One Month from Argentina

One month from today I will be in Argentina, teaching and performing at the Isla Verde Bronces Festival. I am very excited about the festival, and my first trip ever to South America.

Coincidentally, Bueneos Aires was featured this morning on Rudy Maxa’s World, a travel show on PBS. I always new Buenos Aires was one of the world’s largest cities, but I was surprised to hear it referred to as the “most European city in the Western Hemisphere”. The show also detailed the economic troubles that Argentina faced in the 90′s, and I was pleased to hear that counter-intuitively, the arts not only thrived during that time, but boomed despite, and perhaps in reaction to the country’s economic and political woes. Perhaps this is a lesson for the rest of the world?

Since 2007, the small town of Isla Verde – about 5 hours from Buenos Aires – has hosted this festival. From their website, here are the festival’s aims:

 • To offer training, motivation and direction to every person, especially children and young people, that wants to pursue the study of a brass instrument.

• To gain national and international recognition for Isla Verde as annual meeting point for brass musicians, by providing location and artistic resources suitable for training and improvement.

• To promote artistic exchange between the participants of this event.

• To continue organizing this International Brass Festival Isla Verde Bronces as an activity that gives identity to our town.

• To enrich the cultural activities in our town and surrounding areas.

The most exciting aspect, for me, will be performing a brand new work I commissioned from the noted Argentine composer, Roberto Pintos. You can hear some of his compositions on YouTube, including this one, Algo insoluble, featuring Adam Frey on euphonium and Patricio Consentino.

Tubas in the News – December 2011

New York Times photojournalist Andrea Bruce feature “Portraits of Iraqi Pride“, including this shot of Isra Saadi.

A rash of tuba thefts at Southland high schools from the LA Times.

No record for Disney Tuba Christmas but still fun from the Orange County Register.

Nice article and some good photos from Akron’s Tuba Christmas from Akron.com.

Ben Thomson appointed Principal Tuba of the Scottish Symphony Orchestra, from 4barsrest.

University of Iowa’s Holiday Tubas 2011 clip on YouTube and a audio slideshow – it was cold this year!

Himie Voxman (1912-2011)

Last week, the music world learned of the loss of Himie Voxman, who passed away on November 22nd at the age of 99. For those of you that aren’t familiar with Mr. Voxman, he was a music educator, performer, editor, administrator, and benefactor. He was a major force in the music world, a driving force in the University of Iowa School of Music, and a great friend to musicians everywhere. He has influenced countless musicians and his contributions will be felt for generations. He will be sorely missed. The excerpt below is an excerpt from the Iowa City Press Citizen:

In 1929, Himie enrolled in the University of Iowa chemical engineering program and continued his study of the clarinet, playing in the University band and symphony orchestra and giving private lessons. In 1933, he received a B.S. degree with High Distinction in Chemical Engineering and then began graduate work in the psychology of music under Carl E. Seashore. After completing this M.A program in Psychology, Himie taught music in the Iowa City public schools, including Iowa City High School where he met and married Lois Wilcox, who was the string instrument teacher there. He encouraged his friend Pearl West, who taught woodwinds in Centerville, to move to Iowa City where West subsequently founded West Music, Inc.

Himie was the principal clarinetist in the Quad City Symphony for many years. In 1939 he joined the University of Iowa School of Music and served as its Director from 1954 until his retirement in 1980. During World War II, in addition to his music faculty duties, he taught mathematics in the V-12 US Naval Officer Candidate Program based in the South Quadrangle at the University of Iowa. Following World War II Himie’s substantial archival research in European libraries, sometimes in conjunction with his great friend Charles Eble, brought to light an extensive, invaluable list of previously unpublished 18th and 19th century wind solo and chamber music works, serving as the basis for many of his widely used publications. Selling in the millions, his various publications have met the instructional and professional needs of countless aspiring and professional musicians, young and old.

Voxman has received innumerable awards, citations, and honorary doctorates. Among them are the American Bandmasters Association’s Edwin Frank Goldman Memorial Citation, the University’s Distinguished Alumni Award for Achievement and an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

In 1995 the University of Iowa School of Music building was renamed the Voxman Music Building in recognition of Himie’s vast influence in the field of music education.

Tubas in the News – November 2011 Edition

There have been several news articles about tubas in the news recently. Here are the latest:

• A wonderful feature in the L.A. Times about the popularity of tuba players in Mexican party music. Make sure to check out the included video.

• New York Times article about singer Andrea Marcovicci that mentions the song “When Yuba Plays the Rhumba on the Tuba”

• A story from the Chattanooga Times Free Press about 13-year-old tuba player, Hanna Eitzen.

• A review of Dave Douglas (and tuba player Marcus Rojas’s) new recording of their group Brass Ecstasy.

• An article in the LA Times about Ben Jaffee, of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

• An article from Henley on Thames entitled “Playing the tuba, or how to blow a big rasberry”.

Dance Gala 2011

I have been collaborating with the Dance department here at the University of Iowa for several years, including providing improvised music for dancers, to performing live music onstage with the dancers. Last year, my colleague Charlotte Adams, choreographed a work that included horn and tuba improvising onstage in a work called “Tuba or Not Tuba”. It was a lot of fun, and challenging in that it was difficult to catch physical clues from dancers while my creative brain was busy improvising. We spent a week in Los Angeles and performed the work several times at Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica.

