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The tragic events of the Fukishima Nuclear disaster in a country as sophisticated as Japan, sent shockwaves throughout the world, and an untold environmental cost. But what of the human loss? Of abandoned homes, illness and uncertainty. And what response can a single musician have in the face of such upheaval? Mitsuru Saito is an accomplished euphonium player and scholar whose resolve would face this challenge as a single voice. “The Fourth Valve” tm, is honored to have the accomplished and resilient Mr. Saito join our interview series.

1. As a listener, which concertos for other instruments do you find most satisfying? For euphonium?
I really like listening to piano concertos. The sound that piano makes is totally different from that of orchestra; therefore, piano can stick out from orchestra. I really like piano concertos by Russian composers. I hope they would have written for euphonium.

My favorite euphonium concerto is Ponchielli’s Concerto per flicorno basso. The concerto is simple and natural, in addition it has a lot of potential. If I have time, I would like to make a new edition of the concerto both urtext version and my original version.

2. You recently performed a guest artist recital at the University of North Texas; what were your thoughts about that, and how special UNT with Dr. Bowman has become for euphonium?
I have some performance opportunities to perform with Dr. Bowman in last few years. Every time I perform with him, I learn numerous things through his performances still now. The last performance I gave in front of Dr. Bowman was my last DMA recital in 2008 at UNT. Every time I gave a performance in front to Dr. Bowman was jury-like or competition situations.

Euphonium Quartet, “Song for Japan”, by Steve Verhelst: Dr.Bowman, Dr.Mitsuru Saito, Mai Kokubo, and Takeshi Hatano.

3. What is your view of vibrato in general, and as applied to the euphonium?
I really think vibrato is necessary for playing the euphonium. I usually use vibrato for solo performances, but not so much for orchestral and band performances. I don’t think I use vibrato on orchestral excerpts of Richard Strauss, Holst, and Mahler. I think I use less vibrato compared to many American euphonium players.

4. You have become the first Japanese person awarded a Doctorate in Euphonium Performance. How does that feel? What refinements and

awarenesses were made possible by your work beyond a Master’s degree?
I was originally thinking about being a college professor teaching music education in Japan. It is very rare for a euphonium player to be a full time college professor in Japan, and I was not thinking about being a full time college professor teaching euphonium performance in Japan. In order to teach at an educational college, I think I should be able to teach not only euphonium performance but also others including trombone and other brass instruments, music theory, music history, and others. I spent about 8 years to finish my DMA degree because I was studying trombone, music theory in addition to euphonium performance.

But now, I am enjoying myself being a freelance euphonium player in Tokyo (although I teach more than 20 students a week as a adjunct faculty), and I haven’t applied for college teaching jobs. Therefore, I don’t think I currently have an advantage with having a doctoral degree in euphonium performance as long as I am a freelance euphonium player.

5. Which are your favorite solos with piano accompaniment, and why?
My favorite solo for euphonium is Casterede’s Fantasie Concertante although it is not originally written for euphonium (originally for bass trombone or saxhorn basse). The piece is not too long, easy to understand, and happy. But it contains so many great theoretical ideas. I enjoy playing the piano part of the piece, too.

6. You are from Fukushima. Can you tell us about your town before and after the disaster? How has the event affected your humanity and your artistry?
My hometown is Minamisoma city, which is located about 20 miles from the nuclear plant. Half of people in the city did not have to move to another place, but the rest had to live in a different city. In addition, some people chose to move to a different place although they could live in the city because of the radiation, and many young people have left the town. Therefore, the city is currently not very active. My parents live in the city, so do many of my relatives.

After the disaster, many of my gigs were canceled because many concerts had to be canceled. After a month or two, I had usual performance schedule. Since I had nothing to do after the disaster for 2-3 weeks, all I did was practicing. I was worrying about my future at that time. I was thinking that I should be only playing the euphonium. But I realized that all I can do is performing and teaching music (unfortunately, I am not good at doing other things). It was kind of a nice opportunity to think about myself again.

7. What qualities do you look for in a collaborative pianist, and the enjoy about the collaborative process?
I am very lucky to have great collaborative pianists around Tokyo. I have several performances with Yumi Sato (perhaps the most famous collaborative pianists for euphoniumists in Japan), and I really enjoy with working with her. I rehearse with an accompanists a lot so that I get comfortable about performing.

I tend to choose non-euphonium pieces for my concerts, and many of the works requires rubato. Fortunately, pianists that I collaborate with are good enough to follow me, in addition, they have great ideas about music. I always work with them and discuss about music.

8. Can you compare studying in an advanced urban center such as Tokyo to the less urban confines of Ann Arbor or Denton? How did it effect your daily living and your music making?
How is technology different?

Tokyo is an exciting city—so many cultural events are going on everyday. There are many great halls (although none of them are very historic), and there are 10 professional orchestras in Tokyo area. There are so many professional musicians and students in a small city. Compared to Tokyo, Ann Arbor and Denton is small. But I liked studying there as a students. I was able to focus on my study and practicing.

In Japan, school classes were not so difficult—I did not have to prepare to classes a lot and I did not study hard. But I was required to study hard while I was at the University of Michigan and North Texas. Therefore, I spend a lot of time at school. Of course, I had to practice, too.

I did not have very many activities while I was in the United States, I was able to have time to practice. Therefore, I decided to study trombone too. My first teacher was David Jackson at the University of Michigan. I was so lucky to have a great teacher from the begging of trombone playing.

9. Do you think that a greater variety of chamber music outlets could benefit euphonium players? Which possibilities, in addition to the tuba quartet, do you see?

I am a member of Samurai Brass, which is a 10-piece brass and percussion ensemble group playing both classical and Jazz music. The group has produced 7 CDs and there are good number of funs for the group. Euphonium has very important role in the group, and it proves that euphonium can be very effective in medium-large brass ensemble.

I frequently play French horn part of brass quintet pieces. Members of the brass quintet group like the sound of the euphonium because it matches with the sound of tuba. It is especially good for outside performances.

I sometimes form euphonium ensemble groups in Tokyo. I use original and transcribed music, also I make my own arrangements.

I have done concerts of euphonium, tuba and piano trio. We have played original works, vocal music, Jazz, arrangements from string music, and others. We played violin, cello and piano trio.

I have not tried other chamber music good for euphonium.

