Explore every episode of the podcast The Brass Junkies
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| TBJ221: TBJ Gives Thanks | 05 Jan 2024 | 01:05:36 | |
Andrew is joined by seven brass players who share thoughts about a musician they were thankful for in 2023. Guests Giving Thanks:
Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/pray4jens/ The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media https://www.brassjunkies.com/ | |||
| TBJ220: Myles Blakemore of The United States Navy Band | 31 Oct 2023 | 01:08:14 | |
Andrew and guest co-host Dr. Michael W. Nickens are joined by trombonist Myles Blakemore of The United States Navy Band Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/pray4jens/ The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media https://www.brassjunkies.com/ | |||
| TBJ211: Zenas Kim-Banther | 16 Mar 2023 | 01:12:23 | |
Phenomenal trombonist Zenas Kim-Banther joins Andrew and special guest co-host Jim Nova to talk about trombone and horses. Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/pray4jens/ The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/ | |||
| Brass Junkies Extra: Tubist Aubrey Foard of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra on the state of the lockout | 09 Sep 2019 | 00:59:18 | |
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.
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: And their website: The players' GoFundMe page: | |||
| TBJ119: Clarke Rigsby of Tempest Recording on Paul McCartney, Steve Gadd and his Most Improved Player Trophy | 03 Sep 2019 | 01:09:12 | |
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:
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.
| |||
| TBJ118: Trumpet player and builder Trent Austin on Clark Terry, making sacrifices for your dreams and an augmented trumpet | 20 Aug 2019 | 01:10:00 | |
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:
LINKS:
Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| 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). | 06 Aug 2019 | 01:05:03 | |
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:
LINKS:
Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ116: Listener's Choice - Making an album | 23 Jul 2019 | 01:03:21 | |
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:
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| 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 | 09 Jul 2019 | 01:00:08 | |
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 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:
Links: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ114: Trumpeter John Abbracciamento on dealing with pain, overcoming doubt and his 27 years in "The President's Own" Marine Band | 25 Jun 2019 | 01:02:28 | |
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:
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ113: Rebecca Cherian on encouraging young women players, the importance of allies and the Bernstein Bounce | 11 Jun 2019 | 00:54:34 | |
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:
Links:
Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ112: Matt Niess on The Capital Bones, 3 x 3, and getting help from the "Trombone Angel" | 28 May 2019 | 01:07:33 | |
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:
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ111: Tim Buzbee on learning The Furies overnight, winning gigs in 8 countries and being put in a piece of metal | 14 May 2019 | 01:07:04 | |
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:
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ210: John Fedchock | 03 Mar 2023 | 01:11:55 | |
Jazz trombone legend John Fedchock joins Andrew and guest co-host, former Brass Junkies guest, and John's wife Jennifer Wharton to talk about his amazing career that spans over four decades. Become a Patron ► https://www.patreon.com/thebrassjunkies/ Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/pray4jens/ The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media | |||
| TBJ110: Listener's Choice - How to Start a Brass Group, Part 2 | 30 Apr 2019 | 01:07:18 | |
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:
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ109: Richard A. White, RAW Tuba on his life, his gig and his upcoming documentary | 16 Apr 2019 | 01:13:39 | |
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:
LINKS:
Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ108: Jim "Don't call me BB" Nova on writing, driving and April Fooling | 02 Apr 2019 | 01:07:51 | |
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:
LINKS:
Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ107: Christopher Bill, trombonist, singer, and multi-instrumentalist and internet sensation! | 19 Mar 2019 | 01:20:56 | |
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:
LINKS:
Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ106: Jim Pandolfi legendary trumpeter Jim Pandolfi has one of the most amazing stories in music. Or most places. | 05 Mar 2019 | 01:08:05 | |
Legendary trumpeter Jim Pandolfi has one of the most amazing stories in music. Or most places. In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.
