TROMBONE-L Digest 2258 Topics covered in this issue include: 1) RE: Music at the Super Bowl by Douglas Yeo 2) RE: Music at the Super Bowl by "Jeffrey Albert" 3) Re: In Sports, Over-Analysis Leads to Paralysis.....Perhaps music also? by Gabriel Langfur 4) Re: Rose Parade SS Banner - by "Jerry Blomberg" 5) Henry Fillmore by Todd Jonz 6) Re: SS Banner by Todd Jonz 7) Where to look... by "Maria Tekle-Wolde" 8) Re: Where to look... by "Dean McCarty" 9) For Robyn Amy by "Dean McCarty" 10) Re: Where to look... by "Daniel Pliskin" 11) Re: Henry Fillmore by "Dr. Carole Nowicke, Applied Health Science" 12) Re: Where to look... by "Dean McCarty" 13) Re: SS Banner by Bodie Pfost 14) Re: SS Banner by Mearl Danner 15) Re: SS Banner by "Dean McCarty" 16) Duets by "Tim Skinner" 17) Re: Rose Parade SS Banner - by "Joe L. Norcross" 18) ss banner by barry green 19) Re: In Sports, Over-Analysis Leads to Paralysis.....Perhaps music also? by "Paul Hill" 20) Re: SS Banner by "Gary D. Maxwell" 21) Re: Where to look... by Gabriel Langfur 22) Disneyland band by Todd Jonz 23) Playing historic brasses by Douglas Yeo 24) Bill Pierce by "Richard Johnson" 25) Re: Bill Pearce by Douglas Yeo 26) Re: Music at the Super Bowl by Larry White 27) Re: Duets by Larry White 28) RE: Rose Parade SS Banner by "Roger L. Karren" 29) Re: SS Banner by Larry White 30) Re: SS Banner by "smith.howard" 31) Re: SS Banner by David Buckley 32) Re: Bill Pearce by Oxygumdoc@aol.com 33) Re: SS Banner by Walter Barrett 34) Interesting Bach Cello Suite Recording by Douglas Yeo 35) Standing Ovations, a Brief Revisiting... by Walter Barrett 36) Re: SS Banner by David Buckley 37) Re: SS Banner by "Dr. Carole Nowicke, Applied Health Science" 38) Fw: Henry Fillmore (more about him) by "Charles Levine" 39) Re: Playing historic brasses by Walter Barrett 40) Re: SS Banner by Craig Parmerlee 41) Re: Playing historic brasses by "Dr. Carole Nowicke, Applied Health Science" 42) Re: SS Banner by "Adrian Drover" 43) Re: Duets by "Steve Beck" 44) Re: Fw: Henry Fillmore (more about him) by Atlbrvsnt@aol.com 45) Re: Fw: Henry Fillmore (more about him) by Peter George Fielding 46) Re: In Sports, Over-Analysis Leads to Paralysis.....Perhaps music also? by "keith.marr" 47) Re: In Sports, Over-Analysis Leads to Paralysis.....Perhaps music also? by sabutin ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 13:42:54 -0500 From: Douglas Yeo To: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: RE: Music at the Super Bowl Message-ID: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" At 11:36 AM -0600 1/2/02, Jeffrey Albert wrote: On a side note, last time all of my LPO buddies were quite upset that they weren't allowed to stay and watch the game. They just did the pregame, and got shipped out. We've been told by the NFL that the Boston Pops players who want to stay for the game will have seats. -Doug Yeo ********************************************** * Douglas Yeo * * Bass Trombonist, Boston Symphony Orchestra * * Music Director, The New England Brass Band * * yeo@yeodoug.com * * http://www.yeodoug.com * * <>< * ********************************************** ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 13:34:32 -0600 From: "Jeffrey Albert" To: , "'Trombones and related issues forum.'" Subject: RE: Music at the Super Bowl Message-ID: <000a01c193c4$81120740$14219d42@user> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >On a side note, last time all of my LPO buddies were quite upset that >they weren't allowed to stay and watch the game. They just did the >pregame, and got shipped out. We've been told by the NFL that the Boston Pops players who want to stay for the game will have seats. -Doug Yeo ========================================================== Which is only one small example of how the Boston Pops is a better gig than the LPO. :) ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 11:57:12 -0800 (PST) From: Gabriel Langfur To: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: In Sports, Over-Analysis Leads to Paralysis.....Perhaps music also? Message-ID: <20020102195712.72571.qmail@web10307.mail.yahoo.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii --- "keith.marr" wrote: > Seriously, does anyone > remember Bobby Clampett? 36 checkpoints on the swing! I > bet Tiger just > swings. So should we. Actually, no. Tiger does not "just swing". He practices more than almost anybody, with more attention to detail. In fact, not long into his professional career, he took time off to rebuild his swing FROM SCRATCH, analyzing every detail of it, and came back with more consistency and more distance. You might argue that that's just what he needs psychologically in order to "just swing" like he should be doing in the first place, but...isn't that what practicing is for: to refine all your tools so that you can fully concentrate on the crucial moment with the confidence that you've done all the necessary work leading up to it? Gabe __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online! http://greetings.yahoo.com ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 13:43:14 -0800 From: "Jerry Blomberg" To: "trombone list" Subject: Re: Rose Parade SS Banner - Message-ID: <000501c193d6$7c4d2700$2083d43f@cubs> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I was also surprised by the arrangement of the SSB that the Marine Band did. I did not think that they usually strayed from a strict military arrangement. I agree that they did not perform it very well, but the whole unique intro to the parade was very moving for me. ####################### Jerry Blomberg, President & CEO Bridan Valley & Western Railroad and Bass Trombonist Wannabee HO Gauge Rules jerrzo@netzero.net <>< ----- Original Message ----- From: "carymusic" To: "Trombones and related issues forum." Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2002 2:21 AM Subject: Rose Parade SS Banner - > Interesting that this thread should arise after watching the opening of the > Rose Bowl Parade this morning. The Marine Corp Band (I think) did one of > the worst intrepretations of the SSB ever. Very rushed, phrasing was > very odd, and it left me with the feeling that the conductor felt no > connection to the feeling and emotion the song should carry. Especially > strange performance for what is normally a great service band. > > Anyone else feel that? > > Cary Hobbs > > ---------------------------------------------------- Sign Up for NetZero Platinum Today Only $9.95 per month! http://my.netzero.net/s/signup?r=platinum&refcd=PT97 ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 13:25:12 -0800 From: Todd Jonz To: Trombone-L mailing list Subject: Henry Fillmore Message-ID: <20020102132512.I399@tj.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii I've noticed a couple of potentially interesting pieces of sheet music on eBay by one Henry Fillmore -- a jazz trombone method book from the early '20s, and a collection of humerous trombone pieces entitled "Trombone Family." I'm not familiar with Henry Fillmore. Is anyone else? Would these items be of any interest musically or historically? -- Todd Jonz When cryptography is outlawed, todd@tj.org bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl. ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 13:20:06 -0800 From: Todd Jonz To: Trombone-L mailing list Subject: Re: SS Banner Message-ID: <20020102132006.H399@tj.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii As S.F. 49er season ticket holders my wife and I have heard just about every interpretation of the National Anthem imaginable. The all-time favorites, who perform once each season, are the gospel choir from the Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco. Huey Lewis and the News are the sentimental favorites (Huey is a personal friend of Joe Montana's, and used to be a frequent guest on the sidelines during games), and they do a very nice a capella arrangement. The biggest abortion, however, was by the blonde from "Ally McBeal" (not Calista Flockhart, but one of the second bananas whose name, fortunately, escapes me) who did a 4/4 rendition with a "boom-chucka-lucka-lucka" disco beat. The crowd was giggling after only a few bars. When she reached the unwritten fermata on "land of the free", where the crowd usually begins to cheer, a distinct murmer went through the crowd, and when she finished, she was booed off the field. She couldn't get off the field fast enough, and ran to the sidelines. For all I know, she kept on running until she got home to Los Angeles. And just for the record, contrary to the belief of many sports fans, the last two words of the lyrics are not, "Play ball!" -- Todd Jonz When cryptography is outlawed, todd@tj.org bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl. ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 15:39:57 -0600 From: "Maria Tekle-Wolde" To: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Where to look... Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_001_0001_01C193A3.BB8FCB80" Happy New Years everyone!! :-) I was just wondering if some of you knew of good Music Engineering schools.. as in music production and etc... I'm at the point in my life where I'd like to re-locate to a larger city where a car isn't necessary and also has a school that I could attend this coming August... Any input is greatly appreciated!! Maria Tekle-Wolde PS... anywhere in the US is good for me... (Chicago, New York, Boston, LA, etc etc) Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 16:46:26 -0600 From: "Dean McCarty" To: , "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: Where to look... Message-ID: <001701c193df$5114eb00$65c12bcf@compaqcomputer> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0014_01C193AD.05433380" Maria: Miami has a very good one, but it is expensive. Believe it or not there is a small school with a state of the art program in San Marcos, Tx. (30 min south of Austin). Southwest Texas State has a fine program that boasts 100% placement after graduating. I have done some session work out of their studio. It is quite impressive. If I were looking at going into engineering or producing I would give Southwest Texas in San Marcos a good look.Ê Unfortunately you would still need a car if you were looking to perform. There isn't much performing in San Marcos, but 30 minutes north to Austin and 45 minutes south to San Antonio there is a lot of work. Good luck! Dean McCarty freelance trombonist, Houston area ----- Original Message ----- From: Maria Tekle-Wolde To: Trombones and related issues forum. Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2002 3:39 PM Subject: Where to look... Happy New Years everyone!! :-) I was just wondering if some of you knew of good Music Engineering schools.. as in music production and etc... I'm at the point in my life where I'd like to re-locate to a larger city where a car isn't necessary and also has a school that I could attend this coming August... Any input is greatly appreciated!! Maria Tekle-Wolde PS... anywhere in the US is good for me... (Chicago, New York, Boston, LA, etc etc) Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 16:47:29 -0600 From: "Dean McCarty" To: "Trombones and related issues forum" Subject: For Robyn Amy Message-ID: <002501c193df$7655a940$65c12bcf@compaqcomputer> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_001D_01C193AD.2A9DE260" Robyn... email me back. Dean McCarty freelance trombonist, Houston area ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 02 Jan 2002 22:49:31 From: "Daniel Pliskin" To: trombone-l@po.missouri.edu Subject: Re: Where to look... Message-ID: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Maria, I was just wondering if some of you knew of good Music Engineering schools.. as in music production and etc... OK Maria, think of what percentage of the music you hear on your favorite radio station appeals to you. Now consider what percentage of the music on all radio stations, in the country, appeals to you. Now consider what percentage of all the music put out on CD, gets played on one of those radio stations. Finally, consider what percentage of all the music recorded makes it onto a CD. My point is that a recording engineer should probably be tone deaf and have absolutely no preferences about music. Then thereâs the whole thing about how great some musicians think they are, especially when they get all drugged up for their recording sessions. As much as Iâd love to see you find a career that involves music, in some regard, I canât quite get encouraging about recording engineering. DanP _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 17:54:42 -0500 (EST) From: "Dr. Carole Nowicke, Applied Health Science" To: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: Henry Fillmore Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Wed, 2 Jan 2002, Todd Jonz wrote: > I'm not familiar with Henry Fillmore. Is anyone else? Would these > items be of any interest musically or historically? There are other copies of his trombone smears floating around, but if you like that genre, you'll enjoy them. Henry Fillmore had his own family publishing business (which had concentrated on church music before he took it over), and started writing under a variety of pseudonyms (my favorite is "Gus Beans") including Gus Beans, Harold Bennett, Ray Hall, Al Hayes, Harry Hartley, Will Huff (there was also a real Will Huff), and Henrietta Moore. Had a very successful band in Cincinnati, and a radio program. Published marches by other well-known American band composers. Just picking the book up I happened to open to a page mentioning that F.D.R. heard Fillmore's arrangement of the SSB (1934--has trumpet flourishes where lyrics mention "rockets red glare") played by the Navy Band for Queen Wilhelmina. Roosevelt heard it again played by another Navy band, and issued an order that U.S. Navy bands were to use more conservative versions in the future. Biography of Fillmore: _Hallelujah Trombone! The Story of Henry Fillmore_. Paul E. Bierley. Integrity Press, 1982. There's also a separate volume on the music of Fillmore: _The Music of Henry Fillmore and Will Huff_. Paul E. Bierley. Integrity Press, 1982. Carole Nowicke cnowicke@indiana.edu ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 16:59:08 -0600 From: "Dean McCarty" To: , "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: Where to look... Message-ID: <003d01c193e1$170f7c20$65c12bcf@compaqcomputer> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Dan and Maria: I have to agree and disagree.... yes most producers out there deliver the public a pre-packaged lump of crap (sorry - there's no other word that I could think of). But the ones who have an ear and are musicians themselves are the ones who go far. Look at Quincy Jones or David Foster... both of those guys produce gold when they touch it. Maybe, just maybe what we need is for more serious musicians to get back into the booth and reclaim it for quality (then maybe us sidemen would get more work). I, for one, say "GO FOR IT MARIA!" We need better engineers and producers out there. Dean McCarty freelance trombonist, Houston area ----- Original Message ----- From: Daniel Pliskin To: Trombones and related issues forum. Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2002 10:49 PM Subject: Re: Where to look... > > Maria, > > >I was just wondering if some of you knew of good Music Engineering > >schools.. as in music production and etc... > > OK Maria, think of what percentage of the music you hear on your favorite > radio station appeals to you. Now consider what percentage of the music on > all radio stations, in the country, appeals to you. Now consider what > percentage of all the music put out on CD, gets played on one of those radio > stations. Finally, consider what percentage of all the music recorded makes > it onto a CD. > > My point is that a recording engineer should probably be tone deaf and have > absolutely no preferences about music. > > Then there's the whole thing about how great some musicians think they are, > especially when they get all drugged up for their recording sessions. > > As much as I'd love to see you find a career that involves music, in some > regard, I can't quite get encouraging about recording engineering. > > DanP > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com > > ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 02 Jan 2002 15:05:46 -0800 From: Bodie Pfost To: Trombone Mailing List Subject: Re: SS Banner Message-ID: <3C33924A.16D0990E@humboldt1.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I can remember seeing a SF Giants game last season where a man walked on to the field and WHISTLED the SSB. It was great. In tune, in time (3/4), and entertaining. That was one of the best versions I've ever heard. As far as personal experiences go, if any of you have seen the new Jim Carrey movie, The Majestic, you will have heard me playing....(ugh)....trumpet on the SSB during the memorial scene and on Sing, Sing, Sing at the end of the movie. Cracked notes and all! :-) (we were supposed to sound like a high school band) -- Bodie Pfost p.s. Pet Peeve - Hearing the Star Spangled Banner in 4/4. Todd Jonz wrote: > As S.F. 49er season ticket holders my wife and I have heard just about > every interpretation of the National Anthem imaginable. The all-time > favorites, who perform once each season, are the gospel choir from the > Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco. Huey Lewis and the News are > the sentimental favorites (Huey is a personal friend of Joe Montana's, > and used to be a frequent guest on the sidelines during games), and > they do a very nice a capella arrangement. > > The biggest abortion, however, was by the blonde from "Ally McBeal" (not > Calista Flockhart, but one of the second bananas whose name, fortunately, > escapes me) who did a 4/4 rendition with a "boom-chucka-lucka-lucka" > disco beat. The crowd was giggling after only a few bars. When she > reached the unwritten fermata on "land of the free", where the crowd > usually begins to cheer, a distinct murmer went through the crowd, > and when she finished, she was booed off the field. She couldn't get > off the field fast enough, and ran to the sidelines. For all I know, > she kept on running until she got home to Los Angeles. > > And just for the record, contrary to the belief of many sports fans, > the last two words of the lyrics are not, "Play ball!" > > -- > Todd Jonz When cryptography is outlawed, > todd@tj.org bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl. ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 02 Jan 2002 16:09:58 -0600 From: Mearl Danner To: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: SS Banner Message-ID: <30998563.1009987797@jmdanner> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline I always kinda liked it when the band played it and the audience sang it. Nothing like a 40,000 voice choir to lend it a little authority. But the best I ever heard was an old tape I saw on PBS that had Toscanini conducting and Jan Peerce singing. Next best was a CD of the Red Army chorus singing somewhere in Canada. They did a great job on "O Canada" also. I think the recording was made back in the "good ole days" when they hated us. --On Tuesday, January 01, 2002 4:00 PM -0800 "Gary D. Maxwell" wrote: To many simple songs are destroyed by singers trying to show off. Mearl Danner Systems Programmer Samford University jmdanner@samford.edu www.samford.edu ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 17:19:59 -0600 From: "Dean McCarty" To: , "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: SS Banner Message-ID: <008801c193e4$00691dc0$65c12bcf@compaqcomputer> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Bodie: I heard you in The Majestic... terrible playing : ) By the way this is a great movie... go see it. It has no special effects, just a good story and great acting. It's also set in the 50's so there is ok music in it also. Dean McCarty freelance trombonist, Houston area ----- Original Message ----- From: Bodie Pfost To: Trombones and related issues forum. Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2002 5:05 PM Subject: Re: SS Banner > I can remember seeing a SF Giants game last season where a man walked on to > the field and WHISTLED the SSB. It was great. In tune, in time (3/4), and > entertaining. That was one of the best versions I've ever heard. > > As far as personal experiences go, if any of you have seen the new Jim Carrey > movie, The Majestic, you will have heard me playing....(ugh)....trumpet on > the SSB during the memorial scene and on Sing, Sing, Sing at the end of the > movie. Cracked notes and all! :-) (we were supposed to sound like a high > school band) > > -- > Bodie Pfost > > p.s. Pet Peeve - Hearing the Star Spangled Banner in 4/4. > > > > Todd Jonz wrote: > > > As S.F. 49er season ticket holders my wife and I have heard just about > > every interpretation of the National Anthem imaginable. The all-time > > favorites, who perform once each season, are the gospel choir from the > > Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco. Huey Lewis and the News are > > the sentimental favorites (Huey is a personal friend of Joe Montana's, > > and used to be a frequent guest on the sidelines during games), and > > they do a very nice a capella arrangement. > > > > The biggest abortion, however, was by the blonde from "Ally McBeal" (not > > Calista Flockhart, but one of the second bananas whose name, fortunately, > > escapes me) who did a 4/4 rendition with a "boom-chucka-lucka-lucka" > > disco beat. The crowd was giggling after only a few bars. When she > > reached the unwritten fermata on "land of the free", where the crowd > > usually begins to cheer, a distinct murmer went through the crowd, > > and when she finished, she was booed off the field. She couldn't get > > off the field fast enough, and ran to the sidelines. For all I know, > > she kept on running until she got home to Los Angeles. > > > > And just for the record, contrary to the belief of many sports fans, > > the last two words of the lyrics are not, "Play ball!" > > > > -- > > Todd Jonz When cryptography is outlawed, > > todd@tj.org bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl. > > ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 18:56:52 -0500 From: "Tim Skinner" To: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Duets Message-ID: <001001c193e9$2a05f0e0$9b2be440@default36ezpf3> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0011_01C193BF.412FE8E0" I am planning on making a recording of my father and I (not a commercial one, just for family) and will be including some duets. I was wondering if anyone knew of some good accompanied duets I could look into. I have read the recent thread on arranging simple duets but am looking for something a bit more involved than that. I will arrange a couple myself but would appreciate any tips you can give in regard to good repertoire. Thanks, Tim Skinner Aurora, Ontario ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 16:18:14 -0800 From: "Joe L. Norcross" To: , "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: Rose Parade SS Banner - Message-ID: <001001c193ec$25c02980$8cdaaec7@computer> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I am going to disagree. I thought they did it quite well. I like it to be played briskly and that's what they did. The singer who followed was a small example of overuse of vocal technique, much like stupid trombone tricks, vocal gymnastics for their own sake only ruin they do not enhance Joe L. Norcross Tuba: Visalia CA Sequoia Winds Bass Trombone: Clovis CA Community Band Tuba and Announcer: Kingsburg CA City Band joetuba@lightspeed.net ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jerry Blomberg" To: "Trombones and related issues forum." Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2002 1:43 PM Subject: Re: Rose Parade SS Banner - > I was also surprised by the arrangement of the SSB that the Marine Band did. > I did not think that they usually strayed from a strict military > arrangement. I agree that they did not perform it very well, but the whole > unique intro to the parade was very moving for me. > > ####################### > Jerry Blomberg, President & CEO > Bridan Valley & Western Railroad > and Bass Trombonist Wannabee > HO Gauge Rules > jerrzo@netzero.net > <>< > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "carymusic" > To: "Trombones and related issues forum." > Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2002 2:21 AM > Subject: Rose Parade SS Banner - > > > > Interesting that this thread should arise after watching the opening of > the > > Rose Bowl Parade this morning. The Marine Corp Band (I think) did one of > > the worst intrepretations of the SSB ever. Very rushed, phrasing was > > very odd, and it left me with the feeling that the conductor felt no > > connection to the feeling and emotion the song should carry. Especially > > strange performance for what is normally a great service band. > > > > Anyone else feel that? > > > > Cary Hobbs > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------- > Sign Up for NetZero Platinum Today > Only $9.95 per month! > http://my.netzero.net/s/signup?r=platinum&refcd=PT97 ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 02 Jan 2002 18:42:10 -0600 From: barry green To: Subject: ss banner Message-ID: Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit The Martina McBride segment was prerecorded in Nashville, orchestra only, Martina sang live and is a great singer. Barry Green ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 20:00:47 -0800 From: "Paul Hill" To: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: In Sports, Over-Analysis Leads to Paralysis.....Perhaps music also? Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_001_0001_01C193C8.2BA41380" There areÊnumerous parallels from sports to music and just as many opportunities for "paralysis by analysis"... In addition to my music studies, lessons, recitals and trying to graduate on time, I was a collegiate hurdler (in fact, this paid my way!). We were fortunate to have an Olympic Athlete as one of our coaches. Talk about DETAIL!!! Where to look, where to step, where to BREATH! Form, form, form and repetition, repetition, repetition...movies, computer analysis; breaking down the race into individual movements. This went on every day for eight weeks... On the day of our first meet, the speed coach called together the relay team for last-minute details such as running order, lane assignments, hand-offs, etc. Result: heads spinning... I went to my (hurdling) coach before my race, expecting the same thing. When I prodded him for guidance, he gave me the most incredulous look - "when the gun goes off, run like hell"! Result: focus on starting gun... We had a good chuckle about it afterward (I won the race!) and he explained that *HE* was certain that I had mastered the fundamentals and that they would be there when I needed them...I have never forgotten this and apply it to my Trombone playing, as well. Relax, put the details out of your head and make music...the results of countless hours of practice and study will see you through! (note: this has nothing to do with pre-performance "jitters" which is another topic altogether -Êa little anxiety "gets your attention" just as waiting in the starting blocks...waiting for the downbeat or your entrance cue...enables you to FOCUS!) Best Regards, Paul ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 17:26:33 -0800 From: "Gary D. Maxwell" To: , "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: SS Banner Message-ID: <004b01c193f5$af6e5a40$9b525d3f@garymaxwell> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "Mearl Danner" > > --On Tuesday, January 01, 2002 4:00 PM -0800 "Gary D. Maxwell" > wrote: > > >> To many simple songs are destroyed by singers trying to show off. ================================================================== Sorry Mearl, 'twasn't I who muttered the above. I can't take credit for that one. (:>)) Gary Maxwell Bass Trombone Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra ================================================ > > > > Mearl Danner > Systems Programmer > Samford University > jmdanner@samford.edu > www.samford.edu > > ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 18:09:48 -0800 (PST) From: Gabriel Langfur To: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: Where to look... Message-ID: <20020103020948.4375.qmail@web10308.mail.yahoo.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii --- Maria Tekle-Wolde wrote: > I was just wondering if some of you knew of good Music > Engineering schools.. as in music production and etc... I know some graduates of the Berklee engineering program here in Boston that think highly of it. The ones I know went on to work at New England Conservatory, so they have experience with classical music/minimal micing/natural acoustic recording as well as more commercial styles of multitracking. I also know that the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore has an excellent program. A guy I was briefly in school with there has gone on to work for NPR. > > I'm at the point in my life where I'd like to re-locate > to a larger city where a car isn't necessary and also has > a school that I could attend this coming August... Baltimore isn't quite as easy to get around without a car as Boston, but the cost of living in Boston is MUCH higher. Having lived in both, I like Boston a lot better. No offense... Gabe __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online! http://greetings.yahoo.com ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 19:10:04 -0800 From: Todd Jonz To: Trombone-L mailing list Subject: Disneyland band Message-ID: <20020102191004.L399@tj.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii I realize I'm a couple of days behind the times in posting to this thread, but I decided to do so for reasons that will become clear below. My trombone teacher, Hart Smith, credits the years he spent with the Disneyland band during the '70s with making a *real* musician of him. He thought he was pretty good until he won a chair in the band and realized how much he had to learn upon first hearing the rest of his bandmates play. Hart credits the rigorous schedule and the quality of the personnel with making him truly understand what it would take to make a living as a professional musician. I wanted to contribute to this thread largely to get Hart's name out there. He has never taken the leap into using a computer (despite the fact that his 89-year-old father is wired to the ears), but he seemed quite intrigued by the very idea of Trombone-L and OTJ. If any of his old friends and acquaintances from L.A. or New York or the Toshiko Akiyoshi band would care to drop him a note in care of yours truly, he tells me that he would love to hear from you. Who knows, perhaps with a bit of encouragement we can entice him to join our merry ranks online.... -- Todd Jonz When cryptography is outlawed, todd@tj.org bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl. ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 23:09:02 -0500 From: Douglas Yeo To: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Playing historic brasses Message-ID: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" Those who have been on the list for awhile know of my interest in historic brasses, in particular the serpent, ophicleide and bass sackbut. I came to them rather recently, beginning playing serpent in 1994, ophicleide in 2000 and bass sackbut in 2001. But I want to say again that I highly recommend that players explore some of these instruments. It opens a new world. Doubling is often a tricky thing, so I use mouthpieces with inner rim diameters very similar to (or exactly the same as) my regular bass trombone mouthpiece. This way I don't cause any confusion on my chops when I go from one instrument to another. This evening, I played a 3 hour recording session with one of Boston's early music groups, Boston Baroque. We recorded the Handel "Music for the Royal Fireworks" which we had played at concerts on Dec 31 and Jan 1; the album will be filled out with the complete "Water Music" in sessions tomorrow and Friday (it will appear on Telarc). I played serpent. This experience was truly one of the highlights of my life in music. And not a trombone in sight! The whole orchestra was using period instruments, and we played at Baroque pitch at a=415. Playing the Boston Symphony full time, I have a particular orchestral sound in my ear. But with a Baroque period ensemble, a whole new world of sound has opened up to me in recent years with hearing baroque bassoons and oboes, etc. I used my c. 1810 French church serpent in C by Baudouin with a mouthpiece made after a historic model by the Christopher Monk Workshop in London. Fireworks has a great part for the serpent (actually, all the bass instruments in the orchestra - cello, bass, bassoon and serpent - play the same part), and blending with baroque bassoons and low strings is great fun and a whole new experience for me. Of course, the challenge of playing serpent is immense, but it has given me great pleasure over the past 7 years (this March I will begin a recording project of music featuring serpent; a project which will unfold over the next couple of years). Ophicleide presents other challenges, but I've