10. What is the best euphonium playing you have heard?
I was very impressed by Dr. Bowman’s performance in 1993 when he came to Japan. I was a high school student at that time, and I decided to go to college majoring euphonium performance after I heard his performance. I do not remember exactly what he performed at that time, but I really remember he played Greensleeves as an encore piece. I was so moved by his musicality and tone quality.

c. 2015 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved. dvaidbrubeck.com

Images Courtesy of Mitsuru Saito

“Dear John”-it seems as though any question regarding Earl WIlliams or his legendary trombones ends in a

flare being sent up to the authority on everything Williams related from models to players. For a young boy growing up on the South Side of Chicago, the studio scene of LA must have seemed a planet away. Now picture not just the young apprentice, but a gifted trombonist and improviser in his own right, and you have John Noxon; someone with first hand experience and fully able to absorb the significance of what has occured. A reluctant, but thorough historian, every Williams devotee is indebted to John’s memory, curiosity and integrity. A master trombonist, apprentice to Earl Williams, and consultant to John Duda at Earl Williams/Calicchio, we are delighted to host John Noxon from “The Craftsmen’s Bench” tm


1.) What was it like as a kid in Earl’s Shop? How did you view him and his horns then as opposed to now.
It was a fantastic experience to be around that shop as a kid. The who’s who of Trombone Royalty was in and out of the shop all the time. Dick Nash, Tommy Pederson, Milt Bernahrt, John Prince, Billy Byers, Bob Payne and the list goes on. Almost everyone in LA at the time at least tried a Williams horn at one time or another. Its an amazing experience to see your heros all in one place. I learned to keep my mouth shut and my eyes and ears wide open. Its amazing how much you can learn doing that. Milt and Earl seemed to have a special relationship. Milt lived not far from the shop, I think, because he was in there all the time. He and Earl would experiment on horns and try different things. Lead pipes, crooks, and whatever else they could think of.

Earl’s son Bob worked there daily. Occasionally Earl would bring in extra help. Earl Stickler whom he worked with at the Olds factory was a frequent visitor. Also John Pederson was an employee at various times. He still has a music store in the Burbank area. Pederson Music is a great music store for students and professionals alike. John is a fantastic repair tech with years of experience.

Bert Herrick was also a frequent visitor that hung around Earl’s shop. Of course he was a legendary repair man, mouthpiece, lead pipe maker and horn customizer. Bert was doing custom work long before it became a popular thing to do. Bert also had his own brand of cold cream for slides. Bert also made the first trombone stand I ever saw. It was a drum stand with a cloth (canvas) covered wood cone to fit the inside of the bell.

I was taken with the sound of the Williams horns. Such a dark fat round sound like nothing else. The slides were out of this world! Everyone has a gift in life. Earls gift was drawing tubing. Benge Trumpets were just down the street from Williams. Earl used to draw tubing for Benge. Lou Duda was running the Benge factory at that time. (He is John Duda’s father.) John grew up in this business going to work with his Dad Lou. John got serious about horn building at about 12 years old. And he is still at it today. Building brass instruments is almost a lost art. If you look at the big manufacturers the training given is to do one thing. You build, valves, make crooks, spin bells and on. There are not many people like Earl, Bob, Lou, John, & Zig that can make an instrument from start to finish. These guys were and are fantastic craftsman in this respect. There are only a handful of people who can actually build an instrument from start to finish left in the world!

Back to Earl and his horns. The consistency is still amazing to me. They all play like a Williams, some a little different than others but they are Williams. Nothing else plays like that, nothing. I have my original horn from 1969. The slide has never been worked on and its still an 11 on a scale of 1 to 10. If you go back in history and look at some of the Wallace Williams horns from about 1927 to 1938 or so you will not find many of those slides have wear, plating loss, on the inner tubes unless the horn has been injured. This is a testament to Earls ability to draw tubing. I still think Williams horns have a beautiful dark sound full of overtones. Because Earl changed the scale of the horn, moving the bell closer to your face, the slide tubes have to be longer, the partials line up a lot better than other horns I have played.

He also felt the front of the horn should be small and the back large. The large dramatic bell flair lends itself to the “Williams Sound”! I thought the horns were fantastic then and I still do now. I thought Earl was an amazing horn maker, and that feeling has not diminished over the years, only gotten stronger.

2.) What do you think is so special about Earl’s horns? What have others said?
One of the special things about these horns is the sound; very distinct. The construction of these horns is unbelievably consistent. This was prior to CNC machining and was all done by hand. The scale of the horn makes the partials line up better than most other horns. There is a difference between the material used today vs 60 years ago. There has been much discussion about the properties of the “brass” over the years. In that era Cartridge brass was a 75/25 mix that has changed over the years. Today it is closer to 80/20. These are controversial figures, everyone has an opinion what constitutes “Yellow Brass vs Cartridge Brass”. The brass Earl used was a slightly different mixture than what we use today.

Cartridge brass is a little harder and wears out tooling quicker on the modern machines All of these things contribute to the sound and feel of how a horn responds to the player. When talking about the scale of the horn what I mean is the overall length of the horn and the proportion of bell to slide. A tenor trombone by physics has to be a certain length. What Earl changed was making the slide longer, the tubes are 28.5 inches long, so the bell section can be shorter and it is closer to your face than other horns.

Others talk about the dark Williams sound, the intonation, how the partials line up, how good the slides are. Every one who plays a has an opinion of what makes them so special. Some think they are harder to play and require more effort to play. Chauncy Welsh felt that way. Toward then end of his playing years he went back to a Bach because he felt they were easier to play. Dick Nash played a Bach/Williams for some time. It had a Williams bell and a Bach slide. So lets start with Jack Teagarden, he played any horn some one would pay him to play, but always returned to Williams. From the 1930’s he played the Wallace Williams, then through the 1960’s he played the modern Williams horns. Let go back in history to the Trad Jazz players. Guys like Kid Ory, Jack Teagarden, Dick Nash, Tommy Pederson, Milt Bernhart, Dick “Slyde” Hyde, Jeff Apmadoc, Mike Jamison, John Prince, Bob Olson, Charlie LaRue, Bob Payne, Billy Byers, Bryant Byers, Dickie Wells, Bob Enovoldson, to name a few. Of course myself! LOL!

3.) It seems the model 6 is the most famous, but you have a soft spot for the model 10, why?
The Model 6 is the most plentiful because it was a .500 bore. I play mostly my model 4’s which are a .490 bore. The Model 7 is a .500 bore with an “F” attachment. The Model 8 is a .520 bore, the Model 9 is a .520 bore with an “F” attachment. And the Model 10 is a .565 bore single trigger horn.