| |||
| TBJ105: Seth Horner, tubist of the North Carolina Symphony talking to himself, studying with David Fedderly and his box of mouthpieces | 19 Feb 2019 | 01:02:08 | |
Seth Horner, tubist of the North Carolina Symphony on talking to himself, studying with David Fedderly and his box of mouthpieces. Seth Horner on trusting your gut, turning down a military band gig and phrasing. From his website: A native of Eugene, Oregon, Seth Horner is the newly-appointed principal tuba of the North Carolina Symphony in Raleigh, NC. Horner was the acting-principal tuba of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for three seasons beginning in 2014, served as part-time instrumental faculty teaching tuba and euphonium at Towson University for three semesters, and in winter of 2017 Horner was selected as the tuba instructor at the Peabody Conservatory before relocating to North Carolina. At the age of 19, Seth served a one-year position as principal tuba of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra under Marin Alsop and has held positions as the principal tuba of the West Virginia Symphony and the Oregon Ballet Theatre Orchestra. Seth studied primarily with Richard Frazier, Mike Grose, Paul Krzywicki, Warren Deck, and David Fedderly. Horner attended the Peabody Conservatory, was an honors graduate of the University of Oregon and was valedictorian of his class at the Curtis Institute of Music. 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:
LINKS: https://www.sethhorner.com/ Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ104: Joe Lovinsky, horn phenom, discusses his time in the US Army Band, being a sharp-shooter, cage fighter, and ultra runner. Yes really.100-Mile Joe! | 05 Feb 2019 | 00:59:15 | |
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:
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ103: Mary Bowden on her new upcoming album, Seraph Brass and the importance of networking | 22 Jan 2019 | 01:03:37 | |
Classical Trumpeter and Gold Medal Global Music Award Winner Mary Elizabeth Bowden has been described by Gramophone Magazine as “brilliant” and “radiant in new repertoire for trumpet.” Bowden, a Yamaha Performing Artist, is highly regarded for her artistry and virtuosity as a soloist and has been praised for the clarity, purity, and power of her sound. Bowden released her debut album, “Radiance”, on Summit Records featuring new American works. She has been featured on MPR’s “New Classical Tracks” with Julie Amacher, which is being aired on NPR stations nationwide. Bowden’s 2018-19 performance highlights include solo performances at the Maspalomas International Trumpet Festival in Gran Canaria and at Lieksa Brass Week in Finland. She will also perform as a soloist with the Kassia Ensemble, Chrysalis Chamber Players, Richmond Philharmonic, and will make her Vancouver and New York City recital debuts. She will release her second solo album through Summit Records with the Kassia Ensemble. Bowden is the First Prize winner of the International Women’s Brass Conference Trumpet Competition. She has performed as a soloist with Montana’s Big Sky Festival, Evansville Philharmonic, Peninsula Symphony (California), Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra, Croatian Army Wind Band at the Velika Gorica Brass Festival, Festival Amadeus Strings (Montana), Springfield Symphony (Missouri), Naples Symphony, Fifth Avenue Chamber Orchestra (Florida), Richmond Philharmonic Orchestra, San Juan Symphony, Springfield (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra and New Haven Chamber Orchestra, among several others. She has performed with trumpet soloist Jouko Harjanne at the Lieksa Brass Week in Finland, where she also served on the jury of the Lieksa International Trumpet Competition. At The Banff Center in Alberta, Canada, she performed Vivaldi’s Concerto for 2 Trumpets with trumpeters Jens Lindemann and Ryan Anthony. She was also awarded the Public Prize from the Perrenoud Foundation International Music Competition. Bowden frequently performs in recital both in solo programs and as the Dash Duo with her husband, trumpeter David Dash. Bowden and Dash teach at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Dash as the Assistant Professor of Trumpet and Bowden as a Resident Artist. Bowden is a founding member of both Seraph Brass and the Chrysalis Chamber Players, a recipient of a Yale Alumni Grant. Seraph will be a guest ensemble at the 2019 International Trumpet Guild Conference in Miami and was the featured ensemble at the International Women’s Brass Conference in 2017 and at the Lieksa Brass Week in Finland in 2017 and 18. They released their debut album, “Asteria,” through Summit Records in 2018, which has been awarded a Silver Medal Global Music Award. Bowden has collaborated in chamber music programs at the Marlboro Music Festival, Lakes Area Music Festival, The Banff Centre, and at the Sydney Opera House under the baton of Håkan Hardenberger. She has served on the adjunct faculty of Virginia Commonwealth University and at The Curtis Institute of Music’s Young Artist Summer Program. An experienced orchestral musician, Bowden is currently Principal Trumpet of the Artosphere Festival Orchestra and a member of the Iris Orchestra. She has served as Principal Trumpet of the Sarasota Opera Orchestra, Lakes Area Music Festival Orchestra, New Zealand’s Auckland Philharmonia, the Daejeon Philharmonic in Korea, and with Seraphic Fire’s Firebird Chamber Orchestra. At the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland, she held the principal chair in Pierre Boulez’s performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 6, which was released on CD in 2011. The Luzerner Zeitung described her playing in one word – “outstanding.” Bowden is also a member of the Richmond Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed many dates on Adele’s 2016 North American tour. Bowden began full-time college studies at the age of 14, receiving an Associate degree from the Joliet Junior College. Subsequently, she earned her Bachelor of Music degree from The Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with the principal trumpeter of the Philadelphia Orchestra, David Bilger. She was awarded her Master of Music degree in 2006 from the Yale School of Music where she studied on a full scholarship with trumpeter Allan Dean. In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ102: Joe Jackson, jazz trombonist, arranger and leader on being in the Airmen of Note, his parents and growing where you're planted | 08 Jan 2019 | 01:11:11 | |