had a great year with that in recent months, playing both the Mendelssohn "Midsummer Night's Dream" complete music and Wagner's Overture to "Das Liebesverbot" with the Boston Symphony. And I began my sackbut playing career with Boston Baroque last October in Monteverdi's "L'Orfeo." After playing any of these historic instruments, when I return to my modern bass trombone, I feel like Hercules. I have found that my trombone playing improves my historic brass playing and vice versa. And the bonus is that I get to play music I never would have played on the trombone, and to learn a new style and way of playing. Chamber orchestra playing is quite different than full symphony orchestra playing, and I'm much the better for all of this. During our "Fireworks" performances and recording, I got that "rush" a few times when you're really cooking at something and it is going great. The "Fireworks" serpent part is both fast and technical and slow and fluid. Edward Kleinhammer once referred to these kinds of moments - when everything works together just the way you imagine it could/should as "keyhole peeks into heaven." Want a challenge which will be rewarding and fun? Introduce yourself to a historic brass instrument. Study the music, learn the literature, read about the music of the period, make new friends, listen to new sounds. There is life for trombone players before the Mozart Requiem and life can be interesting without playing a Mahler Symphony. I came to serpent because I was just curious. It has turned out to be one of the great joys of my musical life (imagine my surprise in finding myself listed in the New Grove II Dictionary of Music's article on the serpent - you won't find me in their article on the trombone!). Check out the Historic Brass Society - they publish a quality Journal (which is peer reviewed, unlike the International Trombone Society Journal and others...) and interesting Newsletter, sponsor a yearly Festival and the HBS is a great way to meet other like minded people. Visit their website at: http://www.historicbrass.org/ And for more info on the serpent, visit my website at: http://www.yeodoug.com/serpent.html and the serpent website at: http://www.serpentwebsite.com/ I just wanted to share this again - I had so much fun tonight that I wish for others this unusual and enjoyable experience! -Doug Yeo ********************************************** * Douglas Yeo * * Bass Trombonist, Boston Symphony Orchestra * * Music Director, The New England Brass Band * * yeo@yeodoug.com * * http://www.yeodoug.com * * <>< * ********************************************** ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 22:18:09 -0600 From: "Richard Johnson" To: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Bill Pierce Message-ID: <000701c1940d$a6e51040$b4a99d42@zemry> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit How can I purchase Bill Pierce cds? **************************************************************************** ** Richard Zemry Johnson, Jr. "The Untouchables" Jazz Ensemble Shreveport Metropolitan Concert Band ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, , "There won't come a time when you won't have to practice anymore." J. J. Johnson **************************************************************************** ***** I'm not satisfied with anything about my playing. I know what I want. I can hear it; but it will take time and study to get it" -Sonny Rollins (1956) ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 23:34:02 -0500 From: Douglas Yeo To: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: Bill Pearce Message-ID: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" At 10:18 PM -0600 1/2/02, Richard Johnson wrote: How can I purchase Bill Pearce cds? I interviewed Bill Pearce for an article about him which appears on the OnLine Trombone Journal at: http://www.trombone.org/articles/library/pearce-int.asp Part of the article is a selected discography (click on the link for the discography at the top right hand side of the interview) - there you can also get the address for Bill's nightly radio program, "Nightsounds." You can purchase his CDs directly from "Nightsounds" - ordering information is in the discography, or you can write to "Nightsounds" and ask for an order form of the currently available albums (on CD or cassette). -Doug Yeo ********************************************** * Douglas Yeo * * Bass Trombonist, Boston Symphony Orchestra * * Music Director, The New England Brass Band * * yeo@yeodoug.com * * http://www.yeodoug.com * * <>< * ********************************************** ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 02 Jan 2002 21:09:28 -0800 From: Larry White To: yeo@yeodoug.com Cc: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: Music at the Super Bowl Message-ID: <3C33E788.2053774C@telus.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Douglas Yeo wrote: > > > One more thing... The Boston Symphony brass section has played the > National Anthem at 5 New England Patriots games in recent years (Bob > Kraft, the owner of the Patriots, is a member of the board of the > BSO). Every time we've played, the Patriots have won. > > :-) Say a thought just came into my mind. I am a great football fan and i was wondering .... well... uh.. do you ... uh. ever need ringers?? I would help out and even cheer for the Patriots. It would be a thrill to get in to a big event to see what excitement is created in a game that we only see on the telly. Of course we have our Grey Cup, which this year drew in excess of 50,000 people in Montreal, which is not too bad when you consider the size of our country to the good ol US of A. I'll be watching for you and listening. Hope the music is better than I heard during the Rosebowl parade yesterday. In fact I know it will be a darnsight better. I don't know what it was, one of the other members was referring to the SSB earlier and I don't know if it was the feed, or the fact that the conductor seemed to be away up in the crowd and was listening via a wireless headset that perhaps wasn't working. The channel I was watching, I think at the time was ABC showed one lowly Clarinet player with his eyes on the conductor but the rest were eyes down to the ground looking at their sheets of music. Very disjointed or something. Trumpeting was jagged, but it seemed that it was every man / woman for him/herself. Perhaps they only had one mic to pick up all the sound and it was coming in in waves through the one pick up. Great to hear you again Doug. Happy New Year to you and to the List. Larry White Vancouver BC > > > (Ducking now, but, hey, remember, it's only a game!) > > -Doug Yeo > ********************************************** > * Douglas Yeo * > * Bass Trombonist, Boston Symphony Orchestra * > * Music Director, The New England Brass Band * > * yeo@yeodoug.com * > * http://www.yeodoug.com * > * <>< * > ********************************************** > ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 02 Jan 2002 22:09:59 -0800 From: Larry White To: timskinner@sympatico.ca Cc: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: Duets Message-ID: <3C33F5B7.AC5DE743@telus.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="------------39E65EDAEBC2FD5B0EF6B5FD" Tim If you can read treble clef, drop down to Toronto and go to The Salvation Army Music Department or the Trade (Supplies and Purchasing Store) at 2 Overlea Blvd. You could phone for Kevin Hayward, a mean T-Bone player himself, who by the way has played and recorded with the Spiritual to The Bone Group, at the same location 416-425-2111 and he most certainly will probably be able to lead you to some sources either within or close by the above. Hope this is of help. (You might be able to make use of some Cornet and Euph /Trom duets or they may even have some of the things on hand that you are looking for. Larry White Vancouver BC Tim Skinner wrote: I am planning on making a recording of my father andÊI (not a commercial one, just for family) and will be including some duets. I was wondering if anyone knew of some good accompanied duets I could look into. I have read the recent thread on arranging simple duets but am looking for something a bit more involved than that. I will arrange a coupleÊmyself but would appreciate any tips you can give in regard to good repertoire. Thanks, Tim Skinner Aurora,ÊOntario ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 23:20:17 -0700 From: "Roger L. Karren" To: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: RE: Rose Parade SS Banner Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I asked one of my friends who was in the Composite Marine Band and he said it was canned music that was broadcast. He also said that it was recorded the previous day at the parade site in the street. He also said that it sucked from their perspective too since the Band was 7 x 17 and most everybody, except the first few rows, couldn't even see the conductor. Just FYI Roger ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Wed, 02 Jan 2002 22:26:27 -0800 From: Larry White To: todd@tj.org Cc: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: SS Banner Message-ID: <3C33F993.C08450B2@telus.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit While we are on this subject, and it seems therehas been precious little Trombone subject, but I guess we all want to show our patriotism, be that we live either north or south of the 49th, I for one cannot stand someone who massacres the National Anthems of our countries. They are hymns and should be respected as such. I do not mean that they must be sombre and lull you to death, but sung / played as it was meant to be according to the music. The tempo /tempi should be moved along to encourage congregation / audience participation, which I must say the Americans are much more willing to do than we in Canada. (Of course we are more can I say reserved? and hold back our feelings.) Or is it that we are constantly losing our rights and we have now got to the point that we say the heck with it and put up with what is thrown at us by our leader. Yes I say leader, for that it all we hear from. Why does everybody who is out at centre ice and is given a microphone, feel they have to trill every syllable of every word, and at the same time change key while they are doing it, especially if singing without accompaniment? We used to have a great opera singer in Montreal, a fellow by the name of Roger Doucet who sang the National Anthem before most hockey games, and he sang it wonderfully, but he was an exception, rather than the rule. I am sure that even if we gave some of these young players nowadays some proper music written out as it should be played, that they would go and blow it out on their own merry own way if given the chance for they don't see it as a Tribute, but a Performance. Sad, is all I can say! Especially if it is a Trombone Choir. Good Night I must be getting cranky, listening too much to you Dave Buckley! Happy New Year! Larry White Todd Jonz wrote: > As S.F. 49er season ticket holders my wife and I have heard just about > every interpretation of the National Anthem imaginable. The all-time > favorites, who perform once each season, are the gospel choir from the > Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco. Huey Lewis and the News are > the sentimental favorites (Huey is a personal friend of Joe Montana's, > and used to be a frequent guest on the sidelines during games), and > they do a very nice a capella arrangement. > > The biggest abortion, however, was by the blonde from "Ally McBeal" (not > Calista Flockhart, but one of the second bananas whose name, fortunately, > escapes me) who did a 4/4 rendition with a "boom-chucka-lucka-lucka" > disco beat. The crowd was giggling after only a few bars. When she > reached the unwritten fermata on "land of the free", where the crowd > usually begins to cheer, a distinct murmer went through the crowd, > and when she finished, she was booed off the field. She couldn't get > off the field fast enough, and ran to the sidelines. For all I know, > she kept on running until she got home to Los Angeles. > > And just for the record, contrary to the belief of many sports fans, > the last two words of the lyrics are not, "Play ball!" > > -- > Todd Jonz When cryptography is outlawed, > todd@tj.org bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl. ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 13:24:29 -0000 From: "smith.howard" To: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: SS Banner Message-ID: <001701c1945a$0a8154a0$9be8ff3e@oemcomputer> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ----- Original Message ----- From: Todd Jonz To: Trombones and related issues forum. Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2002 9:20 PM Subject: Re: SS Banner > my wife and I have heard just about > every interpretation of the National Anthem imaginable. > In Britain, we have an arrangement of our anthem by Elgar. In France, they have an arrangement by Berlioz. The tune of the German anthem (also now known as the hymn tune "Austria") was penned by Haydn. In the States, do you have a version of the SS Banner by a "real" composer? No offence intended. I love the tune, but have heard it massacred many times. Howard ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2002 09:54:33 -0500 From: David Buckley To: eljaywhite@telus.net Cc: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: SS Banner Message-ID: <3C3470A8.D8C77435@sympatico.ca> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sorry Larry. I didn't realize I was such a big influence on you. I thought the deprival of the sun at this time of year on the left coast was the problem. Happy new Year. Dave. Larry White wrote: > .Good Night I must be getting cranky, listening too much to you Dave Buckley! > Happy New Year! > > Larry White > > . ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 09:57:54 EST From: Oxygumdoc@aol.com To: trombone-l@po.missouri.edu Subject: Re: Bill Pearce Message-ID: <145.7409dfb.2965cb72@aol.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="part1_145.7409dfb.2965cb72_boundary" Website: Êwww.nightsoundsradio.org ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2002 10:24:06 -0500 From: Walter Barrett To: "smith.howard" , "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: SS Banner Message-ID: Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit on 1/3/02 8:24 AM, smith.howard at smith.howard@ntlworld.com sent forth into the cosmos: > In Britain, we have an arrangement of our anthem by Elgar. In France, they > have an arrangement by Berlioz. The tune of the German anthem (also now > known as the hymn tune "Austria") was penned by Haydn. In the States, do you > have a version of the SS Banner by a "real" composer? > > No offence intended. I love the tune, but have heard it massacred many > times. > > Howard Howard- No wonder that a Brit would love the tune of the Star Spangled Banner, as it was formerly a drinking song from England. (The Anacreon Society pops into my head...) There's a version of the SSB by Stravinsky, done soon after he became a citizen. By Igor's standards, fairly tame. My favorite version is from a recording by the American Brass Quintet and friends, of music from the Civil War era, done on period instruments. Sort of a minuet/slow waltz tempo. If not from the "Brass Band Journal," at least contemporary to it... Of course, some might argue that John Phillip Sousa, who did the version most often played by bands here in the States, was a real composer. As for me, give me the Carmen Dragon arrangement of "America the Beautiful" any day! Walter Barrett "Already too loud!" Bruno Walter at his first rehearsal with an American orchestra, on seeing the players reaching for their instruments. Yamaha Artist/Clinician Tenor, Alto, Bass Trombones Euphonium Bass Trumpet Tuba ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 10:27:20 -0500 From: Douglas Yeo To: trombone-l@po.missouri.edu Subject: Interesting Bach Cello Suite Recording Message-ID: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" A pianist recently came across my website resource on the Bach Cello Suites (http://www.yeodoug.com/bachsuites.html) and emailed to ask if I knew if the Suites had been transcribed for piano. This query led me to do a little research and I discovered that Suites 2, 3, and 5 HAVE in fact been arranged for piano solo. Lepold Godowsky (1870-1938) made his transcriptions in 1922; he comes out of a tradition of great Romantic era pianists who made many such transcriptions. This is, for sure, an interesting idea - how many of us have sat at a piano picking through a Cello Suite movement with double stops, trills and all to get an idea of the structure of the music? I know have, many times. Godowsky's transcriptions have been recorded by Carlo Grante on a Music and Arts CD (CD-1046). I got my copy from Tower Records Online, you can get information and hear sound clips at: http://www.towerrecords.com/product.asp?pfid=1615427 All I can say is "wow." These are full blown, hyperactive, super romantic transcriptions. Some work very well, others make you smile and even laugh. Some movements actually sound like Bach, others like Chopin, others more like Liszt. Particularly interesting is Godowsky's approach to implied counterpoint, especially in the Prelude to Suite 5 which, after the introduction, is a one voice fugue. The liner notes are quite good and talk a lot about Godowsky's approach to the music. In our continued search for more understanding of this great music, these transcriptions add something of interest and value. -Doug Yeo ********************************************** * Douglas Yeo * * Bass Trombonist, Boston Symphony Orchestra * * Music Director, The New England Brass Band * * yeo@yeodoug.com * * http://www.yeodoug.com * * <>< * ********************************************** ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2002 10:30:49 -0500 From: Walter Barrett To: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Standing Ovations, a Brief Revisiting... Message-ID: Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Hi, all! I recently received a George Carlin calendar as a Christmas present from a student. Yesterday's entry brought to mind a thread from a short while ago... "Standing ovations have become far too commonplace. What we need are ovations where the audience members punch and kick one another." -George Carlin -- Walter Barrett "A Guinness a day helps keep the shrink away!" - Art Triggs Yamaha Artist/Clinician Tenor, Alto, Bass Trombones Euphonium Bass Trumpet Tuba ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2002 10:41:36 -0500 From: David Buckley To: wbarrett@bestweb.net Cc: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: SS Banner Message-ID: <3C347BB0.6C5F280@sympatico.ca> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit There is also an excellent arrangement by Erik Leidzen with a fanfare prelude. This was written I believe when Erik was arranger for the Goldman Band and is available for both concert and brass bands. To refresh everyone's memory, the Goldman Band did 6 concerts a week split between Central Park and Brooklyn, all paid. What would we give for a gig like that now? Dave Buckley. Walter Barrett wrote: > on 1/3/02 8:24 AM, smith.howard at smith.howard@ntlworld.com sent forth into > the cosmos: > > > In Britain, we have an arrangement of our anthem by Elgar. In France, they > > have an arrangement by Berlioz. The tune of the German anthem (also now > > known as the hymn tune "Austria") was penned by Haydn. In the States, do you > > have a version of the SS Banner by a "real" composer? > > > > No offence intended. I love the tune, but have heard it massacred many > > times. > > > > Howard > > Howard- > > No wonder that a Brit would love the tune of the Star Spangled Banner, as it > was formerly a drinking song from England. (The Anacreon Society pops into > my head...) > > There's a version of the SSB by Stravinsky, done soon after he became a > citizen. By Igor's standards, fairly tame. > > My favorite version is from a recording by the American Brass Quintet and > friends, of music from the Civil War era, done on period instruments. Sort > of a minuet/slow waltz tempo. If not from the "Brass Band Journal," at least > contemporary to it... > > Of course, some might argue that John Phillip Sousa, who did the version > most often played by bands here in the States, was a real composer. > > As for me, give me the Carmen Dragon arrangement of "America the Beautiful" > any day! > > Walter Barrett > > "Already too loud!" > Bruno Walter at his first rehearsal with an American orchestra, on > seeing the players reaching for their instruments. > > > Yamaha Artist/Clinician > Tenor, Alto, Bass Trombones > Euphonium > Bass Trumpet > Tuba ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 10:34:58 -0500 (EST) From: "Dr. Carole Nowicke, Applied Health Science" To: Walter Barrett Cc: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: SS Banner Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Thu, 3 Jan 2002, Walter Barrett wrote: > My favorite version is from a recording by the American Brass Quintet and > friends, of music from the Civil War era, done on period instruments. Sort > of a minuet/slow waltz tempo. If not from the "Brass Band Journal," at least > contemporary to it... The Allen Dodworth or the G.W.E. Friederich versions? Those are my favorites. The out-of-print "19th Century American Ballroom" recording of the Dodworth on Nonesuch from 1975 was good--Bob Sheldon, et al. Charts for both arrangements available free of charge from the Library of Congress! http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/smhtml/smhome.html Carole Nowicke cnowicke@indiana.edu ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 09:49:49 -0600 From: "Charles Levine" To: "tlist" Subject: Fw: Henry Fillmore (more about him) Message-ID: <001f01c1946e$47434970$04ae1ad1@D7493111> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_001C_01C1943B.FC06CD10" ----- Original Message ----- From: Charles Levine To: list Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2002 5:51 AM Subject: Fw: Henry Fillmore (more about him) ----- Original Message ----- From: Charles Levine To: list Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2002 5:29 AM Subject: Fw: Henry Fillmore (more about him) ----- Original Message ----- From: Charles Levine To: list Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2002 4:39 AM Subject: Henry Fillmore (more about him) In the later years of his life, Fillmore moved to the Miami area and was very active visiting all of the high schools and the University of Miami (they now have a building named for him). I vividly remember his visits to my high school and the valuable comments he made to our band. (You, with the bushy eyebrows, try using the "side key" for the Eb, it will make the passage smoother (he was right)) He wrote the U of Miami band theme," Man of the Hour "and also the Orange Bowl March (both stillÊbeing playedÊtoday!) And many more good marches! I also remember him standing at the center of the Orange Bowl conducting the massed bands of all the high schools and the U of M band..........thrilling! The best known of his "Trombone Family" is Lassus Trombone (also still performed). Ê He was a very prolific composer, and many say he was as good if not better than Sousa.