I am not a Bass Trombonist by any means but I like the 10 because it is so easy to play. It takes a whole lot more

air than the 4, or the 6, but it is the easiest Bass Bone I have ever played. The sound is very dark, very round, but has a sharp edge when you want it to. The single trigger is not to popular these days but two triggers are just to much for my small brain to deal with. The Model 10 that I have is Bob Olson’s horn. He bought it in 1958 after he got the call from Wally Heider to play on the Kenton band. He thought it was for the bass trombone chair, but it really was for the 3rd chair. He told the story that his mistake bringing a bass trombone was what lead to 2 bass bones on the band. He then got a Conn 8H through some deal with Conn and the Kenton band. Bob can be heard on the Live at the Tropicana album. I got the horn when Bob passed a few years ago. I also bought Karl De Karske’s Model 10 a few years ago. Both play very easily and are very light in my opinion, when compared to other horns.

4.) The Japanese are said to believe that certain blades made by masters possess a essence or a soul? You

have said that Earl’s trombones possess the same “katanna”. Is it something you can put in words?
No I don’t think I can put that in words. But after working on horns for about 25 years know you run into that with some horns. Have you ever met a person that when they enter a room you know they are there? You are not looking at the door, you have no visual, or sound cue that they have arrived but somehow you know that person is there. To me its the same kind of thing, you know something or someone special is there. The first time I played my Model 4 I knew that was my horn after about 2 notes. How? I don’t know.

5.) How special a place was LA in it’s brass heyday?
Very special!! At one time in the late 1970’s there were 46 TV shows with live bands! Many recording sessions going on, many live stage plays with orchestras. You could do 3, 4 or 5 calls in a day! It was absolutely amazing everyone was working every day. Today I think there might be half a dozen trombone players making a good living playing full time. I wish I had been born 25 years earlier!

You also had guys like Jimmy Stamp, Claude Gordon, Roy Main for teachers. And these guys were also playing around town. In those days that was how you started out. Your teacher would get you a couple of gigs and if you could play it kind of mushroomed from there. Not like this relentless self promotion you have to do today. There was so much work some for some guys it was like a 9 to 5 job. There is a movie coming out in a little bit called “The Wrecking Crew”. It is being done by Danny Tedesco, his father was probably the number one guitar player in town. He could read anything put in front of him. The movie is about the Rock N Roll scene here in LA. If you google ”The Wrecking Crew” you can find out when it comes out and you can see what the Rock scene was like in LA at that time.

6.) From Movies to Hot Rods to horns, how do you think California effected the DIY aspect of American Culture?
I am not sure, I would guess its the weather that had that effect. Sunny So Cal is a reality. I grew up on the south side of Chicago. I can remember going out as a kid to play in -7 degree weather. No one does anything in the winter in Chicago! But out here you can go to the beach after you went skiing in the morning. Its just kind of non stop. But you will pay a price to live here…..

7.) Who were your favorite LA Trombone players, and why?
I have to start off with Dick Nash. Dick is truly amazing as a trombone player. One of the few guys you can put in a symphony, or a Trad Jazz gig, or any other type of performance and he will be absolutely fantastic! He is also a gentleman, and one of the kindest, nicest human beings you will ever encounter in your life. A little story here. I had stopped playing for a few years, and started again. I heard Dick had a Williams 6 for sale. I know he had installed a few notes on this horn the factory forgot. So I called him, he invited my wife and I to his house to check out the horn. He set me up in his cabana by the pool and said play as long as you like, get a good feel for the horn and let me know what you want to do. Ok I played for about 30 minutes came back to the house and he said the price is XXX I said OK. Dick said can you handle that? I said yes, he said if you want to you can pay part now or whatever works for you. I said nope thats OK I’ll take it. He really did not know me from anyone but was so accommodating and kind. That has always been the case when ever he and I interact. He is incredibly gracious and kind. I just cant say enough about him. One of the good guys for sure.

Now, there are so many really great players out here in LA. George Fay was doing the Carol Brunette show when I was a teenager. I recognized him and asked to talk for a minute. He took me into the rehearsal and let me sit next to him. Gave me some tips on playing and was very kind to me.

Enough stories! I loved Tommy Pederson’s music and playing, Milt Bernhart, always around Earl’s shop. John Prince good player great arranger, Billy Byers, Bob Olson, Charlie LaRue, Roy Main, Norm Smith, Gil Adams, Herbie Harper, Lew McCreary, Bob Enovoldson, Joe Howard, Lloyd Ulyate, George Roberts. There are so many I could go on for a long time and I would leave someone out and I would feel bad about that…..

8.) Take us on a trip to Hoyt’s Garage; what was it like?
I was invited to Hoyt’s Garage twice when I was stationed at Fort MacArthur in San Pedro Ca. Around 1973. It was a terrifying experience! I was 21 years old and here were all of my heroes in one place! Hoyt Bohannon, Tommy Pederson, Joe Howard, Lloyd Ulyate, Dick Nash, George Roberts, Dick Noel and I don’t remember who else was there. It was a place to have fun playing! The music was incredibly challenging, most written by Hoyt or Tommy. You got assigned a place or part to play. I thought I was safe cause I got a 4th part! Wow I was happy! Then it started! You rotate after each tune. So everyone gets to play first through last by the end of the night. I was definitely a fish out of water there to young, to inexperienced, after you get over who you are standing next to and relax a little bit, not too much, its over! It was fun, exciting terrifying and all of those things you can imagine in about a 3 hour period.

9.) Which players (and when), are the most memorable Williams trombone player?
Kid Ory, Jack Teagarden, Dick Nash, Tommy Pederson, Milt Bernhart, Slyde Hyde, Jeff Apmadoc, Mike Jamison, John Prince, Bob Olson, Charlie LaRue, Bob Payne, Billy Byers, Bryant Byers, Dickie Wells, Bob Enovoldson, Carl Fontana.

Tell us about Jay Armstrong’s dream, and how you became involved?
I know nothing about it, I have spoken to Jay a couple of times about his tenure with Williams Trombones. But I was not involved when he had the company. That interview can be read on the Williams trombone Facebook page.
I had always wanted to do a website about Williams trombones and never got around to doing it. Troy Smart in North Carolina offered to put it all on Facebook! I gave Troy everything I had and he has done a fantastic job of assembling all of my horrible notes and scribbles.