Joe Jackson was born in Dallas, Texas into a musical family; his mother is a former professional clarinetist, and his father, Jim Jackson, a former trombonist with the Fort Worth Symphony, is today a renown recording engineer. Joe chose the trombone at age 12, and during his high school years was the recipient of three Down Beat Magazine “DeeBee” awards. During his tenure at the University of North Texas, Joe studied with Vern Kagarice, Hal Galper, David Liebman, and Don “Jake” Jacoby, played lead & jazz trombone in the famed One O’Clock Lab Band, and was named the National Association of Jazz Educators 1985 College Musician of the Year. Joe left UNT in 1990 to join the Maynard Ferguson Band. He spent a year with Ferguson, performing throughout the United States and in Europe. From 1991 to 2011 he was lead trombonist with the U.S. Air Force Airmen of Note, and from 2004 to 2011 was the Director of the Airmen of Note. During his tenure as Director, Joe produced the award-winning Jazz Heritage Series heard on 112 radio and media stations worldwide, and eight recordings including “Cool Yule” which climbed to #2 on the JazzWeek chart in December 2010. As a freelance trombonist and arranger, Joe performs with top East Coast bands including the Woody Herman Orchestra, the David Liebman Big Band & Chaise Lounge. Additionally, he performs regularly in DC-area theatre productions and is in high demand as a session player. He has contributed hundreds of commissioned arrangements to dozens of ensembles across the country, and his educational arrangements are published by Alfred Music. Joe has appeared as a clinician & soloist at music festivals across the country. Joe publishes his website dedicated to serving the trombone community, www.jazztbone.com. In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ101: Intern Listener's Choice | 25 Dec 2018 | 00:50:30 | |
TBJ101: Intern Listener's Choice. Our first batch of interns for this year fire off some amazing questions for us to tackle. We have always relied on interns to help us carry the ball forward in Pedal Note Media and have ramped up our efforts this year. We are incredibly fortunate to have such talented and intelligent folks helping us out and one of the ways we're trying to return the favor for them is to help them with their own careers and projects. This first batch is about to end their time with us and we thought it'd be a great time to let you hear their voices and thank them publically. They asked great questions. They did great work. They are great folks. Thank you, interns! Andrew & Lance DRAKE DOMININGUE Hey guys! CODY MESSERSMITH Hi, Andrew and Lance! I’m Cody Messersmith, Intermediate Music Specialist in the Dallastown Area School District in York, Pennsylvania. I freelance as a tubist and have done work on the side for instrument repair companies as well as Parker Mouthpieces. My short-term goals include going back to school to pursue a degree or degrees in tuba performance. I feel that I’ve worn a lot of hats in my short career and the one that seems to bring me the most joy is when the horn is on my face, either playing or teaching. I’d also love to speak to groups of students about the opportunities that they have in school and immediately after college. Being a young person in this field can be and at times is intimidating and I want to help lessen that intimidation for my peers. I’ve written a presentation that talks about just that, it’s geared towards college students and young professionals. I’d love to present it, but I’m not sure how to go about it. Overall I feel like I’m constantly building but I don’t know where my destination is or should be. How do I find it? I just want to play tuba and as Lance would say “live indoors and eat food.” ARMANDO ALICANDU Hey, Junkies, my name is Armando Alicandu and I live in South Florida where I play the trombone and euphonium. As I finish my final year at Palm Beach Atlantic University I look towards the future and wonder what I'll do with all this extra time on my hands. DOMINICK VIVIANO Hey everyone! My name is Dominick Viviano and I am a second-year masters student at the University of Central Arkansas where I study trombone performance. I serve as a studio graduate assistant which allows me to teach undergraduate applied lessons for non-majors as well as assist with our two trombone choirs. SIMON LENOE What is the best advice anyone has ever given you in regards to teaching effectively? ABBY LANNAN Hello everyone, my name is Abby Lannan and I am a euphonium player who is currently studying to get her masters degree in euphonium performance at Carnegie Mellon with Lance LaDuke. I also run the Instagram and youtube page for GoofyEuph. My short-term goal includes getting a second masters degree in Arts Management and my question has something related to that. How hard is it to find a playing or performing outlet for someone whose goal isn’t to end up with a top playing position? I personally have no interest in pursuing military band positions or similar jobs where my day to day job is only performing on my instrument. However, I want to keep playing and keep getting better. What are some suggestions that you guys might have for a musician like me? LINKS: Mockingbird Foundation for Music Education Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.
