • Tom Hooten
  • Studying with Armando Ghitalla
  • Distinctive players and styles
  • What happens at a Marine Band retirement ceremony
  • The Italian Store chicken parmesan on a hard roll
  • Baseball rule changes
  • Freelancing, listening and adapting to a variety of situations
  • Learning to blend
  • Overcoming doubt
  • Rich Kelley Central Park story
  • Putting other players at ease within a section
  • Trial and error and the importance of experience as a teacher
  • Playing the appropriate musical role
  • Mallory Thompson
  • Andrew and the silk shirt

LINKS:

Want to help the show? Here are some ways:

  • Help others find the show by leaving a rating and review on iTunes.
  • Show us some love on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
  • Help us pay the bills (and get regular bonus episodes!) by becoming a Patreon patron.
  • Show some love to our sponsors: The brass program at The Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University and Parker Mouthpieces (including the Andrew Hitz and Lance LaDuke models.)
  • Tell your friends!

Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

Jun 11, 2019

TBJ113: Rebecca Cherian on encouraging young women players, the importance of allies and the Bernstein Bounce. Rebecca Cherian is Co-Principal Trombone of the Pittsburgh Symphony.

From her bio:

Rebecca Cherian was awarded the position of co-principal trombone of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra by Lorin Maazel in 1989. She has been trombone instructor at Carnegie Mellon University since 1993. Cherian was a founding member of the International Women’s Brass Conference in 1994 and served as the IWBC Newsletter Editor for five years. 

As a California native, Cherian began her professional career at the age of 16 as trombonist with the San Jose Symphony under the direction of George Cleve. At the age of 17, she appeared as a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony as a result of winning First Prize in their Young Musicians’ Awards. Cherian earned her Bachelor of Music Degree from the California Institute of the Arts and her Master of Music Degree from the Yale School of Music. While in school she was awarded First Place in the Atwater Kent Brass Competition and Outstanding Chamber Music Performer at Yale. She studied with Miles Anderson, Robert Szabo, and John Swallow.

Before becoming a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Cherian held positions of principal trombone with the Springfield Symphony in Massachusetts and the Rhode Island Philharmonic. She was trombone instructor at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, the Hartt School of Music and Wesleyan University. As a freelance artist, she toured with the Israel Philharmonic under the Direction of Leonard Bernstein, performed with the Boston Opera, New York City Ballet, Hartford, New Haven, and Vermont Symphonies and Goodspeed Opera House.

In September 1993, Cherian enjoyed the honor of performing at the White House in Washington, D.C. as part of a 15-woman ensemble of brass and percussion players for the opening reception of the Annual International Women’s Forum. The group performed the world premiere of Joan Tower’s fanfare, Celebration, which was dedicated to Hillary Clinton. Cherian appears regularly as a soloist and master class Clinician at the IWBC.

Cherian released her second solo CD, “L’Invitation au Voyage,” in 2015. Both her first CD, “Water Awakening,” and “L’Invitation au Voyage.” are available through cdbaby.com or amazon.com. She can also be heard on “From the Back Row,” a recording on Albany Records of the Low Brass Section of the Pittsburgh Symphony and numerous recordings of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Lorin Maazel, Mariss Jansons and Manfred Honeck.

In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:
  • The dramatic Rebecca/Becky controversy
  • Playing with the PSO
  • The recent PSO concert at Lincoln Center in NYC
  • Technical difficulties
  • Becky still has a home phone (thankfully!)!
  • The state of the PSO
  • How social media played a part in getting the word out about the PSO player's positions
  • Her first gig was in San Antonio Symphony at 16 years of age
  • Losing her slide story
  • Women in the career field, how things have changed and what work there still is to do
  • The importance of building allies in a group
  • How to coach and encourage young women players (and the men too!)
  • Diversity issues in general
  • Picking the instrument in school, despite trombone not being a "girl's" instrument
  • Soloing with the San Francisco Symphony at 17
  • Lance's monumental frack 
  • Playing under Bernstein with the Isreal Philharmonic on tour in Mexico and Texas (and learning Rite of Spring and bass trumpet in one day)
  • Meeting Bernstein
  • Bernstein falling off the podium (and bouncing back), AKA the "Bernstein Bounce"
  • Herp Alpert
  • Playing at the White House

Links:

Want to help the show? Here are some ways:

  • Help others find the show by leaving a rating and review on iTunes.
  • Show us some love on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
  • Help us pay the bills (and get regular bonus episodes!) by becoming a Patreon patron.
  • Show some love to our sponsors: The brass program at The Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University and Parker Mouthpieces (including the Andrew Hitz and Lance LaDuke models.)
  • Tell your friends!

Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

May 28, 2019

TBJ112: Matt Niess on The Capital Bones, 3 x 3, and getting help from the "Trombone Angel"

Matt Niess is a multifaceted trombonist who served with The U.S. Army Band in Washington, DC and currently serves as Adjunct Associate Professor, Classical and Jazz Trombone at Shenandoah Conservatory.

From his bio page:

Matt Niess is a cross over trombonist who served with The U.S. Army Band in Washington, DC from 1988-2018 where he played with The Army Blues and The Army Brass Quintet. He is from Levittown, PA where he attended Woodrow Wilson High School. He earned an undergraduate degree in Instrumental Music Education from West Chester University in 1988, a Masters degree in classical trombone performance from George Mason University in 1996 and a DMA in classical trombone performance from The Catholic University of America in 2015.

He was director of bands at Calvert High School in Prince Frederick, MD from 1986-1988, and has taught on the jazz faculties of Shenandoah, George Mason, and Towson Universities.  He also served as director of jazz studies and professor of trombone at West Chester University from 2003-2007. Currently, he is the professor of jazz trombone at George Mason University and professor of trombone at The Shenandoah Conservatory teaching both jazz and classical. With The Army Blues he has served as Senior Producer and Jazz Coordinator of the Eastern Trombone Workshop producing over 300 concerts at various venues ranging from The White House to the Monterey Jazz Festival.

In 2008 he founded the National Jazz Workshop which runs two summer camps and sponsors a year-round honor band. To date over 1,000 students have participated in “NJW”. The year-round band has performed at The Kennedy Center, The Jazz Education Network, New Orleans, St. Louis, Dallas, Blues Alley, and numerous jazz festivals. He is the founder and director of The Capitol Bones, a jazz trombone ensemble, which has received national recognition and was winner of the 1991 International Trombone Association Kai Winging Award.

He has appeared as a soloist, clinician, and adjudicator at numerous venues including The Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, IAJE, JEN, ITA, ETW, MENC, PMEA, VMEA, University of Las Vegas, University of North Texas, West Virginia University, Disneyland & Disneyworld All-American College Band, James Madison University, UARTS, University of Utah, The Nebraska Jazz Orchestra, Longwood College, The U.S. Air Force “Noteables”, Mary Washington College, Shepherd College, University of Kentucky, University of Texas, George Mason University, University of Wisconsin, Towson University, University of North Carolina, Shenandoah University, Longwood College, West Chester University, University of Tennessee and others.

With The Army Band he has performed with Clark Terry, Doc Severinsen, Bill Watrous, Phil Wilson, Conrad Herwig, Carl Fontana, Don Menza, Chris Potter, John Clayton, Alabama, Rany Travis, Ertha Kitt, Allen Vizutti, Jon Faddis, The New York Voices, Terrell Stafford, Michael Abene, Dave Steinmeyer, Steve Turre, Tim Hagens, John Swana, James Moody, Buddy DeFranco, Dr. Billy Taylor, Bob Curnow, Mike Tomaro and many others.  Venues include  numerous Universities, schools and jazz festivals, I.A.J.E., ETW, The Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, MENC, The Montreux Jazz Festival, The Monterey Jazz Festival, Elkhart Jazz Festival, International Trombone Festival, National Trumpet Competition, The Trumpet Guild, Performances abroad include Germany, Switzerland, Kuwait, Uzbekistan, Russia, Cuba, Afghanistan, Norway and Sweden.

As a sideman he has performed with Ray Charles, Franky Valli, Pancho Sanchez, Shirley Jones, The Temptations, Diane Shuur, Joan Rivers, The Ink Spots, Merv Griffin, Mel Torme, Frank Sinatra Jr., Ben Vereen, The Four Tops, The Manhattan Transfer, Pia Zadora, The Smithsonian Masterworks Orchestra, David Baker, Bobby Caldwell, The Rob Parton Jazz Tech Big Band, The Gene Krupa Orchestra, Slide Hampton and many others.