11.) What are some other horns you have admired?
Well I have never met a 2B I did not like! Some are better than others but they are all good! My buddy, and brother

from another mother, Barry Kierce has an unbelievable collection of horns. There is a 2B that some one customized years ago. It has shamrocks engraved on the bell, and it’s a .491, .491 bore horn. He also has an 8H that’s out of this world. Along with a number of 2 and 3 digit serial number Bach horns that are just excellent. I also just love the old Conn 44H’s. The art deco looks cool and they just sing in the upper register. If I didn’t have a Williams 4 that 44H might be a good horn to do lead, jazz and some small group things with.

Also the “new” Williams horns that John Duda has been building for the last 12 or so years are just fantastic. I like the new ones better than my old ones! I think that is just because my horns are 50 years and pretty worn out. But John has done a tremendous job building these horns. Mine were used to sort out the tooling and figure out what to do and how to make them. John is one of very few people who can build a horn start to finish. This has become a specialized business. You make crooks, you draw tubing, you spin bells and that’s all you do. John can do all of the different functions to build brass instruments. Not many of those kind of guys left in the world today.

c. 2015 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved. davidbrubeck.com

Images courtesy of John Noxon

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From the ground floor of The Dallas Brass, to the pits of opera orchestras, Dan Satterwhite has been a triple threat: bass trombone, tuba and euphonium-later cimbasso. While his first love was euphonium, early experiences hearing Charlie Vernon convinced him to take up the bass trombone as his fist instrument. As he explored chamber music, tuba became an important step in Mr. Satterwhite’s musical development. From off broadway productions to orchestras, Satterwhite is now equally at home with four valves as he is with “Seven Positions” tm. Read on to discover how to hold down all the low brass chairs…..

1. What was it like to play in the Dallas Brass? How long were you with the group, and what were your observations about the group’s transition from bass trombone bone to tuba?
First of all, thank you for asking me to do this! I have read many of your other interviews with great interest, and I’m honored that you are including me.

Playing with Dallas Brass was definitely a highlight of my career, and opened a lot of doors for me musically and professionally speaking. I played as a full-time member for six years in the nineties, but my relationship with the group goes back almost to its beginning. When I was a graduate student at North Texas State in 1983, my colleague John Wasson (the original bass trombonist of the group) introduced me to Michael Levine, the leader. We became friends, and I was given opportunities to sub frequently with the group in the early days, often playing weddings, Sunday brunches, corporate events, and the like. Mike always had a vision of Dallas Brass being a concert group, like Canadian or Empire, but with its own identity. By force of will, hard work, and determination, he made it happen!

Dallas Brass at Carnegie Hall
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Years later, after several members left to form their own group Rhythm and Brass, John Wasson found himself back in the group, playing both bass trombone and tuba. He committed to one year, and when he left, Mike called me and asked if I thought I could play tuba with the group. At that time, I owned a small tuba for Broadway doubling, and could get around on it pretty well, but playing tuba with a group like that was a whole different thing! I asked him to send me the music, and after a couple of weeks, I agreed to do it. It was sort of like one of those nightmares people talk about…if you told me in July of 1994 that three months later, I would be standing onstage in Carnegie Hall with a tuba in my hands in front of the New York Pops, I would have said you were crazy!

But so it went, and I had some incredible times playing with great musicians that remain great friends to this day. As for the transition from bass trombone to tuba, that happened when John Wasson first left the group. It is undeniable that there are advantages to each, but for a group that plays such a wide variety music, including a lot of early jazz, tuba is a better choice. John and I were both able to bring both instruments to the group, which is even better.

2. Where do you see the bass trombone and euphonium best being utilized in chamber music?
I think the bass trombone is best used as the American Brass Quintet does…on early music arrangements and more contemporary music that was written specifically with bass trombone in mind. Of course, there are people out there who can play most anything written for quintet on bass trombone, but having done both, much quintet literature is a LOT easier on tuba. The same can be said for euphonium. My favorite chamber use of euphonium is either on the bottom of a brass quartet, where the low voice is more in the bass vocal register, or as the fifth voice in a sextet, like the Bohme.

3. At the 2013 ITF you found yourself on stage with distinguished company. How did it come about, and what was it like?
That was a great experience that came about in just about 24 hours. Along with Charlie Vernon, Doug Yeo, Jim Markey, and Paul Pollard, Zachary Bond of the Malaysian Philharmonic was scheduled to play an arrangement of Ring Cycle themes for five bass trombones, but he had to bow out at the last minute. I was in the right place at the right time, and I was fortunate to be asked to play. We had one rehearsal (mostly storytelling, with a quick run through), and that night I found myself onstage in front of hundreds of trombone players with the living legends of the bass trombone! It was an amazing evening of bass trombone playing, with Paul, Jim and Charlie each playing a half hour portion of recital music. I was honored to play a little at the end.

Denson Paul Pollard, Dan Satterwhite, James Markey, Doug Yeo and Charles Vernon at ITF 2013
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4. What attracts you to the cimbasso, and how is it put to best use in literature and what special technical adjustments does it demand?
I first played the cimbasso when I was asked to play Andrea Bocelli’s Statue of Liberty Concert with the New Jersey Symphony. Steve Johns of the New York City Opera was kind enough to loan me his fine Rudi Meinl F cimbasso, and it was a lot of fun! I had subsequent opportunities that summer to play it with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, subbing for Steve, on a couple of concert opera performances and a recording with Renee Fleming. Right as I was moving to Florida, Palm Beach Opera was doing an all Verdi season, and I was asked to play. I used that as my reasoning to buy my own instrument, and I found a great deal on a similar Rudi Meinl. Unbelievably, it paid for itself that first year! Italian opera (played very frequently in this area) is where cimbasso is most commonly and effectively used. It adds a great, weighty contrabass voice to the trombone section, and is also used alone, as support to the bass section. I think it’s important to understand these different roles, and to be able to make a variety of sounds on the instrument to fill these roles. Of course, the cimbasso can be heard in a wide variety of situations, from film scores to chamber music to jazz orchestra. Mattis Cederberg of the WDR Big Band is one of the greatest ambassadors of the instrument, and does fantastic things with it.

Playing the instrument can be a challenge, as you have to have the valve facility of a tuba player, but you have to blow it much more like a trombone. It works best (for me) with a smallish tuba mouthpiece. The bell also sticks a lot farther out from your head than the bass trombone does, so you have to be aware of how much sound you are making.