| |||
| TBJ209: Glenn Van Looy | 17 Feb 2023 | 01:17:54 | |
International euphonium sensastion Glenn Van Looy joins Andrew and guest host Hiram Diaz from Switzerland to discuss his career as one of the most in-demand euphonium soloists in the world. Become a Patron ► https://www.patreon.com/thebrassjunkies/ Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/pray4jens/ The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media | |||
| TBJ100: The legendary Sam Pilafian on Empire Brass, Leonard Bernstein and life-threatening pedagogy | 11 Dec 2018 | 01:32:49 | |
The legendary Sam Pilafian on Empire Brass, Leonard Bernstein, and life-threatening pedagogy. We talk about his life as a tubist, arranger, composer, educator, performer, producer, and mentor (and countless other descriptors) on our 100th episode. Sam Pilafian is perhaps best known as a founding member of the internationally renowned Empire Brass Quintet (1971-1993). He has also recorded and performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Lionel Hampton, and Pink Floyd among others. His long career has earned him an Emmy for Excellence in Instructional Video Production, the Walt Disney Award for Imagination and Innovation in Design, the Walter Naumberg Chamber Music Award, the Harvard Music Association Prize, the University of Miami’s Distinguished Alumni Award, the Brevard Music Center Distinguished Alumni Award, the Robert Trotter Visiting Professorship at the University of Oregon and the annual Outstanding Teacher Award from Arizona State University. Sam is the co-author, with Patrick Sheridan, of the best selling pedagogy texts and DVD’s “Breathing Gym” and “Brass Gym”. Professor Pilafian previously served for 44 years on the faculties of Boston University, the Tanglewood Institute, Berklee College of Music, Frost School of Music at the University of Miami and is Professor Emeritus at Arizona State University. In this fun and lively (and tearful) discussion, we cover:
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ99: Tom Holtz on jazz tuba, playing in The Marine Band and how to find your own voice | 27 Nov 2018 | 01:02:56 | |
Tom Holtz is a former member of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in Washington, DC. During his career with the Marine Band, Tom served as a soloist, an arranger, and as a concert moderator. He also performed with the United States Coast Guard Band in New London, CT, and was featured as a soloist twice with the Army Blues, from Ft. Myer, VA. He retired from active duty in 2012, after more than 21 years of service. Tom currently works for the Department of Veterans Affairs as the office manager of the Dundalk Vet Center, part of the VA Maryland Health Care System. Tom is an active freelance musician in both classical and jazz venues across the mid-Atlantic region. He currently plays in the Bayfield Brass Quintet, from Annapolis, MD; and the Beltway Brass Quintet, from Fredericksburg, VA. Tom is also a regular member of two New Orleans-style jazz bands, Big Bertha’s Rhythm Kings, from Baltimore, MD; and the Creole Gumbo Jazz Band, from Chesapeake Beach, MD. He also plays in the Balkan gypsy band Balti Mare, from Baltimore, MD; Off Bass Brass, a tuba quartet based in Washington, DC.; and Heimat Echo, a traditional German polka band from Occoquan, VA. Tom is a frequent recording artist, having made several CD’s with the Bayfield Brass Quintet, the Beltway Brass Quintet, and Off Bass Brass. His arrangements have been performed by numerous brass quintets, the United States Marine Band, the Chesapeake Orchestra, and the University of Maryland Marching Band. He is an active clinician and adjudicator nationwide. A native of Geneseo, Illinois, Tom Holtz received his Bachelor of Music degree in 1991 from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. He now lives in Maryland with his wife, Becky, and his sons Alex, Doug and J.J. In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:
Links Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ98: Dallas Brass trumpeter Buddy Deshler on starting Fred Brass, The Entrepreneurial Student and the joys of being one of our first interns | 13 Nov 2018 | 01:04:45 | |