Ê His "trumpeting version" of the Banner is still being used by many bands today. (boring trombone part howver) Charlie ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2002 10:54:44 -0500 From: Walter Barrett To: , "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: Playing historic brasses Message-ID: Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit on 1/2/02 11:09 PM, Douglas Yeo at yeo@yeodoug.com sent forth into the cosmos: > Ophicleide presents > other challenges, but I've had a great year with that in recent > months, playing both the Mendelssohn "Midsummer Night's Dream" > complete music and Wagner's Overture to "Das Liebesverbot" with the > Boston Symphony. Doug- Sounds like you've been having lots of fun! I was wondering how the ophicleide and serpent fare alongside modern winds. I would hope that the trumpet section, for instance, would at least back off and adjust to the different sound. Did they use different equipment than they might use with a tuba on the bottom? I know that you played serpent with the Symphony for some Handel a while back. (Water Music, Fireworks?) I wouldn't expect that the trumpets switched to valveless Baroque trumpets, instead of modern piccolo trumpets. It seems to me a blend of modern and historic performance practice, somewhere in betwixt the ancient instrument "purists", and the modern-neoromantic-lush sound-fill the huge hall approach. Just curious as to how you and your colleagues dealt with it... -- "If it sounds good, it IS good!" - Duke Ellington "It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that certain je ne sais quoi!" - Peter Schickele Walter Barrett Yamaha Artist/Clinician Tenor, Alto, Bass Trombones Euphonium Bass Trumpet Tuba ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2002 12:28:30 -0400 From: Craig Parmerlee To: trombone-l@po.missouri.edu Subject: Re: SS Banner Message-ID: <4.3.2.7.2.20020103122206.00b6d7a0@acticalc.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed At 10:24 AM 01/03/2002 -0500, Walter Barrett wrote: As for me, give me the Carmen Dragon arrangement of "America the Beautiful" any day! That is a great arrangement. I guess he didn't pass on too many of those musical genes to Darryl, although "muskrat love" is kinda cute. Do you see that the Captain and Tenille are making a mini comeback? They are in an ad for one of the wireless phone companies. Hey, if the Bee Gees can try it, it is fair game for everybody. ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 11:27:48 -0500 (EST) From: "Dr. Carole Nowicke, Applied Health Science" To: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: Playing historic brasses Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Wed, 2 Jan 2002, Douglas Yeo wrote: > in 1994, ophicleide in 2000 and bass sackbut in 2001. But I want to Doug, thanks for sharing your experiences. It's a lot of fun to play instruments which produce sounds different from modern brasses. Also interesting to "know" the instrument "written on the part" as opposed to what is playing the part now. I've been playing ophicleide for--almost 30 years! But not consistently--and have never had the opportunity to explore the orchestral literature as you have. It's marvelous that you can do so! Have only played mine in 19th century dance bands, and this summer used it in our brass band when Henry Meredith played the Sachse _Concertino_ on Eb keyed bugle. A great chance to do so, pointing out to the conductor that it's easy to bury a keyed bugle with valved brass, keyed brass simply hasn't the volume to compete. Unfortunately no ensembles here in Bloomington are interested in *that* type of 19th century music. > Of course, the challenge of playing serpent is immense, but it has Unless I could find (and afford) a fully-keyed serpent it's out of the question (and this may be true for many others)--my fingers aren't wide enough to cover the holes. Bob Eliason was going to teach me to play it but a few experiments with trying leather gloves to get a seal didn't prove feasible. Had to settle for ophicleide duets as a means of annoying coworkers at the Henry Ford Museum. > Journal and others...) and interesting Newsletter, sponsor a yearly > Festival and the HBS is a great way to meet other like minded people. > Visit their website at: > > http://www.historicbrass.org/ When they met here--no keys! Show up to read some charts with an ophicleide and nobody to play with! Although I did meet Henry Meredith and secure that lucrative ophicleide and alto horn spot in his dance band "The Queen's Quadrille & Quickstep Society Orchestra" for gigs west of Ontario... Carole Nowicke cnowicke@indiana.edu ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 16:28:48 -0000 From: "Adrian Drover" To: , "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: SS Banner Message-ID: <00a101c19473$cced7af0$30e468d5@homedmpbgvaomg> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "Walter Barrett" > No wonder that a Brit would love the tune of the Star Spangled Banner, as > it was formerly a drinking song from England. Ah, so the British anthem comes from Germany and the American anthem comes from Britain. So why doesn't Germany use "Yankee Doodle"? Adrian ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 11:58:54 -0500 From: "Steve Beck" To: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: Duets Message-ID: <012501c19477$eeb457e0$5d0c0923@cl.msu.edu> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: Larry White If you can read treble clef, drop down to Toronto ???? Is that below middle C ? ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 12:34:40 EST From: Atlbrvsnt@aol.com To: trombone-l@po.missouri.edu Subject: Re: Fw: Henry Fillmore (more about him) Message-ID: <149.7487418.2965f030@aol.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="part1_149.7487418.2965f030_boundary" In fact, my high school band has always and still does play Fillmore's "Trumpeting Arrangement" of the SSB. The trombone part was slightly boring except for the little fanfares at the end, but it's my favorite band arrangement out of all I've played. When I was in high school, the 3 trumpeters who got to do the flourishes in the 2nd strain would actually spend a lot of time getting them together, like it was something they actually took pride in...something sadly missing from most things we did contrary to the proud tradidion our band has. Thankfully, it's now being regained in the few years since I've left. But I digress. Guess it's all the snow here in GA that's getting on my brain...we don't see accumulation on the streets very often here. A good day to all. -Tommy Cox University of Alabama/Carrollton, GA In a message dated 1/3/2002 9:50:37 AM Central Standard Time, chardy@totcon.com writes: In the later years of his life, Fillmore moved to the Miami area and was very active visiting all of the high schools and the University of Miami (they now have a building named for him). I vividly remember his visits to my high school and the valuable comments he made to our band. (You, with the bushy eyebrows, try using the "side key" for the Eb, it will make the passage smoother (he was right)) He wrote the U of Miami band theme," Man of the Hour "and also the Orange Bowl March (both still being played today!) And many more good marches! I also remember him standing at the center of the Orange Bowl conducting the massed bands of all the high schools and the U of M band..........thrilling! The best known of his "Trombone Family" is Lassus Trombone (also still performed).Ê He was a very prolific composer, and many say he was as good if not better than Sousa.Ê His "trumpeting version" of the Banner is still being used by many bands today. (boring trombone part howver) Charlie ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2002 12:51:05 -0500 (EST) From: Peter George Fielding To: Charles Levine Cc: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: Fw: Henry Fillmore (more about him) Message-ID: MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Hi I just wanted to confirm that here at U of Miami, there is a Henry Fillmore hall- I should know as I teach sight-screaming and play in trombone and brass choir there. One of the walls has a collection of Henry's stuff under glass for the viewing public. All the best with the new year, Peter ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 17:46:11 -0000 From: "keith.marr" To: "Trombones and related issues forum." Subject: Re: In Sports, Over-Analysis Leads to Paralysis.....Perhaps music also? Message-ID: <007f01c1947f$972dc080$f22f3c3e@tiny> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I wasn't saying that Tiger doesn't practice. The point I was making was, in tune with the thread, that Clampett got bogged down in theory to the point where he eventually cracked and couldn't do it anymore. Anyone looking at Tiger's swing will immediately appreciated the beautiful simplicity of it. He "just swings". It is often the case that seeming ease is the result of much practice, but keeping it simple is the key to his success. Sorry if I didn't make that clear but I thought in the context of the thread it would be self-explanatory. Cheers! Keith in Bb/F/D ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gabriel Langfur" To: "Trombones and related issues forum." Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2002 7:57 PM Subject: Re: In Sports, Over-Analysis Leads to Paralysis.....Perhaps music also? > --- "keith.marr" wrote: > > Seriously, does anyone > > remember Bobby Clampett? 