Ed Kleinhammer and Dan Satterwhite
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5. You have a special relationship with Charlie Vernon. How does the conceptual Chicago school, which he embodies, fare today amongst other technical approaches to the trombone?
I have had the privilege of knowing Charlie for nearly forty years, as he was on faculty at Brevard Music Center when I was a high school euphonium player there. Listening to him practice there was a major influence on me and my decision to become a bass trombone player. The sound he makes is a big part of the sound I have in my head when I play. All of this, of course comes from Arnold Jacobs, who instilled the idea of Song and Wind in Charlie, and later in me. I think the basic tenets of that approach are present in most good players, whether they realize it or not. Take a great relaxed breath, and flood your brain with the sound you want to make on every note you play. The rest is often just terminology or semantics. These days, Charlie is very big on eliminating “dwa”or “twa” between the notes in his students’ playing, coupling a great, steady airstream with a quick, relaxed slide motion. For me, the conceptual Chicago school embodies great fundamental skill on the instrument, and in an ensemble, having great equal balance and stylistic approach, and a unified idea of intonation, especially among the inner voices. The role of great, supremely confident players (who were also great teachers) from top to bottom in the Chicago Symphony: Herseth, Cichowicz, Friedman, Crisafulli, Kleinhammer, Jacobs…cannot be understated. Those of us who grew up steeped in this brass tradition can’t help but pass it on. For me, the musical leadership of Herseth and the unbelievable sound of Kleinhammer were especially important.

6. What are the highlights and challenges of playing Operatic Literature?
The highlights are playing some of the most beautiful music ever written. I think everyone who spends time in an opera orchestra finds themselves positively influenced by the singing going on up onstage! The challenges include coming in correctly when your part has been tacet for five, ten, or thirty minutes, and you’re caught up listening to the great music going on around you. Knowing the music and where your part comes in is mandatory. Counting alone is highly overrated! Also, there is often a fine line in playing loud enough to serve the music correctly without getting yelled at by the conductor. Conductors are usually in the worst possible place to properly judge balance between the stage and the pit. It is refreshing to have conductors who trust the musicians to do the right thing.

7. There have been a great deal of advances in bass trombone valves in recent years. How do you view the current offerings? Which do you like best?
I have pretty much tried, if not owned just about everything available. Early in my career, rotary valves were all that was available, and you hoped to get a set that played openly in the low register. I enjoyed playing Thayer valves when they first came out, and later on Edwards trombones. However, I never liked the action of the valves, and the second valve always felt spongy to me. Hagmann valves play very well, but in my experience can be very high maintenance. About 20 years ago, I got a great deal on a Yamaha 613H and I was amazed at how well the standard slightly oversize rotary valves responded in the low register. The horn was also noticeably lighter to hold than the Edwards I had at the time, and I began playing this instrument all the time. Shortly after, Dallas Brass became a Yamaha Performing Ensemble, and I was issued another 613H to take on the road. My tuba has always been a Yamaha 822 F, so since then, I have played Yamaha trombones and tubas exclusively. I became a Yamaha Performing Artist last year, and still enjoy rotary valves on a Xeno 830 bass trombone. The return by many long time axial flow players (including Joe Alessi, Gerry Pagano and Jim Markey), to improved rotary valves like Edwards, Rotax, Greenhoe and Yamaha is interesting. Regardless, trombonists today are fortunate to have such an incredible choice of great instrument manufacturers, both large and boutique, from which to find an instrument that can be their voice.

8. What is the best
bass trombone,
tuba &
euphonium
playing you have heard?
For many years, the best bass trombone playing I heard came from Charlie Vernon. He always combines a big beautiful rich sound with incredible technique and facility. I always admired Steve Norrell’s playing as well. Of course, there are a lot of great players who are catching up fast! These days, students have so many great recordings that they can access to help form their own concept of sound. Jim Markey, Paul Pollard, Gerry Pagano, Randy Hawes, Blair Bollinger…

For tuba, I always loved Roger Bobo’s great musicality. Arnold Jacobs, of course. Later, I listened a lot to Warren Deck and Gene Pokorny. Now days, there are MANY great players that have elevated solo tuba playing to be on par with any other instrument. The same can be said for euphonium. That was my first instrument, and except for help from my high school band director, I was basically self taught. I never heard a solo euphonium recording until I got to college and had switched my focus to bass trombone. Again, today there are MANY great players out there…

9. The best playing of each you have done?
Bass trombone: I am very proud of the playing I did early on as an orchestral player in Santiago, Chile. We had a recording engineer who would slip me a cassette of all of our concerts, and we did some great things. These days, while some things are getting harder with age, I feel like I am finally figuring out some other aspects of my playing! That helps me immensely in keeping on my toes as a teacher, and a lifelong student.

Tuba: I am very proud of the Nutcracker recording we did in Dallas Brass when I was in the group. It really challenged me and helped me feel like my tuba playing was on par with my bass trombone playing.

Euphonium: I had a run of a few years where I had the opportunity to play a lot of the tenor tuba orchestral literature, including Heldenleben, Don Quixote, and a lot of performances of The Planets. I don’t play euphonium much anymore, and I miss it.

c. 2015 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved davidbrubeck.com

Image credits: Miami Brass, Lynn.edu and Dan Satterwhite

Interested in more “Seven Positions” tm Interviews?
Charlie Vernon
James Markey
Chris Brubeck
Doug Yeo
Jeremy Morrow
Tom Everett
Gerry Pagano
Ben van Dijk
Randall Hawes
Denson Paul Pollard
Thomas Matta
Fred Sturm
Bill Reichenbach
Massimo Pirone
Erik Van Lier
Jennifer Wharton
Matyas Veer
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on “7 Positions” tm, Hosts Operatic Bass and Triple Threat, Dan Satterwhite

DUO BRUBECK, featuring the winner of Guitar Player Magazine’s Ultimate Guitarist Competition-guitar virtuoso Tom Lippincott, and the “Bobby McFerrin of The Bass Trombone”-David Brubeck will premiere totally new arrangements for jazz duo alongside some of their favorites.

Brubeck will join his unique brand of beat-box trombone playing to the talents of guitarist and shredding riff master Mitch Farber as well, again featuring a mix of brand new and old.

Special guest appearances by mandolin master Bill Wallach and exciting young singer songwriter Ivhanna Gil will round out DUO BRUBECK’s triumphant return to the premiere celebration of the Kendall Campus-Arts and Letters Day.