Trumpet soloist Buddy Deshler is an ambassador for the transformative powers of the arts, champion of living composers, and agent for change in the instrumental music field. His burgeoning career has taken him around the country, as well as internationally, and has allowed him to share the stage with ensembles such as the King’s Brass, The Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass, Foden's Band of Sandbach, Cheshire, his own Vice City Brass, and Marquee Brass, and as of 2017, the illustrious Dallas Brass. In addition, Buddy has performed with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra, York Symphony, Delaware Symphony, Washington Chamber Orchestra, Concert Artists of Baltimore, American Festival Pops Orchestra, and more. He has also been in residency at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival, Rafael Mendez Brass Institute, Le Domaine Forget in Quebec and the Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada. Buddy presently resides in Midlothian, VA as an active freelance musician and educator. He holds a B.M. in Instrumental Performance and an Artist Diploma from the Frost School of Music, University of Miami and an M.M. Peabody Institute, Johns Hopkins University. His primary teachers have included Dennis Edelbrock, Phil Snedecor, Craig Morris, and Josef Burgstaller. In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:
LINKS:
Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ97: Listener's Choice, How to Start a Brass Group | 30 Oct 2018 | 00:54:17 | |
In this Listener's Choice episode, Andrew & Lance answer a frequently asked listener question regarding starting a brass group. We cover many areas, including:
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ96: Jennifer Marotta, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Trumpet at USC and former member of the US Marine Band | 16 Oct 2018 | 00:57:51 | |
Jennifer Marotta is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Trumpet at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. An active freelance musician based in Los Angeles, she regularly performs with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Los Angeles Opera, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale, and the St. Louis Symphony. Marotta is currently a member of the Grand Teton Music Festival and the Music of the Baroque in Chicago. She was a member of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band from 2001 to 2005. Originally from Naperville, Illinois, she earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University and her Master of Music degree from DePaul University. Marotta was a visiting trumpet professor at UCLA in 2016 and was Assistant Professor of Trumpet at Kennesaw State University from 2006 to 2012. She was also a visiting professor at Illinois State University in 2006 and was an artist-in-residence at Emory University from 2006 to 2010. Jennifer, along with her husband Thomas Hooten, is the most recent editor for Arban’s Complete Conservatory Method for Trumpet, published by Carl Fischer. She serves on the board for the International Women’s Brass Conference and is the editor for their bi-annual newsletter. In this fun and lively conversation, we cover:
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ95: TEM Takeover Andrew's interview with Jeff Conner of Boston Brass | 02 Oct 2018 | 01:11:02 | |
TBJ95: TEM Takeover! In this crossover episode, we hear Andrew in conversation with Jeff Conner from The Entrepreneurial Musician podcast. Jeff Conner has performed in over 30 countries on 4 continents with his brass quintet, Boston Brass. Jeff talks about how they went from a college group playing small gigs around the Boston area to an internationally touring, full-time ensemble. Topics Covered:
Links: Books: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Original episode produced by Austin Boyer and Buddy Deshler of FredBrass. This version lovingly produced by Will Houchin. | |||
| TBJ94: Gail Robertson, multi-hyphenate (euphonium/tuba/performer/teacher/arranger/angler) on her time in The Tubafours, getting a DMA in 18 months and spider bites. | 18 Sep 2018 | 01:05:24 | |
Dr. Gail Robertson serves as Assistant Professor of Tuba and Euphonium/Jazz at the University of Central Arkansas where she is tubist in the Pinnacle Brass and teaches the Jazz Ensemble II. She earned her B.A. degree from the University of Central Florida and an M.M. in Euphonium Performance from Indiana University while serving as graduate assistant to Harvey Phillips. She postponed her doctoral studies at the University of Maryland with Dr. Brian Bowman to perform with the “Tubafours” at Walt Disney World, Orlando where she served as musical supervisor/chief arranger and produced a highly acclaimed CD, “Tubas Under the Boardwalk.” She has recently completed her D.M.A. as a University Distinguished Fellow at Michigan State University studying with Phil Sinder, Ava Ordman, and Ricardo Lorenz. She has taught on the faculties of Eastern Michigan University, the University of Central Florida, Bethune-Cookman University, the University of Florida, and remains active as a teacher, adjudicator, composer, arranger, and free-lance artist, both nationally and internationally. I this fun and lively discussion, we cover:
LINKS:
Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.