This year, Charlotte proposed a new collaboration project for the University’s annual Dance Gala, which is a very popular event on campus and showcases the entire Dance department. Charlotte’s new work, “Catch” is a touching and personal expression of her feelings about the loss of her father, and the transition from child to caregiver. Presented in reverse chronological order, the opening scene is meant to convey represent death, and each scene progresses backwards, until the final scene represents a father comforting a crying infant. Other scenes depict catching (both the parent catching the child, and eventually the child catching the parent, both physically and metaphorically); stumbling, and joyful catching.

When we set out to help create the music for this work, we decided to employ more pre-composed and pre-recorded music, and kept improvisation to tonal and blues oriented styles. My partner on horn, Erin Vang, is a multi-talented musician, writer and consultant. One of her current projects is Kaddish in Two Part Harmony. Kaddish is the Jewish mourners prayer, often said each day for a year following the death of a loved one. When Charlotte was looking for something somber and mournful, it was only natural that Erin suggest the Kaddish. The dance begins in pitch black, with Erin lying on her back and playing the Kaddish. The lights slowly rise to reveal the dancers lying down on stage, positioned how they might be in a cemetery. The scene is rudely interrupted with blast of synthesized horns, and a dancer runs and steals the horn from Erin. The dancers commence running backwards in a circle, swarming and accelerating, as a recording of a musical backdrop I composed plays with clock-like ticking and a blend of disorienting beats and synthesized moods. Above that, Erin and I slowly start short scale-like patterns in opposing directions, based on the mode of the Kaddish.

The dancers converge and then dissipate, to reveal just two dancers playfully swinging their arms. For rehearsals and choreography, Charlotte used a recording of Randy Newman’s Harps and Angels, which is a bluesy, tongue in cheek ramble about a near death experience, and an ominous warning to “keep your business clean”. This music was so perfect, we improvised in the same key and tempo of the original with just tuba and horn.

Continuing with the death theme, we use the traditional spiritual “Just a Closer Walk With Thee” for the next scene. The dancers begin moving and crawling slowly, as we play a very slow version of the song, with very little elaboration. As the dance gets faster and more joyous, our tempos and style of the song adjust. This section ends in a frenzy, and one dancer climbing a human step-ladder and falling off into the arms of another.

For the next and final section, Charlotte nicknamed “Lullaby”, as it was to depict the dancers holding each other in pairs and conveying a soothing and calming mood – much like how Charlotte as a baby would only stop crying when she was placed on her father’s belly. For this, I chose to compose a simple, but touching melody recorded on my studio piano (Charlotte’s father played the piano) accompanied by synthesized strings and the sound of crickets. I called the composition “Daddy’s Home”.

“Catch” ends with Erin and I moving downstage, improvising on the lullaby, and after I lie down on the floor, a dancer rolls onto to my belly while Erin continues to improvise on the melody and the lights fade to black.

If you are interested, we have four more performances planned for this week. All of the pieces in the 2011 Dance Gala are fantastic. I am continually impressed and enlightened by our talented faculty and students. For more information on Dance Gala, click here or here.

William Bell Tuba Day

This just in from the Annual Willam Bell Memorial Tuba and Euphonium Day:

To All Area Tubists and Friends:

Come join us for the 33rd Annual William Bell Memorial Tuba and Euphonium Day!

WHEN: 1:00 PM,  Saturday, Nov. 5th, 2011
WHERE:  Perry United Methodist Church, Third and Willis, Perry, IA
REGISTRATION FEES:  $10 Student/$15 Adult  (All registration fees will be collected on site Nov. 7th, 2009.)
FEATURED GUEST: Mitchell Lutch, Asst. Professor of Music and Director of Bands at Central College, Pella

Mitchell Lutch is Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Bands at Central College in Pella, Iowa and also serves as conductor of the Central Iowa Wind Ensemble. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in instrumental conducting at the University of Washington where he served as teaching assistant for Professor Timothy Salzman. He earned his Master of Music degree from New England Conservatory where he studied with Frank Battisti serving as the graduate assistant for the NEC Wind Ensemble and assistant conductor of the Massachusetts Wind Ensemble. His Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education is from the University of Lowell. Artists he has collaborated with in his teaching career include Donald Hunsburger, Eric Ewazen, Dana Wilson, Ellis Marsalis, Frank Foster, Slide Hampton and Marian McPartland. Mr. Lutch is Past President of the New York State Band Directors Association and has been a guest speaker at several educational institutions including New England Conservatory and Shenandoah Conservatory. Conducting appearances and research presentations include concerts and conferences throughout the United States, Quebec, London, Japan, The People’s Republic of China, the former Soviet Union, and Luxembourg.

SCHEDULE:
1:00-1:30       Registration
1:30-  3:30     Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble Rehearsal (Please bring a music stand)
3:30 – 4:00     Break/Socializing
4:00-5:00       Concert (Free To Public, at Perry United Methodist Church)
5:30-5:45       Memorial Performance at Mr. Bell’s Gravesite
6:00 – ????     Socializing and Planning for 2012

ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Feel free to forward this e-mail to friends and colleagues who may be interested.  An invitation is open to all. We’re also “Facebooking” – visit our page at:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/William-Bell-Tuba-Day/149881746829

Please RSVP or address questions to:
Chad Thompson
4420 73rd Pl.
Urbandale, IA 50322

e-mail: chad_thompson@mac.com
Telephone (515) 999-0268.

All registration fees will be collected on site November 5th, 2011.