He has produced CDs with The US Army Blues Jazz Ensemble, The West Chester University Criterions Jazz Ensemble, The Capitol Bones and The Capitol Bones Big Band and has appeared on many recordings to include The Mark Taylor/Steve Fidyk Big Band, The New Gene Krupa Orchestra, The Alan Baylock Big Band, Graham Breedlove, Doug Hamilton, The Mike Tomaro Big Band, over 100 recordings with The Studio A Big Band and The Washington Winds, Warner Bros. Publications, Alfred, FJH Music, Carl Fischer Music, Belwin Publications and Hal Leonard Publications. He has also recorded soundtracks for FOX TV, HBO, Discovery, and TLC.

In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:

  • Earbuds
  • From Houston to West Chester
  • Army Band
  • Lance is bad at math (3x7+3=? hint: not 30)
  • Becoming a band director in Frederick MD
  • Meeting the Navy Commodores and finding out about the Army Blues gig
  • Learned jazz
  • In his mind, he's 6'2"
  • Preparing for the Army Blues audition
  • Getting help from the "Trombone Angel"
  • Replacing Harry Watters in the Army Brass Quintet
  • Do everything three times, three times a day
  • Teaching at Shenandoah
  • Saddled with a work ethic
  • USAF Band stories
  • Mike Tomaro
  • National Jazz Workshop
  • The Capital Bones
  • The importance and value of sight-reading skills
  • Charles Colin "Rhythms Complete" book
  • What's the payoff for a piece of music
  • Bill Watrous running sound for The Capital Bones in Rochester
  • New Capital Bones album coming soon
  • Matt's kids are both freaky good musicians
  • The importance of speaking the language of jazz
  • Terry Bingham and a sweaty bald head

LINKS:

Want to help the show? Here are some ways:

  • Help others find the show by leaving a rating and review on iTunes.
  • Show us some love on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
  • Help us pay the bills (and get regular bonus episodes!) by becoming a Patreon patron.
  • Show some love to our sponsors: The brass program at The Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University and Parker Mouthpieces (including the Andrew Hitz and Lance LaDuke models.)
  • Tell your friends!

Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

May 14, 2019

TBJ111: Tim Buzbee on learning The Furies overnight, winning gigs in 8 countries and being put in a piece of metal

Tim Buzbee, Principal Tubist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, knows he would probably be flipping burgers if not for the help of teachers Ed Jones, Gene Pokorny, and Matt Good.

Tim Buzbee has been the Principal Tubist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra since 2010. Tim grew up in Queen City, Texas and knows he would probably be flipping burgers if not for the help of teachers Ed Jones, Gene Pokorny, and Matt Good. He has performed as guest tubist with many orchestras including the Chicago Symphony, Danish Radio Orchestra, Swedish Radio Orchestra, Dallas Wind Symphony, Malaysia Philharmonic, and the Helsingborg Symphony.

As a soloist, he has performed with the Iceland Symphony, Singapore Symphony, Acapulco Symphony, Marshall Symphony and the “Pershing Own” Army Band in Washington D.C and currently has two solo CDs on the Albany Record label. Before taking his position at the MSO he held the Principal Tuba position at the Iceland Symphony, Chicago Civic Orchestra, Acapulco Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony, Gavle Symphony, and the Malmo Symphony.

In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:

  • Has won gigs in 8 different countries
  • Calling us from Australia in the middle of the night
  • Originally from Queen City TX (pop. 1,600)
  • Started on country fiddle, taking after his grandfather, later moved on to the bass guitar
  • Switched to euphonium and later was drawn to the tuba
  • Didn't take it seriously until mid-way through his undergrad
  • Being put in a piece of metal
  • Was going to work on a fishing boat in Alaska
  • Pantless Mahler 6 leading to a breaking and entering incident (and the launch of his career path)
  • Studying with Ed Jones
  • Learning the Three Furies 3rd movement in one night
  • The influence of Gene Pokorny
  • Making the simple beautiful
  • Having to play catch up 
  • Studying with Matt Good and Dave Kirk
  • Winning a few gigs before moving on to study with Gene Pokorny
  • Ed provided the foundation of fundamentals, Matt helped him understand what to do with the sound and Gene helped him build a musical product he could sell
  • Leaving a busy career in Chicago to go to Singapore
  • Following his own path
  • Singapore was too crowded for him so he moved on to Sweden
  • The differences in playing in those orchestras
  • Adding Iceland Symphony to the mix for a year
  • Tim's wife, Jessica (who he met while she was Principal Trombone in the same Swedish orchestra) also won a gig in Iceland and they eventually moved there
  • Having five kids
  • Flying with a tuba (hilarity and bent metal)
  • Audition strategy, switching from being physically prepared to be mentally prepared
  • Tim's forthcoming (hypothetical) book"The Death of American Brass Playing Due to the 3 T's (Tone, Time, Tuning)"
  • How do I make an emotional connection with a listener?
  • The 3 T's are too procedural and disconnect the player from the listener
  • Running mental audition processes ahead of auditions, changing the variables each time, always simulation culminating with him being announced as a winner
  • Every audition system is flawed in some way so you have to find a process to allow you to succeed in any situation
  • The influence of the book, "Unleash the Warrior Within" by Richard Machowicz
  • Mental toughness