36 checkpoints on the swing! I > > bet Tiger just > > swings. So should we. > > Actually, no. Tiger does not "just swing". He practices > more than almost anybody, with more attention to detail. In > fact, not long into his professional career, he took time > off to rebuild his swing FROM SCRATCH, analyzing every > detail of it, and came back with more consistency and more > distance. > > You might argue that that's just what he needs > psychologically in order to "just swing" like he should be > doing in the first place, but...isn't that what practicing > is for: to refine all your tools so that you can fully > concentrate on the crucial moment with the confidence that > you've done all the necessary work leading up to it? > > Gabe > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Send your FREE holiday greetings online! > http://greetings.yahoo.com > ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258 Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 12:59:38 -0500 From: sabutin To: trombone-l@po.missouri.edu Subject: Re: In Sports, Over-Analysis Leads to Paralysis.....Perhaps music also? Message-ID: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="============_-1202041705==_ma============" Here are some snippets of some posts I've made in various places that pertain to this topic. _______________________________________________________________________________ At 02:14 AM 2/6/98 -0500, someone wrote: >An interesting bit of information on the abilitiy to recognize pitches : > >The long term memory can basically only store verbalized information. This >adds a convincing argument for practicing solfege. As solfege is not >practiced in German speaking countries, I encourage my students here to >simply sing the phrases and name the notes in German as they go. The effect >is the same. >Whether one actively pursues the ability of pitch recognition or not, the >effort of forming a mental (and preferably verbalized ) picture of the >notes in your mind's ear is a valuable practice that is essential to good >musicianship. ===snip=== ====================================================================== "The long term memory can basically only store verbalized information." Here's another bit of unsupported...and at least as far as I and the few people I've spoken to today are concerned, totally wrong...information. I don't mean to attack the idea of solfege, or any OTHER method that might help certain people sight-sing better or hear pitches more accurately, but this really goes completely against the most important thing I've tried to do and teach as a musician...to try to STOP naming things, because "naming" is an unnecessary detour between the conception of a note (or ANY action that is non-verbal) and the actual performance of that note. Non-verbalized long term memory is CERTAINLY not only possible, but common. Colors, tastes, sounds, faces, directions, events, odors...practically the whole tapestry of our waking lives is "non-verbal". It's almost IMPOSSIBLE to verbalize an odor, and yet (the smell of) a rose by any other name (or by NO name) is still (the smell of) a rose. FIRST comes the recognition of a discrete event, and its logging in the memory...THEN comes the name tag. Events that are too complex to be named...a conversation, a meal, a fight, a common facial expression, a particular timbre or shade of color...are NOT named, but brought back whole. Try to remember the taste of your mother's apple cake, or the sound of a particular trombonist you might have admired a long time ago. See? No names, just sensations. Playing, in as many situations as possible, should be the same way. Whether reading or playing w/out music, it's still basically the same mechanism. HEAR the note, PLAY the note. (Or SEE the note, HEAR the note, play the note.) After a while, it's hear the PHRASE, play the phrase. The better you get, the longer...and in the case of improvisors, the more cogent...the phrases become that you can hear and play. When you get to the point where you're reading (or hearing) whole phrases, what's really happening is you're playing one phrase while simultaneously preparing another, much like a multitasking computer that's capable doing one task while receiving instructions for the next one. Your own INNER computer, again like any PC, needs as LITTLE instruction as possible. To force yourself to receive the instructions to play a note or phrase...really an incredibly complex task in itself, if you stop to think about it, which you shouldn't while playing or there'll be LOOOOOOONG unplanned silences in the music...to receive AURAL instructions to play the phrase, then TRANSLATE those instructions into WORDS..."Db, Bb, F#,G, eighth notes at MF, legato w/an accent on the on the first and last notes, not too bright, I gotta blend w/the French horns, etc. etc. etc."...by the time your poor computer's finished processing that information, the phrase if WELL over and that goofy french horn player w/the soup stained tux shirt is looking at you like you've performed some kind of indelicate maneuver in the first pew of your local house of worship. No, what you do, what we ALL "do", more or less, is PLAY the damned MUSIC. It's when we verbalize too MUCH as we play...OR sight sing...that we get into trouble. I'm including here a teaching story that's as old as the hills...direct from North Africa by way of Palermo. I lost the original post, and have borrowed this version from one of Doug Yeo's web pages. Although it was written in response to an tonguing/air question, it's much broader than that. Broader than just music, really. This says it better than I ever could. (Wait a minute, didn't I write it ??? Oh well, there's the downside of not verbalizing all the time...if it really IS a downside. Sometimes you just can't remember what is was you just said, or who said it.) Doug Yeo: Some of the most insightful posts come from a trombonist who is known only by the name Sabutin. With his permission, I am reprinting below one of his many useful messages. "Sabutin" was responding to a discussion of how to actually stop a note. One person on the list implied that a player doesn't actually actively work to stop a note, but that it rather stops by itself. "Sabutin's" response included some excellent advice on how to recognize, diagnose and solve playing problems. Sabutin: No offense, [John Doe], but this is sloppy thinking...you ARE supposed to stop a note; the air MUST stop SOMEHOW or the note will continue. HOW you stop a note is the problem here... There are many ways to end a note cleanly...which one you use depends on many factors, especially the volume of the note and the range. The BEST way to end a note, or for that matter do ANYTHING on the horn, is to HEAR it. I don't mean to sound mysterious here, but it's true. If you hear the note correctly, you will play it correctly, w/out the interference of the mind. A teaching story... Once there were an ant and a centipede living in the same house, and the centipede was continually chasing the ant around, meaning to eat it for dinner. (Centipedes are quite vicious, y'know. And fast, too.) Up and down, back and forth, the chase went on, under the sofa, across the living room, behind the bed, around the garbage pail, day after day after day after day....until one day the ant found itself looking down on the centipede from the safety of a high table. And the ant had an inspiration. "Hey! Yo! Up here, ya dummy! Yeah, right up above you!" The centipede looked up. "I've been meaning to ask you a question, all this running around, never got a chance." "What?", said the centipede. "You're real fast with all those legs and all, I know, but I often find myself wondering, as I hide beneath the rug or under the bread basket....WHICH LEG DO YOU MOVE FIRST?" And the centipede never moved again. There are too many muscles involved in making music to think...if you HEAR the music correctly, the body will take care of itself to a large degree, leaving you free to play. OK...you understand all that, but you STILL have trouble ending notes. Like a hitch in a batter's swing, you just can't seem to stop yanking closed your throat, or pinching your lips closed, or. . .most common. . . sticking some part of your tongue up into the top of your mouth. First, you have to identify WHAT it is that you are doing. Second, you have to stop doing that and replace it with something that works correctly. Third, you have to make that replacement action reflexive by repetition. (Practice.) I'm not going to tell you WHAT to do, that's up to you...only how to approach it. (Telling you WHAT to do would deprive you of the chance to internally, and w/out words, find YOUR way of doing it. Also, I'm built a certain way, play certain idioms, certain equipment..."my" way of doing anything, unless you're my identical twin, will not necessarily be "your" way. Find your own way.) Tap your foot. (Gently) Play a long fourth line F, mf. At the end of a certain number of beats, stop the note, and WATCH yourself as you stop it. HOW did you stop it? Throat constriction? Pressed lips? Tongue? Stop blowing? (from the diaphragm?) Taking the mouthpiece from the lips? Some combination of these? Repeat this until you SEE your own habitual mechanism. Now simplify. Experiment. What way or combination of ways produces the best, smoothest result? Try other notes, other volumes. FIND IT YOURSELF!!! Then start incorporating this into your daily playing and practice, until it is reflexive. Sounds easy, right? Not! It takes effort and time to see yourself, to become conscious of what you're doing, and more effort and time to change it. But it's worth it. This goes for ANY physical "problem" on the instrument. 1 - IDENTIFY the problem by doing something VERY SIMPLE on the horn that isolates the mechanism. 2 - EXPERIMENT with other methods of achieving the desired result, until you find what works. 3 - INCORPORATE that technique (the real meaning of the often misused word "technique") into your playing until you no longer have to think about it, thus freeing your energies to make music. (A hint w/this specific problem...see the breath as an arrow, starting in the body and going into the horn. Now stop that arrow.) SEE YOURSELF!!! Sabutin _______________________________________________________________________________ And parts of an article of mine from the Online Trombone Journal about Carmine Caruso, who based his entire teaching approach on the whole analysis/paralysis paradigm. _______________________________________________________________________________ OUT OF THE CASE ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Letters from New York, Part Three Ê Carmine Caruso Hello againÉ In this edition of Letters From New York I'm going to cover a question I am often asked regarding the quintessential New York brass teacher Carmine Caruso and some of his teaching methods. Here is a paraphrase of this commonly asked question. "I have heard about an embouchure strengthening method called the Caruso method, and seen a number of different method books bearing his name. I have also heard both good and bad things about it. Can someone give some insight into this method and whether it would work for trombone players? Thanks!!" Here's what I have to say about the subject: THERE IS NO "CARUSO METHOD". Sorry...there was only Carmine Caruso, who passed away some years ago after teaching brass (and life) to hundreds and hundreds of players in NYC for over 50 years. Carmine WAS his "method". None of the books about his "method" are of much use, as far as I know. (I haven't seen them all, but I've seen enough