Military Musicians

The Atlantic Brass quintet recently spent several days working with the brass players of the 399th U.S. Army Band. We coached their two brass quintets, held a roundtable discussion, had some open rehearsals, observed their ceremonial band, and gave a recital. Over the years, we have worked with numerous military musicians at our seminars, but it was especially meaningful to me, since I was a military musician myself. I was a Staff Sergeant in the Air Force Band of the Golden Gate from 1986 to 1989. During that time, I grew to appreciate the unique challenges of being a bandsman. Not only do you have the typical musical challenges of any large musical ensemble, you also have to navigate the regulations and command structure of the military.

I was fortunate to be in a fairly large and talented band, and enjoyed playing in the brass quintet, and toured the Western US on a regular basis. The best part for me was taking lessons with Floyd Cooley and getting to live in Northern California.

When I was in college. I had dreams of being an orchestral musician and never imagined that I would enlist in the military. Looking back, I am really glad I made that choice, it was definitely a good experience.

These days, military bands are often being asked to do more with less, so bandsmen must be versatile, professional, and prepared for anything. Not a bad skill set to develop for any musician.

My First Ravinia Experience

Last week, my family and I attended two concerts at Ravinia, the summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. My recent positive concert-going experiences lead me to see what the CSO had on the schedule for this summer. To my amazement, they were performing Symphonie Fantastique and Rite of Spring on consecutive nights. I simply had to go. Not only are these two of the most important works in the musical canon, but, as all tuba players know, both of these pieces call for TWO tubas!

We took Megabus from Iowa City into Union Station in Chicago, and walked the two blocks to the Ogilvie Transportation Center (OTC), which was our connection to the Metra rail up to Ravinia. We were very impressed with OTC. Housed in a steel and glass Emerald-City-esque sky scraper, the center includes dozens of shops, stores, and services; including a Dunkin’ Donuts, bookstores, a bar, and a Fedex store, which came in handy to print out our tour bus tickets from my email. The Metra seemed clean, efficient, and inexpensive and got us back and forth from our hotel to downtown Chicago. We stayed at the Courtyard Marriot in Highland Park, which was only a few miles from the Metra and Ravinia.

On Thursday, July 7th, we headed to Ravinia for the first of two concerts; piano soloist Lang Lang playing Chopin and Liszt with Christoph Eschenbach conducting. The second half featured the Berlioz, so I moved from our blanket on the lawn to my seat in the pavilion. Morris Kainuma played second tuba to Gene Pokorny, and they sounded fantastic!

The next day, we rode a double-decker tour bus all around Chicago, and I finally got a good overview of this grand city. I was very impressed by the architecture, the cleanliness, and the friendliness of the city, and we really want to visit on a regular basis.

On Friday night, I really enjoyed my front row seat. André Watts performed Liszt, and I was struck at not only his musicality, but at how relaxed he looked. Listening to Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring has always been a very powerful experience for me, and the second half did not disappoint. I got an up close and personal view of one of the most amazing orchestras in the world, playing probably the most important compositions of the 20th century.

TubaHead Alert: Gene Pokorny will be performing the Vaughan Williams tuba concerto four times next season; May 16-19, 2012. Order your tickets in advance!

Hammer Time!

Last month, the Atlantic Brass Quintet appeared at the International Trumpet Guild Conference in Minnesota. We had an excellent turnout for our recital and it got a nice review (click on May 26 and wait for the PDF to download) in the ITG journal. One of the highlights for me, though, was getting to hear the Minnesota Orchestra perform Mahler’s Symphony No. 6. In graduate school, I wrote a paper on this dramatic work, and I don’t think I have heard it performed live in years. The best part of this symphony, are the three hammer strikes. To see one of the percussionists lift this massive wooden hammer up prior to each strike was thrilling to watch, and the rest of the audience loved it too. This “Tragic” symphony was  semi-autobiographical. Mahler, himself, was actually terrified by the premier, and these hammer blows would prove quite prophetic. Gene De Lisa has a great article on his blog, Classical Music Brain Droppings, about this, including some videos of percussionists wielding the massive hammer.

It was a magnificent performance, and due to the seating of the brass, I enjoyed hearing every note of principal tubaist Steve Campbell’s playing. I know Steve from our days in Boston, and remember sitting on a panel with him at Tubonium, and hearing him speak of taking over 30 auditions before landing the Minnesota job – an inspiring example of persistence. I went backstage to congratulate him and Doug Wright, the principal trombonist, and happened to see Doc Severensen, who was in town for the trumpet conference.

I was so inspired by the performance. I sat there realizing that I just haven’t gotten to enjoy enough orchestral performances, so I vowed to attend more. Next month, my family and I will be hearing the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia to hear them perform Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique!

What’s Going on with America’s Orchestras?

Last weekend, while in Louisville KY for their Klezmer Festival, I had the great pleasure to attend a fantastic concert by the Louisville Orchestra. The program included Respighi’s Pines of Rome, the Grieg piano concerto, and Brahms’ 2nd Symphony. Daryl Johnson, principal tuba, played wonderfully and made it look easy. I enjoyed the entire brass section, and was equally impressed with every single section. My friends Kathy and Matthew Karr, who are members of the orchestra, explained to me the financial challenges facing their orchestra, and expressed their concern for the future of the orchestra. It was a very emotional concert for all of the players, and probably the most enjoyable for me as a member of the audience. I sincerely wish them the best, this orchestra is absolutely world-class, and their players and patrons deserve to continue thriving.