LINKS:

Want to help the show? Here are some ways:

  • Help others find the show by leaving a rating and review on iTunes.
  • Show us some love on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
  • Help us pay the bills (and get regular bonus episodes!) by becoming a Patreon patron.
  • Show some love to our sponsors: The brass program at The Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University and Parker Mouthpieces (including the Andrew Hitz and Lance LaDuke models.)
  • Tell your friends!

Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

Apr 30, 2019

TBJ110: Listener's Choice - How to Start a Brass Group, Part 2

In this Listener's Choice episode, Andrew & Lance follow up with more information on starting a brass group.

Topics include:

  • Killer squirrels
  • Rehearsal techniques
  • How will you present the art?
  • Being producers of music vs. consumers of music
  • Lindberg (not that one)
  • Collaborations with other artists like the T'Ang Quartet, Imani Winds, Enso Quartet, etc.
  • How do you find gigs?
  • Working with management
  • How to spend $20,000
  • Do the legwork

LINKS:

Want to help the show? Here are some ways:

  • Help others find the show by leaving a rating and review on iTunes.
  • Show us some love on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
  • Help us pay the bills (and get regular bonus episodes!) by becoming a Patreon patron.
  • Show some love to our sponsors: The brass program at The Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University and Parker Mouthpieces (including the Andrew Hitz and Lance LaDuke models.)
  • Tell your friends!

Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

Apr 16, 2019

Richard A. White is the subject of the upcoming documentary, "R.A.W. Tuba" and is one of our most inspirational guests. He spoke with us about his life, his career, and the upcoming film.

From his website:

With over two decades of performing on the world’s classical music stages, tubist Richard White has matured into a musician known for his clear sound and stylistic flexibility. He began his tuba studies with Ed. Goldstein at age twelve at The Baltimore School for the Performing Arts, where he graduated with honors. He then went to the Peabody Conservatory of Music to study with David Fedderly (Principal Tubist, Baltimore Symphony) where he received his Bachelor’s degree. On the advice of Mr. Fedderly, Richard traveled to Indiana University to study with the legendary Professor Daniel Perantoni. He continued his studies there receiving both his Master’s and Doctoral degrees. Richard Antoine White, also known as RawTuba, is the first African American, to receive a DM in Tuba!

Dr. White held the position of Principal Tubist with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra from 2004 until it’s untimely demise in 2011 and is currently in his seventh season as Principal Tubist of the New Mexico Philharmonic. Dr. White is also principal tubist with The Santa Fe Symphony and Chorus. Richard enjoys playing in the Duo, Diversity Matters, with pianist Pamela Viktoria Pyle, in addition to teaching at the University of New Mexico, where he is Associate Professor of tuba/euphonium, and Associate Director of the Spirit Marching Band. Dr. White has performed with the Canadian Brass Quintet, Indiana University Faculty Brass Quintet, New Mexico Symphony Brass Quintet, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic, Santa Fe Opera, Sphinx Symphony, Spoleto Music Festival U.S.A., Music in the Mountains, a summer festival located in beautiful Durango, CO, and many others. Dr. White is an Adams Artist and performs exclusively on these instruments.