of them to come to this opinion.) They're not bad, or necessarily harmful (unless used badly, of course), they're just not what he taught. They contain the WHAT, but not the HOW. ---snip--- It was Carmine's APPROACH that did the real work, and it can hardly be put into words, let alone written down. Carmine's "exercises" were not the real focus of his teaching. They were fluid, adaptable, and often made up or altered on the spot to address the particular needs of an individual student. Carmine would invent an approach for each person, synthesized from his vast experience in teaching brass. This is quite rare...although I do believe it to be the best way to teach. His way of tailoring an approach to each student was to give very specific, simple exercises, which, when played, would result in the individual reaction proper to the person playing the exercise. There was no talk of embouchure, mouthpiece placement, cheeks, tongues, diaphragms, corners, breathing, horn angle...there was only "Play this exercise this way." If the notes came out well, whatever you were doing was correct. If they didn't come out well, then you did the exercise until they did, or played other exercises which would lead you to the "right" way. His idea was to let the body discover the right way without being verbally instructed, without being told "This is 'right', and all these other possibilities are 'wrong'." When he did speak about playing, it was often in metaphors, analogies and pictures. Here's one that I remember and use regularly. One of the most common problems brass players have is trouble with attacks of various kinds. Many teachers try to treat this problem as a tonguing matter, but Carmine had a different approach. He said that almost ANYONE can pronounce the letter "T" correctly, that this fact pretty well eliminated the tongue from the equation, once properly understood, and that one of the real primary reasons for attack problems is an unbalanced embouchureÉsometimes too tight, sometimes too loose. He would ask the student to picture the swinging doors in an old western movie cafe. If the prop man were to adjust them so that they were pressing together too tightly, when the hero made his entrance, he'd have to force his way through them, ruining his entrance. Afterwards, they'd clack together as they swung, ruining the scene still further. If, on the other hand, they were adjusted so that they were too far apart, when the hero came through them they'd open too easily, and he'd fall right on his face. Even if he didn't fall, the doors would swing in bad sequence and in an improper relation to one another, again ruining the scene w/their random and uncoordinated movement. IF, however, the prop man adjusted them JUST right, the slightest touch from the hero would set them to swinging in perfect rhythm, he'd make his entrance, and the scene would continue into the more important stuff. Carmine would then assign the student one of a large number of variations on his basic exercises that would require fairly quiet breath attacks. These exercises would help to bring the lips into the proper balance and relationship to one another, allowing the student to begin to be able to attack properly. This is a process that does not lend itself to printed formÉa lesson with Carmine was more like a dialogue than a lecture. Here's another example of Carmine's approach: Carmine taught all his students to tap their foot and mentally subdivide in sixteenth notes while doing his exercises. He claimed that rather than try to figure out which muscles and nerves to control (and precisely how to control them) among the thousands necessary to perform any action on the horn, the application of good time and repetition would allow those muscles and nerves to align themselves in the most efficient manner necessary to provide the desired results. He used the story of the centipede and the ant to illustrate the idea of paralysis through analysis. Once there were an ant and a centipede living in the same house, and the centipede was continually chasing the ant around, meaning to eat it for dinner. (Centipedes are quite vicious, you know. And fast, too.) Up and down, back and forth, the chase went on, under the sofa, across the living room, behind the bed, around the garbage pail, day after day after day after day....until one day the ant found himself looking down on the centipede from the safety of a high table. And the ant had an inspiration. "Hey! Yo! Up here, ya dummy! Yeah, right up above you!" The centipede looked up. "I've been meaning to ask you a question, but with all this running around, I never got a chance." "What?", said the centipede. "You're real fast with all those legs and all, I know, but I often find myself wondering, as I hide beneath the rug or under the bread basket....WHICH LEG DO YOU MOVE FIRST?" And the centipede never moved again. The genesis of this concept came while he was quite young. Once, when he was in high school, he was taken on a tour of the Ford plant in Detroit...this must have been in the mid-1920s or so. All throughout the tour, at a regular interval, he kept hearing and feeling a gigantic SLAM sound that shook the entire plant, and he wondered what was making that sound the entire time he was there. As the finale of the tour, the guide took them outside, where a very tall, multi-ton steam press operated by a man in a booth up at the top of the machine was pressing metal on various molds which would be placed underneath the press by workers...fenders, hoods, etc. The operator would release the press, and it would come crashing down, forming the part. The guide told them that each part needed a different amount of pressure to come out right, and that the man controlling it was the only one in the world who could do it correctly, having operated that particular machine for many years. As a demonstration of the man's expertise and control, the guide put an inexpensive wristwatch on the base of the machine, and the operator dropped his press with such accuracy that he cracked the crystal without harming the rest of the watch at all. Carmine, whose whole family was involved in music, realized at that moment that the man's perception of time, his ability to subdivide the second or two it took the press to fall, must be so accurate that he had total control over his machine (his instrument, if looked at in a different way). Furthermore, he understood that time...good time, really accurate, subdivided time...was the secret to developing this kind of technique and control over the body, and by extension, any objects one wanted to control with the body. There was no way the operator could have intellectually figured out how to control the very small body movements necessary to operate that machine with that amount of accuracy and finesse; his expertise had to be a function of time and repetition. To illustrate his consistent refusal to put words on things pertaining to playing, here, as an example, is a reconstructed (and slightly formalized) dialogue gleaned from my many lessons w/Carmine. (C=Carmine, S=student): S-"I think I need more support." C-"Support? What IS support?" S-"Well, EVERYBODY knows what 'support' is. Support is what you do w/your diaphragm when you're playing." C-"Diaphragm? Where IS your diaphragm? Can you see it? Feel it? Separate it from all the OTHER muscles down there?" S-"The diaphragm is the muscle you use when you're breathing 'correctly'." C-"Correctly? Do you mean you can breathe 'incorrectly'? If you were to breathe 'incorrectly', you'd asphyxiate." And so on...this would continue around any number of subjects until the student tired of "thinking about playing", at which point Carmine would give him an exercise or metaphor that would indeed help him do whatever it is he wanted to do "correctly". Regarding breathing, for example, I remember him saying that if you wanted to know what "correct" breathing LOOKED like, observe an infant breathing in the crib. If you wanted to know what a full breath FELT like, yawn. If you wanted to know what good support felt like, you had to observe your own body when certain of his exercises were going well. I can't say enough about this reversal from common practice teaching. ALL the common teaching words..."SUPPORT" "EMBOUCHURE", "CORNERS" "CORRECT", "GOOD", "TONGUE", "DIAPHRAGM", "OPEN", "DARK", "BRIGHT"...are merely metaphors, code words for what we really experience. I'm not saying words are unimportant, but I am saying that the experience of playing in a certain way and the description, the map of that particular concept, are radically different, and that further, any given "experience" is different for every human being, and can even be "different" for any one human being from one day (or minute) to the next. Carmine's method was, in part, an attempt to go around this verbalization problem. His books...and he expressed a degree of unhappiness with them to me a number of times because of this very contradiction...due to their very nature as books rather than live teaching, solidified and therefore limited the fluid nature of his approach. (I must say here...he almost never spoke "theoretically", even about his teaching. What I'm saying is what I perceived through inference, translated through my own take on things.) In the next "Letters From New York", I will outline a few of Carmine Caruso's exercises, and try to give you some concepts that might help you get the most benefit out of them. Meanwhile, consider these concepts well. Left to its own devices, the body figures out how to do some very complicated actions. It walks; it talks; it hits a baseball, rides a bicycle and drives a car; it does the thousands of things necessary for everyday life, and does most of them with very little thought or reflection. It's only when we find we either cannot do those actions through accident or injury, or when we wish to truly excel at some of them, that we need instruction. If someone tried to teach you to run well or hit a baseball without regard for who you are and how you're built, laying down a certain set of rules for you to follow, it would be simply a matter of chance whether those rules, effective as they might have been for certain other people, would apply effectively to your own individual case. However, if a teacher of hitting had the wisdom to observe your own strengths and weaknesses and give you exercises and concepts that, if followed correctly, would automatically put you in the proper position to hit a baseball, much of the difficulty of learning how to perform that action would have been ameliorated. That is the essence of Carmine's teaching methods, and the exercises to follow in the nextÊ Letters From New York will be those of his (and some of my variations on them) that I have found to be generally effective for almost all players, regardless of their level of achievement or personal strengths and weaknesses. Until then, as always, feel free to email me at with any comments or questions you might have. Your continuing feedback helps me enormously as I try to put my teaching concepts into words. Ê ----__ListProc__NextPart____TROMBONE-L__digest_2258--