Scheduled to begin at 7:00 pm, Tuesday evening, in the open air surrounded by a canopy of towering oaks, the songs of birds, and fragrant orchids, bring a blanket and chill, as the evening progresses from calm to invigorating. Seating is limited, admission is free.

The campus is located at 11011 SW 104th Street Miami, FL. Please contact 305-237-2282 for more information.

The first thing you notice about Craig Gosnell is his versatility-from tenor trombone to bass, and jazz vocals to boot. Next, comes his ubiquity. In what seems to be just a short time, he and his trombone are everywhere, from big bands (Gordon Goodwin, Michael Buble, Jaco’s Word of Mouth, Mike Barone, Arturo Sandoval, Bob FLorence, Natalie Cole…), to studio work, albums to soundtracks and everything in-between, Craig has hit the sweet spot in Los Angeles-a city perhaps unique in its ability to offer equally divergent and high level performance outlets. Then there are the credentials, that remind you that it didn’t happen overnight. Gosnell is both a Doctor and an Honor Student, courtesy of the University of Miami, and the road to UM went through Greeley and UNC. Since Craig got to LA the bands have gotten a little phatter and the sounds a little sweeter. “Seven Positions” tm finally catches up with the big band bass bone master Craig Gosnell.

1st Position
What do you look for in an instrument?
I look for balance in many places.

Does it have smooth slide action right out of the gate?

Is it too front heavy? Or back heavy?

I want the tone to be malleable, where I can control (to some degree), how dark or bright I want to sound, given the musical situation.

The valves need to be quick, smooth, and blow as close to the open horn as possible but not SO open that there isn’t something to lean on. (I prefer large rotors over Axial-flow, for instance.)

It’s also good when the horn slots well and has clear articulation.

2nd position
How do you conceive of or describe the ideal tone quality for:
Big Bands?

When it comes to tone quality, I try to bear in mind what Buddy Baker had taught me about big, sustained beautiful sound at all times. I think of getting my sound out to the back of the hall, so I always try to play to the side of my music stand and not underneath it, which can just direct my sound into the floor. I don’t really alter my tone all that much for differing styles (from what I can tell).

Of course, dynamics, articulation and rhythms could vary depending on the style, and that is up to the composer/arranger. I’m always listening to what is musically going on around me and must constantly decide what my musical role is in a given situation. Is there a tuba in the section, or am I providing the foundation alone? Is this a time to be blending and softly fitting into a texture, should I bring out a melody line to give it some prominence? Or should I be “peeling paint” in a very raucous section?

If I can’t hear whoever the lead player is, then I know I’m playing to loud. In big band, the bass trombone is the foundation of at least the trombone section, and then the entire brass when the trumpets are playing.

I think about balancing and supporting whoever the lead player is. Of course, high lead trumpet notes will always cut through better than any loud volume a bass trombone might provide, so it’s just a matter of “riding the wave” and picking your moments in musically exposed situations.

I also enjoy playing soft – so that the audience needs to intensely lean in to really hear what kind of blend and texture is being played. Variety is a beautiful thing!

Studio work?
In the studio, as anywhere, paying attention to dynamics on the page is very important. The dynamic threshold is still going to be dictated by whoever is playing lead. If I’m playing next to tuba, I like to “fit in” to the sound that the tuba is producing, unless the part says double or triple forte…then there is room for some sizzle or “brassiness” in the sound.

Microphone placement is also important, as you don’t want the microphone too close to the bell as it will alter the tone color being recorded dramatically, and there isn’t as much room for dynamic contrast.

3rd Position
What is your secret to a beautiful legato?
A beautiful legato is a number of different factors coinciding at the same time.

My air is sustaining the sound, and the tongue is applying a light “D” articulation. Depending on what register of the instrument I’m in, there can be a certain syllable associated with that. The low register, a “Dah,” middle register, a “Duh,” and high register a “dih” (as in the word “it”).

I then have to combine all of this with slide movement, and tongue-slide coordination have to be perfectly together.

Thankfully, with the bass trombone, in certain situations – valves can be used, depressing or releasing which can provide enough of a smooth separation between certain notes (without the tongue getting involved).

All trombones can make use of natural slurs, where the tongue is not required, and the slide is moving from an outer position to an inner one on a descending line.

I guess that hopefully the “beautiful” aspect of the legato would be just the smooth execution of all these different factors. I think in order to realize just where each factor comes into play, a good deal of scale practice is required, being sure to also use alternate positions as well as regular ones so that it eventually becomes second nature to the player.

4th Position
What helps you achieve musical expression?
There are a number of things that help with musical expression. I would definitely refer back to the second question and what I’ve previously stated about dynamics. There was a great illustration on the back of Buddy Baker’s studio door that depicted a person’s face, but where there were supposed to be eyes, there were ears instead. Listening to the ensemble around you is such a key factor in determining how you want to play a musical line – dynamically, note duration, and style. I like to listen to various styles of music when time permits, and I often feel like I don’t listen to other music as much as I should!

In some ways, this can train your brain to nitpick and analyze various aspects of a piece without also having to add your voice at the same time. When it does become time, in an ensemble, you have a better understanding and framework of the music that you’re performing.

I also like to know what the composer is intending – if there’s any kind of story or action taking place that the music is supposed to reflect. If I’m playing on a movie score, it’s very helpful to be able to see the scene and know what’s happening – should the music be reflecting calm tranquility? Tension and terror? Whimsical comedy? All of these aspects can come together to influence how I think I should express music.

5th Position
Name two types of inspiration
Musical
&
Non musical:
Musical inspiration can happen when I least expect it. Someone could just provide a link to a particular performer whom I hadn’t heard before, or when I get to hear a master at their craft play a passage that is just perfect, it can reinvigorate my drive to continually improve at my own performance and musical understanding.

I think it was about a year ago that I had first heard of Jacob Collier. If your readers haven’t heard this young man’s arrangements on Youtube, I would certainly recommend they check them out. As of this writing, his version of Fascinating Rhythm is the most recent video to appear, and he is a multi-instrumentalist who also sings (multi-track) six-part (and more!) harmonies.

Also, a band that has had my attention for quite awhile, “Dirty Loops” has just released their first album, called “Loopified.” They are a trio from Sweden (keyboard/vocals, electric bass and drums) who all have jazz training (very talented), but came to prominence also through Youtube with their cover arrangements of current-era pop tunes. Those arrangements use more complex harmonies and grooves than the originals, and the vocalist, Jonah Nilsson sounds like he has been heavily influenced by Stevie Wonder. Very cool!

