Writing
Articles
Writing on practice, repertoire, glissandos, mutes, and the working life of a contemporary trombonist — plus reflections on teaching, ensemble work, and FlowFrame.
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Get Me to the Gig on Time
One of my biggest fears in life is that I’ll be late. As a musician it’s unacceptable. A concert has a start time: the audience will be there, the other performers (if there are others) will be there. It’s like…
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Warm-Up and Time Management
For as long as I can remember I’ve begun my day with exercises that touch upon the fundamentals of playing: a “laundry list” of techniques such as ear-training, breath control, tone quality, articulation, flexibility, etc. The idea being that by…
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…Just one word… Plastics: The pBone
I got a new trombone this week. It was probably the easiest trombone purchase I’ve ever made. New horns are typically huge, important investments: every horn I’ve ever bought (besides my first Bundy) has come with days/weeks/months of testing, debating…
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Trombone Mutes: The Basics (For Trombonists)
This is intended as a resource for trombonists. In future posts I will go through each type of trombone mute individually and talk about its quirks and uses, here I will explore the many things that are true of all…
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Trombone Mutes: The Basics (For Composers)
This is intended as a resource for anyone considering writing music that utilizes trombone mutes. In future posts I will go through each type of trombone mute individually and talk about its quirks and uses, here I will explore the…
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New York, Krakow, Bolzano, New York
Images from last week’s travels: Rehearsing music of David Lang at the beautiful Dimenna Center. For more photos from this and other trips check out Google+.
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Trombone Mutes: What Not To Do
I like the sound of muted brass. Adding mutes gives brass players a broader range of colors and makes the instrument more flexible. I have, however, met plenty of trombonists who think otherwise: “I’ve worked for years perfecting my tone,…
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Practice Makes…
I’ve recently been giving a great deal of thought to practicing and the things that I’ve heard from other musicians through the years regarding it. I figured it might be useful to collect them together here. Comment below with your…