Louisville is the not the first orchestra to have problems, nor will it be the last, and of course, the recent economic problems have a lot to do with it. I’m not sure what will solve each orchestra’s problems, but I don’t have a lot of faith in boards of directors – as they often put the bottom line ahead of the artistic integrity, and the finances ahead of the careers and financial obligations of the musicians. The blogosphere and news wires have plenty of stories and opinions on the subject, here are a few:

Wall Street Journal article Regional Orchestras in the Spotlight

Newsworks article Struggling Philadelphia Orchestra Suffers from ‘Cost Disease’

Wall Street Journal’s 24/7 Blog article The Death Of Classical Music in America

Keep Louisville Symphonic

Out of Tune from Leo Weekly

From the Globe and Mail interview with Leonard Slatkin

From Tony’s Blog (from the office of the president of the New England Conservatory) American Orchestras; Yes, it’s a Crisis

iPhone, Productivity, and NPR Tubas

My New iPhone

Productivity Final Project
This semester, my students and I have focussed on productivity; getting things done, doing them well, and staying organized. I have been keeping a blog on our studio site with posts related to this final project. Many students report progress in the areas of music, academic and personal productivity, culminating next week, when each student presents the details of each of their own paths to improved productivity.

I have wrestled with the digital vs. paper dilemma for years; experimenting with organizing my schedule and tasks both online and on paper. I think a balance of each might work best for me, since neither is perfect. The recent loss of my old “dumbphone” lead me to finally give in and purchase an iPhone, which does everything my iPod touch did and more. Having owned an iPod touch for three years, and having been a Mac person since 1995, it was long overdo.

I have to say that besides the Internet, the iPhone is he single most useful invention of my lifetime. I had no trouble reinstalling all of my favorite apps and music, and I find it really useful to always have internet access. I still use my favorite apps, and have found a few new ones that have proven helpful or might be useful the future. Combined with the fact that it is a phone, has GPS, and a camera, I’d say it is my most valuable productivity tool.

Kirk Joseph

Tubas Featured on NPR
I recently noticed this NPR article Where the Tuba Lives: 5 New Orleans Songs Featuring the Fat Horn about tubas in New Orleans songs one their Blog Supreme. Some of the wording made me laugh (like describing the tuba [sousaphone] as “the monstrous brass instrument worn like a python squeezing its victim” and “Because it’s a wind instrument rather than a string instrument, the tuba gives New Orleans music a bottom that bubbles rather than twangs“. Click on the article to hear these great tunes:

Mardi Gras in New Orleans, featuring Tuba Fats
Blue Monk/Stormy Monday, by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Feel Like Funkin’ It Up, by the Rebirth Brass Band
Stoned, Drunk and Naked, by Anders Osborne
Bayou Betty by Bonerama

Argentina!
I received some exciting news yesterday: I have been invited to teach and perform at the Isla Verde Bronces Brass Festival in Argentina in February 2012! I was honored to be invited, and am very excited to add a new continent to my world travels.

Orchestral Auditions:
A few of my students are busily preparing for auditions for the Iceland Philharmonic and the Des Moines Symphony. You may have heard her Tim Buzbee was recently appointed principal tuba with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, vacating the position in Rekyavik. The Des Moines opening is sadly due to the passing of their long-time tuba player Gene Wibben. I wish my students, and everyone else, good luck in preparation for these auditions – but I wish my students just a little more

Icelandic Wonderbrass

PS – While looking for details, I ran across the myspace page of a group called The Icelandic Wonderbrass. I couldn’t find any recordings, but the photos look really interesting.

Tubas In the News

When I was in Boston, I briefly met up with Mike Roylance and Jim Self. They had just finished rehearsing for the New England Conservatory’s Brass Bash. A few days later, Mike premiered a brand new Tuba Concerto by Gunther Schuller; mentioned here in Tireless Gunther Schuller leads premiere of new tuba concerto from the Boston Globe.

Tuba soloist Patrick Sheridan shares his skills with wind ensemble from the Courier.co.uk

Some of my students and I attended the Great Plains Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference, and I was very proud of all of them due to the fact that each of them won some type of competition award. You can read more about it here: “Tuba euphonium studio wins accolades” on the University of Iowa School of Music blog.

An article about the lastest YouTube Symphony winner from Pittsburgh Post Gazette, a feature about him and his winning entry on YouTube. According to the YouTube Symphony’s page, the Grand Finale Concert will be be webcast live here on March 19, 2011.

Lauren Veronie, euphoniumist with the Army Field Band has a great blog called Loud Life; odyssey of a low brass lady. Check out her latest post about the Midwest Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference.

Busy, Busy, Busy

It is a very busy time in TubaHead world. I have been working on so many things, combined with a nice quiet vacation, I have neglected blogging here for quite a while. Here is a list of some of my distractions:

• I discovered Tumblr, another blogging site, and created “Tuba Tumbler” which focuses mainly on interesting tuba photographs and links, until I recently realized that there are a finite number of interesting tuba pictures on the internet. I will maintain it, so if you spot any interesting tuba photos, let me know.