Non-musical inspiration can also happen in many forms. When I see someone who has a passion for what they do: a visual artist, a history teacher, someone who makes their own physical fitness a major priority in his/her life, any number of those things can be inspiring. It can be an effective way to ignite an energy for my own self-improvement.

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to perform with an ensemble in the South of France for a number of days, and found the culture (including their appreciation for instrumental music), visual art and food to be quite inspiring!

6th Position
What drew you to Los Angeles to begin your career? What is special about the scene there?
Ever since my junior year at the University of Northern Colorado (after reading an article about a prominent trombonist in L.A.), I thought about the possibility of making the move there to try my hand at doing the freelance musician thing. The thought of doing not only live work, but playing for things like movies, TV shows, recording on artists’ albums, and making a decent middle-class living really appealed to me.

I finally made the move in 2003 after finishing my doctorate at the University of Miami, and took part in the 4-week Henry Mancini Institute, which was a great bridge between the college atmosphere and the real world. Students were able to study with faculty that were doing the work that many of them were hoping to do in the future.

Over a number of years, I’m very thankful that momentum increased to the point where I could make a living out here, and continue to do so.

The scene is special because there is so much variety of music going on in so many places across town, and the level of musicianship is so high across the community.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9pjPBg6iF0

7th Position
Do you have an time for side projects as a leader or soloist? How do you envision the solo jazz bass trombone?
As far as being a leader or soloist, I haven’t really done all that much outside of college recitals. Being a sideman and keeping up doubles takes a good deal of time.

That said, I always enjoy when a composer/arranger sees fit to feature the bass trombone. It’s nice to defy the norm a certain amount.

I always welcome the chance to do so! I think there is a lot of potential when it comes to solo jazz bass trombone, not just melodically, but when I hear amazing players like Bill Reichenbach or Dave Taylor improvise, it’s such a great reminder of what the instrument is capable of.

Bill’s facility while improvising on the bass trombone, especially in the low register is fantastic!

c. 2015 David William Brubeck All Rights reserved. davidbrubeck.com

Images courtesy of greenhoe.com and laststudiomusicians.info

Interested in more “Seven Positions” tm Interviews?
Charlie Vernon
James Markey
Chris Brubeck
Doug Yeo
Jeremy Morrow
Tom Everett
Gerry Pagano
Ben van Dijk
Randall Hawes
Denson Paul Pollard
Thomas Matta
Fred Sturm
Bill Reichenbach
Massimo Pirone
Erik Van Lier
Jennifer Wharton
Matyas Veer
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on A Big Phat “7 Positions” tm with Criag Gosnell

Bright, energetic, poised, creative and virtuosic, Sergeant Lauren Curran is the Social Media Manager for the US Army Field Band. The Field Band’s tweet defending the honor of marching band members worldwide went viral just as as national sports entertainment shock-jock Jim Rome had conceded an apology over his inappropriate remarks. Noted now for both her courage and her poise as well as her virtuosity on the euphonium, Sgt. Curran visits “The Fourth Valve” tm and we salute her!

Watch Sgt. Curran respond here:

https://video.foxnews.com/v/3971652547001#sp=show-clips

1. Please discuss your quintet performances. Which part/instruments do you play? What was your journey to chamber music like? (Particularly as a euphonium player).I am a member of The United States Army Field Band Brass Quintet-although that’s sort of a misnomer, as there are actually 7 members. The core of the group is a standard brass quintet, (2 tpts, horn, tbn, tuba). I join in on euphonium throughout our program, and we also have a drummer for many tunes.

I’m primarily featured as a soloist, and we are developing a library of original arrangements for sextet. Although I don’t play on every piece, I contribute to the group in other ways, such as photography, narration, and auxiliary percussion-I have been known to play a bit of tambourine.

As a euphonium player, you have to be flexible and open-minded when it comes to chamber music opportunities.

In college, I was thrown into a few brass quintets because they were “incomplete”, usually missing a trombone or tuba player. Replacing one of those instruments with euphonium drastically changes the sound of the group. It forces everyone to open their ears a bit and try to find music to fit with that conical tenor voice. If the euphonium replaces the tuba it’s a different problem than when it replaces the trombone. Some music works and some definitely doesn’t. For me, it was a great chance to adapt, learn some standard brass quintet rep, and convince disgruntled trumpet players that quintet could still sound cool with euph.

At the Army Field Band, I was initially attached to the Brass Quintet as a soloist, and was gradually incorporated into more of the program. It’s been one of the most rewarding parts of my job. There are so many ways chamber music develops your playing, and your interpersonal skills!

2. Which non-musical skills have served you the best in your career? How did you become such a facile and charming writer?
For me, being comfortable with public speaking has been a huge asset.

The media is everywhere, and sometimes I’m asked to give interviews or speak in front of a crowd on short notice. The ability to address an audience, put them at ease, communicate ideas, get them to laugh at my jokes, stay on message-it’s not easy! I don’t claim to be an expert, but I’m naturally talkative and have done a fair amount of public speaking.

Thank you for the kind words about my writing! I’ve been writing most of my life, from absolutely terrible teenage poetry to Army Field Band publications, to my personal blog. I like to read, and that helps inform my writing, of course. I read a lot of blogs and non-fiction at this point in my life, but my true love will always be fantasy and science fiction. Writing is just like playing an instrument though-”the more you do it, the better you get.” I need to do more of it!

3. How has your awareness of the importance of social media changed over the past 10 years? What do you see on the horizon in the next 10 years?
I love Social Media, I came of age during the advent of instant messenger, Myspace and Facebook. I live thousands of miles away from my hometown and family, so Social Media is a major way I stay connected to loved ones.

For musicians, it’s pretty much a requirement to represent yourself online and on Social Media. That’s were people are discovering new music and figuring out what they love. I don’t think anything can ever replace a live show, but Social Media can be a glimpse backstage, a dialogue between audience and performer, a communication tool.

As far as where we’re headed, it’s hard to guess. I think a lot about whether it’s worth it to record albums anymore. That’s always been a big goal of mine, but when you weigh the enormous cost versus the reality that people are using YouTube to listen to music; I just don’t know if it makes sense for a musician like me.

On the other hand, there can be a lot of value in creating an album. People still ask for CD’s and it’s a professional investment. There are huge benefits to working out a project that asks you to organize musical ideas and record them at a high level. Ideally an album is more than just a collection of random tunes, but a statement, or a story. It’s just not likely to be a good fiscal investment. People have to know about your CD and be willing to buy it, even though they probably don’t put discs in their car any more. I just bought a new computer, and it didn’t even come with a CD drive.