Prior to moving to New Mexico, Dr. White was one of the top freelance musicians in the Indianapolis area, where he recorded with such greats as movie film composer John Williams, Cincinnati Pops conductor Eric Kunzel, and the late great wind ensemble conductor Frederik Fennell. Throughout his musical and educational career development, Dr. White has had a passionate interest in motivational speaking. That dream has recently materialized itself with the launching of his website rawtuba.com. Sharing inspirational thoughts and philosophies that have motivated Dr. White has taken him to Mexico, South America, Europe, South East Asia and across the United States of America – with more engagements on the horizon.

In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:

  • How the "R.A.W. Tuba" film came about
  • Bringing love to Baltimore
  • The filming process
  • Mr. P and his stool
  • Having a literary agent
  • Richard's story
  • The water fountain
  • The emotional toll it has taken on him
  • Sam Pilafian's influence
  • Building himself a gig at UNM by teaching football players respiratory function
  • A kid named King playing a young Richard in the film
  • Breaking into the filmmaker's car (with permission)
  • Screenings always open with some sort of act
  • Short intro followed by the film, a performance, a Q&A and performance of "We Are the World"
  • Ed Goldstein and Dave Fedderly
  • Meeting his natural father in Baltimore at a screening
  • R.A.W. Tuba t-shirts
  • Working with J.D. Shaw at UNM
  • Playing in Brass Theater
  • Breathing Gym
  • His gig at UNM
  • The importance of the hang
  • Three rules for his studio: have fun, sound good, make music
  • Motivational speaking
  • Hustle and Flow
  • Diversifying his professional portfolio
  • Losing 64 lbs. and reclaiming his health
  • Doing the right thing and behaving with integrity
  • Loyalty
  • Posting the rejection letters on his walls and ceiling

LINKS:

Want to help the show? Here are some ways:

  • Help others find the show by leaving a rating and review on iTunes.
  • Show us some love on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
  • Help us pay the bills (and get regular bonus episodes!) by becoming a Patreon patron.
  • Show some love to our sponsors: The brass program at The Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University and Parker Mouthpieces (including the Andrew Hitz and Lance LaDuke models.)
  • Tell your friends!

Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

Apr 2, 2019

TBJ108: Jim "Don't call me BB" Nova on writing, driving and April Fooling. 

Pittsburgh Symphony trombonist Jim Nova puts up with more abuse from Andrew & Lance for no good reason. 

From his website:

My love for all musical things Star Wars began a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away… As a six-year-old child, my father took my brother and me to see The Empire Strikes Back. Even at that age, I was overwhelmed with how important the music was to the storytelling, and thus began my lifelong love of the incredible scores of John Williams.

A few years later, at age nine, I began playing the trombone in my home state of Connecticut. As a child, I received my early musical exposure and training from my father, Anesti Nova. During high school, I studied with my first private trombone teacher, Assistant Principal/Second Trombonist of the Hartford Symphony, George Sanders.

After graduating high school I attended the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where I received my bachelor’s degree studying with Glenn Dodson, who was Philadelphia Orchestra’s Principal Trombonist at the time. This is where the seed of this album A Fall from Light to Dark first began to grow. When I was a student at Curtis, Mr. Dodson would hold epic trombone get-togethers called, “Bone Bashes” where the Curtis trombone students and the Philadelphia Orchestra trombone section would play through incredible arrangements and transcriptions of all kinds of pieces. This where I first started to create my own trombone ensemble arrangements and transcriptions. Mr. Dodson’s Han Solo-like swagger was contagious as we would tackle these pieces.

I then moved to Boston to pursue a Master’s Degree on a full scholarship at the New England Conservatory of Music, studying with Norman Bolter who was Second Trombonist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Principal Trombone of the Boston Pops Orchestra at the time. It was during this time that Mr. Bolter fostered my “Start with what you can do” attitude that I still use today, in both my own artistic development as well as with my students. He truly was and still is, my master Yoda in so many ways.

After finishing my master’s degree, I freelanced in Boston for several years, substituting on a regular basis with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops Orchestra, making several recordings and television broadcasts with both groups as both principal and second trombone. It was here in Boston that my musical path first crossed with John Williams! I had the opportunity to perform with him on countless Boston Pops concerts and even performed on the world concert premiere of the concert suite from Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.