| |||
| TBJ93: Matt Tropman, Assistant Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at the University of Arizona | 04 Sep 2018 | 01:01:09 | |
Euphonium and Tuba artist (and long-time buddy of Lance) Matt Tropman shares incredible stories of music, survival, and mayhem. Not necessarily in that order. Matt Tropman currently serves as Assistant Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at the University of Arizona and is an active freelancer, soloist, and chamber musician. His performances have been praised in numerous publications such as the New York Times, which stated: “Tropman makes a serious case for the euphonium as a solo instrument.” An active clinician and recitalist on both the euphonium and tuba, Matt has performed and taught throughout the U.S. and Europe. Matt’s two commercially released two CD’s; Continuum and From the Balcony (Summit Records), have been featured on programs such as NPR’s “All Things Considered”. He has performed with numerous bands, orchestras and chamber groups including the San Francisco Symphony and the Detroit Symphony. In his early career as a member of the U.S. Marine Band (President’s Own), he frequently performed as a soloist throughout the U.S. on the band’s National concert tours. Dr. Tropman received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in euphonium performance from the University of Michigan and Arizona State University, respectively, and the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in tuba performance from the University of Michigan. In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.
| |||
| TBJ92: Jason Ayoub, Principal Horn in The US Navy Band on Dallas Brass, playing with Charlie Vernon and meeting a moose | 21 Aug 2018 | 00:59:34 | |
TBJ92: Jason Ayoub, Principal Horn in The US Navy Band on Dallas Brass, playing with Charlie Vernon and meeting a moose Chief Musician Jason Ayoub is the Principal Horn in the Navy Band and teaches at Towson University. Chief Musician Jason Ayoub, a native of El Paso, Texas, joined the Navy Band in 2006. He received his Bachelor of Music from the University of North Texas (UNT), where he studied with William Scharnberg. During his final year at UNT, he joined the nationally acclaimed Dallas Brass. For four years he toured extensively with the ensemble throughout the United States and gave more than 300 performances and master classes. He has been a featured clinician and soloist at The Midwest Clinic as well as numerous Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) regional and national conferences.
In this fun and lively episode, we cover:
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ91: Tubist Jarrett McCourt on mental health, coping strategies and life in and out of New World Symphony | 07 Aug 2018 | 01:20:30 | |
Canadian Tubist Jarrett McCourt is the Acting Principal Tuba of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the Tubist of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Prior to this, Jarrett was the Tuba Fellow of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida. Jarrett’s playing has been called “magnificent” by the Palm Beach Daily News and “warm, romantic and seamless” by the South Florida Classical Review. Jarrett has performed with a number of different high-level ensembles, including the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Flint Symphony Orchestra, the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, and has also performed as Acting Principal Tuba with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Additionally, Jarrett has performed under classical conductors such as Michael Tilson Thomas, Robert Spano, James Gaffigan, Susanna Mälkki and Leonard Slatkin, as well as alongside jazz heavyweights such as Esperanza Spalding, Wayne Bergeron, and Nicholas Payton. In this fun and lively (and sometimes powerful and moving) conversation, we cover:
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ208: The Making of Class Brass Featuring Marty Hackleman | 02 Feb 2023 | 01:05:14 | |
Horn legend Marty Hackleman takes us behind the scenes for the Empire Brass recording session for their album Class Brass. Become a Patron ► https://www.patreon.com/thebrassjunkies/ Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/pray4jens/ The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/ | |||
| TBJ90: New Seraph Brass trumpeter Raquel Rodriquez on her new gig at UNT, traveling to the Lieksa Brass Week and recovering from a chop sunburn. | 24 Jul 2018 | 01:00:28 | |
TBJ90: New Seraph Brass trumpeter Raquel Rodriquez on her new gig at UNT, traveling to the Lieksa Brass Week and recovering from a chop sunburn. Raquel Rodriquez is the newly appointed Assistant Professor of Trumpet at the University of North Texas (Fall of 2018). Prior to that, she was the Assistant Professor of Trumpet at Tennessee Tech University. Dr. Rodriquez maintains a versatile career as a performing artist, clinician, educator, and scholar. She has performed throughout China, Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States. Raquel is a member of Seraph Brass, a brass quintet comprised of top female brass players in North America. The group performs frequently around the country and abroad. In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.