• Next week, my students and I will be giving a free workshop in Des Moines to high school and middle school tuba and euphonium players. Last semester, the University of Iowa School of music announced that they were taking proposals to apply for funding for recruiting projects. I asked a group of my students for ideas, and they had a great one. We decided to take our studio recital on the road, and work with students in a day-long format. Since Des Moines has the largest school district in the state of Iowa, I thought that we could reach the most students there. The day will include a warm up class; a masterclass; a pizza party; a Hawkeye Marching Band presentation by my students; free private lessons (all of my students and myself will teach one or two lessons); and the day culminates with the “Tuba Hawks” concert. Like our studio recitals, it will feature student soloists, chamber groups, and Collegium Tubum – our tuba euphonium ensemble. Registration worked quite well using Google forms, and we have over 25 students signed up. I even designed a special “Tuba Hawks” stickers to give each of the participants. Here’s the schedule:

Tuba Hawks Workshop Schedule
Des Moines, IA  – Wednesday, January 26, 2011
9:00am – Warm Up Class
10:00am – Masterclass
12:00 – Pizza Party
12:30 – Hawkeye Marching Band presentation
1:00 – Private Lessons
2:00 – “Tuba Hawks” Recital

• My solo faculty recital at the University of Iowa will be on February 3rd at 7:30 pm in the University Capitol Center Recital Hall. Joining me will be Lee Nguyen on piano. Here’s the program:

- Three Pieces by Leone Sinigaglia, arranged by Tim Olt
- Fantasia a Due for tuba and piano by Alfred Reed
- Concerto for Tuba by James Barnes, Op. 96
- Sonata for tuba and piano, “Shamanic Journey” by Barbara York

• The Atlantic Brass Quintet will be celebrating our 25th Anniversary with a tour of prominent east coast music schools in February. Here’s the schedule:

2/9 – Residency at Centereach High School on Long Island, NY
2/10 – Masterclass and Recital at the University of Massachusetts -  Amherst, MA
2/11 – Masterclass and Recital at the New England Conservatory of Music – Boston, MA
2/12 – Brass and Organ Recital with Ezequiel Menéndez at Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, CT
2/13 – University of Connecticut Brass Festival
2/14 – Masterclass at the Juilliard School – New York, NY
2/15 – Masterclass at Berklee College of Music – Boston, MA

• Right after that, some of my students and I will be attending the Great Plains Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, KS from 2/18-20.

• The Iowa Brass Quintet will be on tour throughout the Midwest in March. Here’s our itinerary:

3/28 – Bettendorf Family Museum – Bettendorf, IA
3/29 – University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, WI
3/30 – University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, WI
3/31 – St. Olaf College – Northfield, MN

There’s more, but you get the picture. In case I don’t blog in a while, at least you know why. Stay Warm!

You Tuba

Cartoon by Dan Reynolds

For the longest time, every time I attempted to type “YouTube” I accidentally typed “YouTuba” – Freudian slip I guess. You Tube is amazing – not only can you view videos of all sorts, from funny and cute, to educational and entertaining -  but it is fantastic for musicians. In lieu of actually going to a live performance, one can view recordings of one-of-a-kind concerts of every genre. It’s especially helpful to jazz musicians who must study the performances of the great jazz musicians of the past, and some of the footage is invaluable. NPR did a story on it a while back called “A Blog Supreme“.

For their final project this semester, my students have to listen to a list of eleven works I call “The Power of Program Music“. This playlist allows students to not only hear a good recording of each piece, but accompanying footage of orchestras and conductors, slide shows of related images, and informative talks about some of the works. For more about the final project, go here.

One of my students has started his own You Tube Channel called, appropriately enough, The Tuba Room. My favorite is Sweet Caroline, but he has also done a great job recording his own versions of some of the viral videos by the Gregory Brothers.

I also have a You Tube Channel here that features several playists: including “Tuba Gems”, “Brass Ensembles” and videos about breathing. I’d love to learn about more channels that might be tuba-related, so let me know if you have one.

P.S. – There is a You Tuba. It’s a quartet from the U.K.

Happy Halloween 2010

Here’s a photo of my students from our recent “Spooky Tubas” concert at the Coralville Library. As part of our OkTUBAfest, we present this concert each year for an audience of kids and adults, and this year the concert theme was centered around the book “Olivia Forms a Band”. We played a host of marches, polkas and lively tunes, and my students and I, joined by my daughter, all dressed up. It was filmed by Coralvision and you might be able to view it online here, or on Mediacom if you live in the Iowa City area.

Royal Oculus and Gramaphone Company

Wow, I stumbled upon this doing a simple image search for tuba. From Shirley & Spinoza Radio check out the set list for the pod cast “Tuba! Not the Girl“. Even better, play it or down load it. Seems like one long mash up, of a combination of tuba music, field recordings, sound effects and recordings from folk and primitive music. Tuba artists include Jim Self; Drums and Tuba; Tom Heasley; Danny Kaye (Tubby the Tuba); Blood, Sweat and Tears; Canadian Brass, and the Black Dyke Mills Band.

Harvey Phillips (1929-2010)

Harvey Phillips (1929-2010)

It is with great sadness that the tuba world learned today of the passing of one of the greatest tuba artists, teachers, and advocates that ever lived. Harvey Phillips was personally responsible for hundreds of new works for the tuba and was our instrument’s number one promoter. As a founding member of the New York Brass Quintet, his contribution to the future of brass chamber music is immeasurable, as was his generous and inspiring leadership in all things tuba. I hope that in my lifetime, I can accomplish half as much as Harvey Phillips did. Rest in peace Harvey.

Among his many achievements and contributions are:

• Founder of TubaChristmas, dedicated to his teacher and famous Iowan tuba mentor Bill Bell.

• Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Indiana University

• Co-author of the Art of Tuba and Euphonium

• 2007 Inductee into the Classical Music Hall of Fame (Indiana University)

To learn more about this great man, please read this interview transcript with Bruce Duffie.

Oktoberfest and OkTUBAfest

OkTUBAfest 2010 Poster

Yesterday I enjoyed a visit to an authentic Oktoberfest, held each year at the Amana Colonies, a German colony not far from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They had a parade, a cute dog costume contest, activities for the kids, Polka bands, and of course beer. My students have performed at this Oktoberfest in the past, as part of our OkTUBAfest, but this year I just enjoyed the atmosphere and listened to a Bavarian band in the Festhalle Barn. Our 2010 OkTUBAfest will include a recital by guest artist Tim Buzbee, our annual children’s concert called Spooky Tubas, and a studio recital. For more information about our OkTUBAfest, check out the Events page of our studio website.

On a recent episode Rick Steve’s Europe, one of my favorite travel shows, he explained that the origins of Oktoberfest began in the early 19th century as a wedding party for Crown Prince Ludwig. It was such a success, the city of Munich decided to make it an annual event. The Oktoberfest has grown to be the largest fair in the world, with millions of visitors each year. Like the one in Amana, there are now Oktoberfest celebrations held around the world, including Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Hong Kong, and Vietnam.

This year, the 177th Munich Oktoberfest wraps up tomorrow, so if you want to go, you had better start planning ahead for next year. The official website has all the information you might need, including news, history, travel information, souvenirs, and even their new iPhone app! And if you are in the Iowa City area, please join us for OkTUBAfest 2010.

The Art of Practicing

Photo by Josh Calkin

This semester, in addition to having students perform their latest solos, I have decided to present three themed masterclasses during seminar classes; The Art of Practicing, the Art of Phrasing, and the Art of Listening. I like to talk about basic ideas such as practicing, warm up routines, and breathing early on in the semester, so I started there. In a few weeks, the Art of Phrasing masterclass will be aimed at how to shape and form a musical line. Because the final project “The Power of Program Music” involves listening to and identifying recordings, I thought that I might highlight the importance of listening to great works to a student’s aural diet.

For the Art of Practicing masterclass, I had two students who were currently working through music play for us, then talked about how to go about practicing to overcome their particular problems. At first, I thought I might create a handout, so I searched for some online information and read numerous articles on the subject. I saved some helpful links that I think are quite worthy of your time.

“So you want to be a great tuba player” by Staff Sergeant David Brown of the U.S. Army Band.

“How to Practice” by Jeff Purtle BrassMusician.com

Tom Gibson’s Tips and Daily Routing for trombone

EssentialMusicPractice.com

How to Practise Music from the BBC

Practice tips by Doug Yeo

A Guide to Great Home Music Practice by Catherine Schmidt-Jones (from Connexions)

“Imagine If You Practice” by David Salidino

A Shared Handout – “How to Practice” by Jon Dittert

Intentional Practice Blog by Jonathan Harnum

Best Apps for Musicians

I got my iPod Touch about two years ago and I must say that it is one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. I use it every single day, and in many different ways. Like many people, I drooled over the iPhone when it first appeared, but I’ve managed to hold out so far. I actually like that my free LG flip phone is a separate device. I use my iPod touch for email, scheduling, searching the web, social networking, and for listening to and purchasing music. Due to the thousands of apps on the iTunes store, I can also use it as a metronome, a tuner, a music dictionary, a recorder, and an ear trainer. I’d like to share a list of apps that I think are very helpful for musicians

Dr. Bettote TC – By far, the best metronome app out there. Like it’s “similar sounding” namesake (Dr. Beat) it has the ability to subdivide the beat, multiple beat mode, a sound generator, and a busy but fantastic interface.

IStroboSoft – Like the old strobo-tuner I first used in Jr. High school, but a digital and highly portable version. I like it better than a simple needle simulator.

Karajan -  A great ear training application designed to help you build your sight-singing and hearing skills. Keeps tracks of your “lessons” and statistics to track your progress.

Musictionary – A very nice music dictionary, although I have my eye on the much more expensive ($14.99) and hopefully more comprehensive Oxford Dictionary of Music.

FiRe Field Recorder – One of many recording apps out there designed for musicians, although the included app Voice Memos may do in a pinch

Many of the aforementioned apps would we useless to an iPod touch user without a microphone. As I learned the hard way, not all microphones with a mini-jack work with iPods. The Apple Earphones with remote and built-in microphone work great, and they work just as well as the older apple ear buds. They are also quite handy to use for chatting on Skype or using your iPod touch as a phone as long as you have a wi-fi connection. [Note: I think the new iPod Touch includes a built-in microphone]

More and more musicians are blogging these days, and as you can see, my preferred blog host is WordPress. I used the WordPress app to blog for the fist time from my iPod Touch to write this blo, although I did clean some things up and added links on my office computer.

The number of apps is growing everyday in number and sophistication, so I am sure I will have to update this post in the future. I talk a lot about tools in my teaching; not just having them, but using them correctly. If you are looking for the MVP of my tuba tool box, it has to be my iPod touch.

5 New Must-Read Blogs

I have recently discovered five new blogs that I think are worth checking out. I’ve added them to my blog roll, but to do them justice, I wanted to feature them in a special post here.