In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:

  • The Bubble Butt Strikes Back
  • The joke is on...?
  • Parker soprano trombone mouthpiece
  • Juilliard gig with Joe Alessi
  • 40th "Trombone at the Movies" gig, featuring film music trombone choir arrangements at colleges and universities
  • Soundcloud page has passed 750,000 listens
  • ITF closing concert in summer of 2019 with full concert versions of the same music
  • A "Who's Who" of amazing players on the ITF
  • Christopher Bill crashing in his basement and an upcoming collaboration debuting May the Fourth
  • Context is everything
  • His evolving relationship with Joe Alessi
  • Boston Brass Fanfare Project
  • Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University, with a real-live Pappert Person
  • Cathy Heller's podcast, "Don't Keep Your Day Job"
  • Jim's cat is a coffee model
  • Jim's lead foot
  • Less horsepower than a horse
  • Play in a big orchestra, drive a fast car
  • He took off like a stabbed rat
  • Paying for a ticket with a ticket
  • Exhibition of speed
  • Driving at race tracks and in driving schools
  • Becoming a performance driving teacher
  • Taking possession of his BMW while on tour with the PSO
  • The Green Death
  • Parallels between learning driving and learning trombone
  • Jimmy James

LINKS:

Want to help the show? Here are some ways:

  • Help others find the show by leaving a rating and review on iTunes.
  • Show us some love on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
  • Help us pay the bills (and get regular bonus episodes!) by becoming a Patreon patron.
  • Show some love to our sponsors: The brass program at The Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University and Parker Mouthpieces (including the Andrew Hitz and Lance LaDuke models.)
  • Tell your friends!

Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

Mar 19, 2019
TBJ107: Christopher Bill, trombonist, singer, and multi-instrumentalist and internet sensation!
 
Christopher is a trombonist, singer, and multi-instrumentalist based outside of NYC, but it’s more accurate to say he’s based on the internet. He has been playing piano since he was 6 years old, trombone since he was 10, and he has been composing/arranging since he was 12.
 
Christopher has a Bachelor of Music for classical trombone performance from the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music in New York. While at the conservatory he studied with critically acclaimed trombonists Weston Sprott (Metropolitan Opera), Denson Paul-Pollard (Metropolitan Opera), John Fedchock (Grammy Nominated Jazz Trombonist), and the absolutely incomparable Timothy Albright.
Christopher is best known for his all-trombone arrangements of popular songs. His YouTube Channel has been gaining popularity since the spring of 2014 when a cover of Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” where Christopher uses a looping station to compose the song on the spot went viral. His videos have amassed over 30 million views and a following of over 175,000 subscribers. In April of 2014, Christopher independently released his first cover album, Breakthrough, which was followed by his Christmas album, Smiling’s My Favorite. More recently, Christopher released an original pop album called Half Man, Half Machine which mixes acoustic sounds with electronic instruments. He is the Youth Workshop Coordinator of the International Trombone Festival and a marketing consultant for the International Trombone Association.
 
Christopher enjoys a busy schedule of performances, clinics, and masterclasses. In addition to producing a new video every Saturday for his YouTube Channel, he often performs at festivals such as the American Trombone Workshop, Midwest Clinic, Texas Bandmasters Association, Con Brio Festivals, Conn-Selmer Institute, Western International Band Clinic, and the International Trombone Festival.
 
In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:
  • Household name status (in Andrew's house)
  • Recording in Andrew's basement
  • Starting out exactly eight years ago as a freshman in college
  • When it stopped being so cringy
  • How his arranging chops have changed over time
  • Using homework for fun and profit
  • Using the arrangements to further develop as a musician
  • The impact of shirt color in his arrangements
  • How far he plans in advance
  • Taking yourself seriously
  • The importance of consistent uploads
  • He hasn't missed a week in four years
  • The Jerry Seinfeld of Trombone
  • Leave Christopher's Grandmother out of this
  • Two kinds of people: those who think they're cool and those who know they're not
  • The "Take on Me" pic, (worth it)
  • Cease and Desist
  • Living off Patreon and YouTube ad revenue
  • Exploring new platforms
  • Focusing on select existing programs
  • Figuring out what content works for your audience on the various platforms
  • Sticking with it for three years before gaining traction
  • The impact of the "Happy" video on his career
  • What to do for the next project after a viral hit
  • How much is too much for an audience
  • How to do a cover without getting sued
  • Meeting some of the folks who did the originals of the covers he's made
  • Dennis Deyoung busting his hump
  • Andrew's embouchure looks like he's eating a ham sandwich

LINKS:

Want to help the show? Here are some ways:

  • Help others find the show by leaving a rating and review on iTunes.
  • Show us some love on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
  • Help us pay the bills (and get regular bonus episodes!) by becoming a Patreon patron.
  • Show some love to our sponsors: The brass program at The Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University and Parker Mouthpieces (including the Andrew Hitz and Lance LaDuke models.)
  • Tell your friends!

Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

Mar 5, 2019

Legendary trumpeter Jim Pandolfi has one of the most amazing stories in music. Or most places.

In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:

  • How Andrew and Jim first met in NYC many moons ago
  • Applesauce
  • Life out on Cape Cod (in the Dagobah System)
  • "The older I get, the better I was"
  • 15 years playing with The Met (wearing telescoping glasses due to an eye condition, macular degeneration)
  • Having to leave before his vision loss got too bad
  • How determination became the byword of his career
  • The impact his attitude had on the other folks around him
  • Playing loud (like really loud) in Japan on Samson and Delilah
  • Overcoming the involuntary response with excellence
  • Be a musician who happens to play the trumpet
  • Practicing golf in his apartment (between the aquarium, the big-screen TV, the piano and his horns)
  • Mark Gould locking in musically and personally
  • Surviving in a symphony orchestra (the 3 most important rules)
  • Only needed 4 or five notes to make an assessment of someone's playing
  • The development of his teaching style and philosophy
  • Everybody wants to play loud but most play too heavy (bear down too much)
  • Listening to Bryn Terfel, connecting the power coming from the reserve (feel the reserve, don't push)
  • How they get the fork to their mouth in the morning
  • Pick up your chest
  • Have the sound come from behind your sternum
  • Take pause
  • Single tonguing
  • Set and forget tonguing
  • The difference between thinking and concentration
  • How well can you concentrate?
  • Puttin' on the Ritz (during Flying Dutchman)
  • More Gould stories (with Rich Kelley cameos)
  • Peter Weller playing Clifford Brown tunes on Pandolfi's horn while driving golf balls between opera acts
  • Mel Broiles influence on Jim
  • Fantastic Mel stories (both music- and aviation-related)
  • "Mel Broiles, Starring in His Own Movie"

LINKS:

Want to help the show? Here are some ways:

  • Help others find the show by leaving a rating and review on iTunes.
  • Show us some love on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
  • Help us pay the bills (and get regular bonus episodes!) by becoming a Patreon patron.
  • Show some love to our sponsors: The brass program at The Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University and Parker Mouthpieces (including the Andrew Hitz and Lance LaDuke models.)
  • Tell your friends!

Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

 

Feb 19, 2019

Seth had performed frequently with the Baltimore Symphony prior to assuming a full-time position in 2014 and performed during the BSO’s west coast tour and its 2010, 2014, and 2016 Carnegie Hall appearances with Marin Alsop. He can be heard on the BSO’s two most recent albums featuring the symphonies of Leonard Bernstein conducted by Marin Alsop (Naxos), as well as Ms. Alsop's recording with the Colorado Symphony of Roy Harris Symphonies 3 and 4 (Naxos). Horner has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony, Kennedy Center Opera, New Jersey Symphony, Louisville Symphony, Oregon Symphony, and New World Symphony among others. He has made chamber music appearances with the Washington Symphonic Brass, the Bay Street Brassworks, and the Clipper City Brass. Horner was a featured soloist with the Capital Wind Symphony in Vienna, VA, and was a finalist at the 2010 International Tuba and Euphonium Conference.

Seth Horner has served as an audition panel member and coach for Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America as well as Carnegie’s NYO2. In the summer, he has been on the faculty of Wyoming Seminary’s Performing Arts Institute in Kingston, PA as the instructor of tuba and euphonium as well as performing with the Oregon Bach Festival and Britt Festival orchestras. Mr. Horner has given masterclasses at the University of Oregon, Ithaca University, and Towson University. Seth resides in Durham, NC.