| |||
| TBJ89: David Gordon of the Seattle Symphony on Boston, Mahler and giving it your all. | 10 Jul 2018 | 01:07:24 | |
TBJ89: David Gordon of the Seattle Symphony on Boston, Mahler and giving it your all. David Gordon, whose playing has been described as “spectacular” by the Chicago Tribune, is Principal Trumpet of the Seattle Symphony and Chicago's Grant Park Symphony Orchestra. As a soloist, Gordon has appeared with the symphony orchestras of Seattle, Grant Park, and Charleston (with whom he performed as soloist every season of his tenure), the National Repertory Orchestra and the Lake George Chamber Orchestra. He has performed as Principal Trumpet of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, and has also performed, recorded and toured as Principal Trumpet of the London Symphony Orchestra and as Trompette Solo of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:
LINKS:
Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.
| |||
| TBJ88: St. Louis Symphony trumpeter Jeff Strong on preparation, playing with the Marine Band and having an air blowing epiphany | 26 Jun 2018 | 01:11:36 | |
TBJ88: St. Louis Symphony trumpeter Jeff Strong on preparation, playing with the Marine Band and having an air blowing epiphany. Jeffrey Strong of the St. Louis Symphony and formerly of the “President’s Own” US Marine Band, joined Andrew & Lance to detail his current gig, playing Taps in inclement weather and what he learned from Chris Martin. In this fun and lively conversation, we cover:
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ87: Craig Knox of the Pittsburgh Symphony on premiering the Jennifer Higdon Tuba Concerto, European road stories and the joys of palinka | 12 Jun 2018 | 01:19:24 | |
TBJ87: Craig Knox of the Pittsburgh Symphony on premiering the Jennifer Higdon Tuba Concerto, European road stories and the joys of palinka. Craig Knox is Principal Tuba of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and a founding member of the Center City Brass Quintet. With these ensembles and others, he has performed for audiences across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, and been heard on recordings, and radio, television, and internet broadcasts around the world. Mr. Knox works regularly with music students through his teaching positions at the Carnegie Mellon University School of Music in Pittsburgh, and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, as well as at music festivals, seminars, and conservatories around the world, where he appears as a guest clinician. In this fun and lively conversation, we cover:
LINKS:
Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ86: Listener's Choice - The Falcone Festival | 29 May 2018 | 00:59:37 | |
TBJ86: Listener's Choice - The Falcone Festival Lance and Andrew take up another Listeners' Choice episode to talk about the history and development of the Falcone Festival at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Twin Lake, Michigan. Form the website: The Leonard Falcone International Euphonium and Tuba Festival has gained recognition as the premier event of its kind. Born in 1986 as a competition for both student and artist level euphonium performers, the event evolved into a true festival in 1991 when its sponsoring committee expanded its offerings to include lessons, ensembles, seminars, and clinics with some of the world's greatest euphonium virtuosi. The sponsoring committee again expanded the festival 1996 to include a full range of festival activities for tuba. Student and artist level competitions remain integral to the Festival. The competition has a truly international flavor, with contestants attending from countries around the world. The Falcone Festival is held each summer, over a four day period, and has been housed since its inception at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Twin Lake, Michigan. In addition to the competition aspect of the Festival, participants are offered the opportunity to attend master classes and recitals provided by internationally recognized euphonium/tuba artists. For more information about Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, please visit their web site at www.bluelake.org. In this episode, we discuss:
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ85: Tom McCaslin, Tubist with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra on audition prep, recording yourself and all things Canada. | 15 May 2018 | 01:02:55 | |
TBJ85: Tom McCaslin, Tubist with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra on audition prep, recording yourself and all things Canada. Tom McCaslin, Tubist with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Soloist, Teacher, and Clinician has been described by Fanfare Magazine as “one of the contemporary tuba virtuosos”. Originally from Regina, Saskatchewan Tom’s playing and teaching have taken him around the globe. He has performed and taught in Canada, the United States, Switzerland, Portugal, Finland, New Zealand and Australia. As an orchestral musician he has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the North Carolina Symphony, the Regina Symphony, the Winnipeg Symphony, the New Mexico Symphony, the Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música (Portugal), the Lahti Symphony (Finland) and was acting Principal Tuba in the Auckland Philharmonia (New Zealand). In the summers he teaches at the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, NC, where he serves Principal Tuba with the EMF Festival Orchestra under the direction of Gerard Schwarz.