Chamber Musician Today is an aggregation of several blogs and news with a theme of chamber music, but with many different angles and contributors. [In the interest of full disclosure, TubaHead is a contributor].

I was immediately impressed by the fact that the The Bulletproof Musician was so engaging and full of articles that are so applicable to me and my students. It is written by Dr. Noa Kageyama, who received his Masters in Music at the Juilliard School and a Doctorate in Psychology from Indiana University. It’s hard to pick a favorite article, but his recent post “What Every Musician Ought to Know About Stage Fright” is fantastic.

Yamaha Bell & Barrel caught my eye with the post “What kind of box holds a $35,000 tuba?“. As a Yamaha Artist, I suppose I should help promote this blog, but I think their tuba coverage is a bit too skewed toward drum corps and marching tubas, but I look forward to more. It has a very clean and professional look. As a promotional vehicle, I think it is excellent. Check out the global corporate history page for a look at the interesting origins of this megabrand.

Iowa Trombones is the newly released blog that serves as the website for the University of Iowa trombone studio, created by graduate teaching assistant and Mac guru, Jonathan Allen. Dr. David Gier was recently appointed as the new director of the School of Music, so he has scaled down his applied teaching to just graduate students. Undergraduate lessons are now taught by Jonathan and his fellow graduate student Jessica DuCharme (who also has a very nice blog called A Midwestern Tale) The exciting thing is that as part of the solution of covering trombone studio lessons is the amazing line-up of guest artists, including Ko-ichiro Yamamoto, Moises Paiewonsky, Donn Schaefer, and Cory Mixdorf. I can’t wait to meet and hear these amazing artists.

Andrew Hitz, the tuba player with the world-famous Boston Brass has launched a new blog cleverly titled Andrew’s Hitz. I was blown away by their recent performance at the International Tuba Euphonium Conference in Arizona, and equally impressed by the masterclass by my first teacher, Sam Pilafian, who coached the Boston Brass in a public setting. If Andrew’s series of posts called “Things I Did in College Which Most Prepared Me for My Career in Music” is any indication, I think this blog will become one of the most helpful on the internet for brass students. Check out his post on listening to live music.

Iowa City Brewfest 2010

Just back from the Iowa City Brewfest, 2010! I kept track of all the beers I tried and have listed them below. Two things: 1. I tried beers and ales that I have never had before 2. I sincerely liked all of them! Here’s the list, with no ratings at all:

Moosbacher Dark Wheat
Peace Tree Cornucopia
Great River Far Out Espresso Stout
Scaldis Draft
Tilburgs Dutch
Bells Double Cream Stout
Stillwater Vanilla Cream
Peres Jacques Goose Island
Summit Octoberfest
Old Man River Brewing Einfach
Monchshof Schwarzbier
3 Monts Frigolet ale

George N. Parks

George N. Parks 1953-2010

Sadly, I learned this morning of the sudden loss of a former colleague, fellow tuba player and giant of the marching band world, George N. Parks. He was the director of the marching band at the University of Massachusetts and long-time teacher and mentor to thousands of students over the years through his very successful Drum Major Academy

The University of Massachusetts has put up a very nice tribute page here, a facebook page here, and you can read more here. There is also a beautiful tribute article in the Boston Globe. George made a huge impact on so many people, he will be sorely missed.

Happy Birthday Tuba!

On September 12, 1835, the tuba was born invented by Prussian Military Bandmaster Wilhelm Wieprecht and Carl Moritz. If you are looking for a bakery that can handle a request to build a tuba cake, check out the cake above created by Dahlia’s Custom Cakes in Ann Arbor, MI. For a fun old video featuring the tuba, go here to view an old Tom and Jerry cartoon “The Tuba Tooter”

Brass Band of Battle Creek – Asphalt Tango Video

The Brass Band of Battle Creek, as many of you know, is an amazing ensemble comprised of literally the world’s greatest brass players. This video is of a recent performance of Asphalt Tango by John Mackey, and exciting work originally written in 2009 for concert band.

The entire ensemble is phenomenal, especially their low brass section: Euphonium/Baritone – Steven Mead, Gail Robertson, Demondrae Thurmon; Trombone – Mark Frost, Wycliffe Gordon, Scott Hartman; Tuba – Marty Erickson, Les Neish, Phil Sinder, and Dave Zerkel — Yikes!!!

Dog Paddle in Iowa City

The Johnson County Dog Park Coalition Committee is sponsoring their annual Dog Paddle on Sunday, September 12, 2010 from noon to 5:oo pm. It’s the end of the summer swimming season, and a perfect time to release the hounds upon the otherwise pristine waters of the Iowa City Park pool. Bring your dog and have a blast!

PDF of their cool poster: dogpaddle2010poster

Cosmopolitan Tuba-Euphonium Workshop

Mike Milnarik, a colleague and old friend, is one of the most industrious and active tuba players out there. Among many hats he wears, he is the director of the Cosmopolitan Tuba-Euphonium Workshop, which just had a very successful 2010 season. This is what one of the students had to say about his experience:

“Think about a masterclass with a great tuba or euphonium player/teacher. Now add the chance to hear those players perform at an amazing level and give clinics on different aspects of playing the instrument. Multiply that by 5 or so guest artists.  Add the chance to listen to other players of all ages and abilities.  Add to that the chance to play with said musicians.  Throw in some great concerts ranging from jazz and funk to rock and some great original works by Sanae Kanda and you have CTEW. DEFINITELY worth attending!!!”