In this fun and lively episode, we cover:

  • Lance is grumpy (and whelmed)
  • Seth talking to himself
  • Life is good
  • Being a professional tuba player is the best gig in the world
  • Andrew's coffee issues
  • Saints and Rams controversy
  • The Durham NC minor league baseball team (the Bulls, from Bull Durham fame)
  • His fiance found his box of mouthpieces and questioned the whole relationship
  • Mike Parker's mouthpiece issues
  • Seth's grandfather was a tuba player, had a family band
  • Andrew's most recent Jacob's Podcast episode about an influential Rex Martin class and the influence of the mouthpiece selection
  • Tage Larsen of the Chicago Symphony
  • Chris Hall and Chris Hall
  • Don't pick a fight with a child or an animal
  • Playing in the Baltimore Symphony for three seasons after David Fedderly's retirement
  • Studying with Fedderly
  • Baltimore Brass Company (and how it compared to working with the BSO)
  • Dave Fedderly: Action-packed with wisdom
  • The most important teacher of music is life
  • The importance of phrasing and sub-phrasing
  • Playing with the North Carolina Symphony
  • Playing for elementary school students all over North Carolina
  • How the state supports the organization
  • Bubble Butt
  • Turning down a military band position
  • Trusting your gut
  • Meeting Andrew at the Greensboro tuba conference (Lance was there too)
  • The Captain's Log

LINKS:

https://www.sethhorner.com/

Want to help the show? Here are some ways:

  • Help others find the show by leaving a rating and review on iTunes.
  • Show us some love on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
  • Help us pay the bills (and get regular bonus episodes!) by becoming a Patreon patron.
  • Show some love to our sponsors: The brass program at The Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University and Parker Mouthpieces (including the Andrew Hitz and Lance LaDuke models.)
  • Tell your friends!

Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

Feb 5, 2019

TBJ103: Joe Lovinsky, horn phenom, discusses his time in the Army band, being a sharp-shooter, cage fighter, and ultra runner. Yes really. 100-Mile Joe!

Joe Lovinsky is an amazing player, teacher, and person. He sits down with Andrew & Lance to discuss why he may, in fact, be the most interesting man in the world!

From his bio page:

Joseph Lovinsky, principal horn and frequent soloist of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra, was appointed to this position by world-renowned horn soloist Barry Tuckwell.  Lovinsky, the former principal horn of The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” as well as The Army Orchestra, and The Army Brass Quintet in Washington DC, was also a frequent soloist with those ensembles. From 2013-2018, Joe taught at the Shenandoah Conservatory at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia, where he was a member of both the Faculty Brass and Wind Quintets.  Joseph was horn instructor of the 2014 Music for All Summer Symposium at Ball State University and the 2016 Chamber Music National Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana. Joseph Lovinsky is a "Yamaha Performing Artist." 

"You'll never know how far you can go unless you try to go too far" 

Joseph Lovinsky, Play Without Limits 

In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:

  • Joe's nervousness
  • Playing Principal horn in Pershing's Own Army Band for over 20 years
  • The various amazing players who played in the Army Band Brass Quintet over the years
  • The Amazing Harry Watters
  • Joe's joke
  • iPad music reader fail
  • Empire Brass story, signals crossed
  • JD Shaw joining the quintet in a very special piece of performance art
  • Battle of the Bands
  • Playing in a variety of smaller orchestras in Florida while in "retirement"
  • Joanna Hersey texting Joe (to warn him?)
  • Difference between playing in orchestras vs. quintets
  • Work on endurance and technical ability for quintet playing
  • Being homeless while a student at Juilliard due to a student loan glitch (and fantastic Peter Mennin story), sleeping in a practice room
  • Studying with James Chambers
  • Joe's sister is a Federal Prosecutor
  • Leaving Curtis to go to Juilliard
  • Growing up in inner-city Miami (Liberty City)
  • Being a security guard at Trump Plaza and Trump Tower
  • Celebrity sightings
  • Johnny Carson
  • Woody English
  • No downside to being a nice person
  • The influence of Joe's Dad, especially his character
  • Joe's other fascinating (and wildly successful) siblings
  • Cage fighting for fun and profit
  • John Delancey (head of Curtis) calling him into his office and changing his life
  • Becoming an ultra-runner

LINKS:

Want to help the show? Here are some ways:

  • Help others find the show by leaving a rating and review on iTunes.
  • Show us some love on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
  • Help us pay the bills (and get regular bonus episodes!) by becoming a Patreon patron.
  • Show some love to our sponsors: The brass program at The Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University and Parker Mouthpieces (including the Andrew Hitz and Lance LaDuke models.)
  • Tell your friends!

Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.

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