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ84: Brass legend Mark Gould boldly goes where no other guests have gone before! | 01 May 2018 | 01:19:43 | |
TBJ84: Brass legend Mark Gould boldly goes where no other guests have gone before! Mark Gould, the former Principal trumpet of The Met, the mastermind behind Pink Baby Monster and author of the hilarious new book, "Orchestra Confidential" joins Andrew & Lance in an episode filled with laughs, stories and swear words. Like, a lot of swear words. WARNING: As mentioned in the above description, this interview is more "adult" than our usual fare. If you are sensitive to this sort of thing, maybe sit this one out. You've been warned. In this fun and lively conversation, we cover:
LINKS:
Mark's new book, Orchestra Confidential Pink Baby Monster YouTube channel Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ83: Trombonist Donna Parkes of the Louisville Orchestra on having a “Yes!” attitude, sleeping bags and growing up in Australia | 17 Apr 2018 | 01:04:25 | |
TBJ83: Trombonist Donna Parkes of the Louisville Orchestra on having a “Yes!” attitude, sleeping bags and growing up in Australia Donna Parkes, Principal Trombone with Louisville Orchestra joins Andrew & Lance to detail her amazing career, from Australia to Kentucky, with stops in Chicago, Alaska and Doha, Qatar. In this fun and lively conversation, we cover:
LINKS:
Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ82: Geoffrey Pilkington, Principal Horn for the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra on yoga, humility and the Long Call | 03 Apr 2018 | 01:07:49 | |
TBJ82: Geoffrey Pilkington, Principal Horn for the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra on yoga, humility and the Long Call Geoffrey Pilkington, Principal Horn for the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra joins Andrew & Lance to talk about working with Don Greene, dealing with the effects of a pinched nerve and gives us a great behind-the-scenes look at what goes into preparing for and playing the Ring Cycle. In this fun and lively conversation, we cover:
LINKS:
Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ81: Matthew Murchison, Sexiest Euphonium Player in West Virginia on playing, writing and charting your own course in music | 20 Mar 2018 | 01:04:35 | |
TBJ81: Matthew Murchison, Sexiest Euphonium Player in West Virginia on playing, writing and charting your own course in music Composer, tuba and euphonium soloist and all-around fellow knucklehead Matthew Murchison joins Andrew & Lance to discuss his bands Mainspring and the Matthew Murchison Mutiny, studies with Brian Bowman and being yourself as an artist. In this fun and lively conversation, we cover:
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ207: Best of 2022 | 19 Jan 2023 | 01:08:09 | |
A clip from each Brass Junkies interview of 2022 along with some brief thoughts on each.
Become a Patron ► https://www.patreon.com/thebrassjunkies/ Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/pray4jens/ The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media | |||
| TBJ80: Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Horn Jennifer Montone on playing, meditating and telling your own story | 07 Mar 2018 | 00:59:09 | |
TBJ80: Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Horn Jennifer Montone on playing, meditating and telling your own story Jennifer Montone has played with the Philadelphia Orchestra for 11 years. Prior to that, she spent time in the Dallas, St. Louis and New Jersey Symphonies and teaches at both Curtis and Juilliard. In this fun and lively conversation, we cover:
LINKS:
Don't miss the South Central Regional Tuba-Euphonium Conference featuring SSG Chris Buckley, Tim Buzbee, Ben Pierce and Charles Villarubia March 15-17 at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, TX. Holy crap that's a lineup! Visit www.scrtec2018.weebly.com for more details! Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||
| TBJ79: Euphonium Ambassador Adam Frey on what it is like to be the Ambassador of Euphonium. Like that is a thing. | 20 Feb 2018 | 01:04:47 | |
TBJ79: Euphonium Ambassador Adam Frey on what it is like to be the Ambassador of Euphonium. Like that is a thing. Adam Frey has had a great career as a soloist, publisher, teacher and major proponent of the euphonium and has endured Lance's hump-busting for over twenty years. He is also the mastermind behind both the fantastic International Euphonium-Tuba (IET) Festival and euphonium.com. He currently teaches at the University of North Georgia. In this fun and lively conversation, we cover:
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm | |||
| TBJ78: Chip Crotts on playing trumpet with Ray Charles, prosthetic robot arms for musicians and his comeback from Bells Palsy | 06 Feb 2018 | 00:59:15 | |
TBJ78: Chip Crotts on playing trumpet with Ray Charles, prosthetic robot arms for musicians and his comeback from Bells Palsy Chip Crotts has played trumpet with an incredible array of stars, from Natalie Cole to Maynard Ferguson and has been involved with building an innovative program from the ground up at Georgia Tech. In this episode, we cover:
LINKS:
LINKS: Want to help the show? Here are some ways:
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm. | |||