Matthew Lindahl
College Participant 2008 & 2010
Maryland

Guests artists at the CTEW have included Brian Bowman, Matthew Brown, Adam Frey, Don Harry, and Jim Self.

Mike also has a beautifully remodeled website with information about his busy schedule, many projects and teaching. If you are a tuba or euphonium player of any level or expereince, you should consider attending this workshop.

Tuba Retreat

The Rodney Mack Philadelphia Big Brass is sponsoring a Tuba Retreat on the Outer Banks of North Carolina September 12-18, 2010 with special guests Alan Baer and Sam Pilafian. It sounds like an AMAZING time! Here are the details from their facebook site:

The RMPBB Outer Banks Tuba Retreat is a unique opportunity for tuba players from around the worldto come together to share their love of playing the tuba. Participants come from all walks of life: students, teachers, professionals,
enthusiasts, part-time players, comeback players, etc. All are welcome
in a non-competitive, friendly, supporting atmosphere where learning and
sharing knowledge is… the key element to the week.

The beautiful setting of the Outer Banks of North Carolina is the perfect
backdrop for the tuba retreat. Participants are housed in a luxury
mansion, steps away from the beach, fully equipped with a swimming pool,
hot tub, game rooms, barbecue, etc. Here is a link to the house: http://www.carolinadesigns.com/cdfinal/ASP/INCLUDES/oneprop.asp?propid=653

RMPBB
Tuba Retreat Faculty are Matthew K. Brown – tubist with the Rodney Mack
Philadelphia Big Brass, Alan Baer – principal tubist of the New York
Philharmonic, and Sam Pilafian – Prof. of Tuba at Arizona State
University. There will be ample opportunity to spend time with the
retreat faculty throughout the week.* Included in the fee for the
retreat is one week of lodging, four gourmet style dinners, four days
of seminars, master classes and ensemble practice. Private instruction
can be arranged separately. The tuba retreat is held in
conjunction with the RMPBB Outer Banks Trumpet Retreat; in addition to
activities led by the tuba faculty, participants will share meals and
observe classes led by the world-class faculty of the RMPBB trumpet
retreat. Enrollment is limited; interested tubists are encouraged to apply early.

Application can be downloaded here: http://www.rmpbb.com/docs/738-docs.pdf

Tuition, Room and Board -$850
Couple’s rate (non participating spouse)-$1,200
Couple’s rate (participating spouses)-$1,400
Non refundable deposit -$350

Tuition/Application deadline August 15, 2010
UPDATE – July 23: We have just a few spots left! Act fast if you want one!
Payment plans available – direct inquires to:
1-800-211-6006
info@rmpbb.com
*guest artists subject to change

YouTube Gem: Tuba Duet, One Player

Using iMovie, this player – know as “MusicManD” – created this beautiful duet of Händel’s Sonata for Flute in F, for tuba and basso continuo. Great idea, and fantastic playing!

International Tuba Competition

In March 2011, there will be an International Tuba Competition held in Paris, France. Details below:

Repertoire:

1st Round:
1/ G.F.HAENDEL : Concerto en sol mineur (arrgt. Hilgers)
2/ PENDERECKI : Capriccio
3/ Bruce BROUGHTON : Sonate OR GREGSON : Alarum
OR Fr.THUILLIER : Rebellion OR : John STEVENS : Remembrance
OR Castérède : Sonatine OR KOETSIER : Concertino OR MADSEN : Sonate OR HINDEMITH : Sonate, OR W.KRAFT : Encounters 2

Finals:
1/ Eugène BOZZA : Concertino
2/ R.SZENTPALI : Concerto
3/ Jean-Louis PETIT : Statut du temps (Editions Armiane)

Sheet music for the Ville d’Avray/Paris international tuba competition can be purchased at :

Editions FORTIN, 16 rue Ganneron, F – 75018 PARIS.
tél +33 1 48 74 28 21,
FAX : + 33 1 40 23 98 67 e-mail : editions_fortin@club-internet.fr

Jury :
Gérard BUQUET, Philippe FRITSCH, Hans NICKEL, Jean-Louis

Regulations:
1/ The competition is open to all tubist’s of any nationality without age limit.
2/ The first round will be held on 12 March 2011 and the finals will be on 13 march 2011 at 5 pm. The final round is open to the
public.
3/ The competition registration fee is 50 euros.
4/ The Contestants will be notified as to what time they will compete in the first round. Contestants names will be randomely
drawn on 1 march 2011 the schedualed according to the order in which they were drawn. Deadline of sending back the
application form : 1 mars 2011.
5/ The juries decisions cannot be appealed.

Download application from website: http://int.comp.paris.va.free.fr/index.html

Please address your application to:
FESTIVAL DE MUSIQUE FRANCAISE
attn : Jean-Louis PETIT
34 Avenue Bugeaud
F-75116 PARIS tel.(33.8).77 11 14 57
e-mail : jlpetit@jeanlouispetit.com
Address: Chateau, 8 rue de Marnes, 92410 Ville d’Avray

Prizes:
First Prize : 1500 euros
Second Prize : 1000 euros /
Prix du Conseil Général des Hauts de Seine, Prix de la Commune de Ville d’Avray), Prix du Public

Sponsors:
Competition sponsered by General Council Hauts de Seine, Communauté de Communes “Grand Paris Seine Ouest”,
Commune and Concerts Association Ville d’Avray,
Editions Armiane-Versailles and Fortin-Paris.