On the other hand, let’s say you record YouTube videos. That’s definitely not making you any money, at least not directly. And artists should be paid for their work. So what’s the answer? These are the things I think about. I think the evolution of how we consume music makes live performances more important than ever. Music has always been an escape, a transformative thing. The more we listen to music by staring at a screen with earbuds shoved down our canals, the more we will also need to get out and go hear a show. We crave that live experience on a human level. We just have to remember to put down our phones and enjoy it!

4. How do you conceive of and execute vibrato? Is it different as an ensemble player as opposed to as a soloist? When do you play without vibrato?
I guess I think of vibrato as an expressive voice within my sound. I usually try to emulate a vocalist in the way I use it. And in the same way a vocalist wouldn’t use vibrato for certain group or solo settings, I take it completely out of the sound when needed. One of the biggest adjustments I had to make when I joined the Army Field Band was my use of vibrato. The performance practice of that ensemble was for the euphonium section to use little to no vibrato in the band. Especially when playing unison with horns or trombones, they prefer a completely straight tone. Sometimes euphonium players rely too much on vibrato to color the sound and it becomes a crutch. It’s important to have a warm, rich sound that still has direction and nuance, even without vibrato. It takes practice to take it out effectively!

5. Of the six major vocal registers, (soprano, mezzo, alto, tenor, baritone, and bass), which 2 or 3 are the euphoniums greatest strength? Why?
If you’re asking which music we can most effectively steal, I would have to say the tenor range is so perfect for euphonium. A great tenor sound is the perfect balance between lightness and weight, darkness and agility. I think those are strengths of the euphonium. Sort of a male register but with a feminine range? Tenor music tends to sit on those “money” notes above the staff too. I do like to play mezzo and soprano arias though, because if I’m trying to get into a character, I just relate to the female roles more. The music of “Nessun Dorma” may be universal and lovely, but I don’t see myself as a traveling prince. Maybe a traveling princess!

6. What is the best euphonium playing you have ever done?
I had a recital tour where I played the same program six times.
Things really solidified after the 2nd or 3rd go, and I felt extremely confident and secure by the last performance. I’d love to do more of that. It’s just difficult to simulate a performance 100% in the practice room. One of the benefits of playing a solo with the Army Field Band is that you typically get to play the solo 6-7 times on a tour. It gives you the chance to really settle in with the music; nerves become less of a factor.

I’d say any opportunity to get multiple performances of a piece would certainly be some of the most enjoyable playing I’ve done, if not the best. When I have a one-off performance coming up, I often try to find an opportunity to perform the program ahead of time. That’s really the ultimate way to put the final touches on preparation for a big gig.

7. What is the best euphonium playing you have ever heard?
I recently heard Japanese euphoniumist Mitsuru Saito perform the David Gillingham Euphonium Concerto at the Army Tuba Euphonium Workshop, and I think that’s some of the best playing I’ve heard to date. His sound, musicality, accuracy; it was all there. It is a joy to experience that level of playing.

The euphonium playing that moved me the most was listening to Dr. Bowman play the Gustav Cords “Romanze” after dedicating the performance to his wife. He then proceeded to play so musically, so beautifully, so achingly; if your eyes didn’t spring a leak at some point during that performance, go get your pulse checked.

8. How did you develop your communication skills, and what was it like to be at the middle of the Rome marching band comment controversy?
I’m a lot like my Dad, who never met a stranger, and I love talking to people. I was always in trouble in school over it. I’ve had several East coast people call me the fastest talking Texan they’ve ever heard. Seriously, ask my husband about the talking. So, I guess I’ve just had lots of practice communicating.

When the Jim Rome controversy happened and the Army Field Band Twitter response went viral, Fox News requested an interview. Our Public Affairs Officer prepped me for the interview and helped me go over how to best respond to possible questions. I had to keep in mind that I was not only representing myself and the Army Field Band, but also the entire U.S. Army. (You don’t want to piss off those guys!)

I was on a plane 20 minutes after we got called to do the interview. I spent the flight writing out notes, guessing possible questions, typing out responses, reading over things, editing, and memorizing the message I wanted to convey. When we landed, I had to immediately call in to Fox and Friends and speak to a producer for a pre-interview. That gave me a good sense of what might be asked, and the tone of the piece.

The next morning, I was at the Fox News DC building, going live before I knew what was happening. I was alone in a small studio room, looking at a blank screen. I couldn’t see who was interviewing me or what I looked like, and my only connection to the outside world was through an earpiece. It’s hard to act naturally when you can’t see the person asking you questions. Thankfully the preparation and focus on my flight gave me the confidence I needed to not put my foot in my mouth.

The aftermath of the whole brouhaha has been very positive. So many people from across the country got in touch to say “thank you” for standing up for marching bands, for speaking out on a national platform on behalf of these hard working kids.

Just the other night, I had a band director came up to me after an Army Field Band concert to talk about it. I think the whole incident shows how much positive power the music community has when we come together on an issue.

9. What do you look for in a euphonium?
I’m not a big equipment junkie, I’ve been playing on the same horn (Willson 2900) for 15 years. Does it play in tune, can I get the sound I want, does it project from within the band? Is it comfortable to hold? Some horns are more ergonomic for smaller hands than others.

10. How has becoming a parent informed your humanity and musicality?
Becoming a parent is pretty much all-consuming in the beginning. Giving birth is this incredibly physical event, and for me it was both magical and traumatic. I did not play my instrument for almost six weeks as I struggled to master breastfeeding, allowed my body to heal, and dedicated my energy toward sustaining this new life that was 100% dependent on me for survival.

After six weeks, the fog began to lift and I was able to think about the euphonium again. That was convenient, because I had to return to work at six weeks as well. Finding a balance between my music career and my family has been a process of growth. I’ve had to make choices, identify priorities, and become more efficient.

Before I was a mother, I would probably say I was most proud of the fact that I serve my country through music, that I am able to make people’s lives better with my instrument. Now, that purpose exists alongside this beautiful calling of motherhood.

The biggest way that has informed my musicality is that being a mother has given me a new level of confidence, particularly of what my body is capable. My body made and sustained a human life. My son literally grew from a single cell to a 20 lb, 6-month-old hunk of human from nothing but the nourishment of my body. My body is powerful! That confidence of self can’t help but translate to performance.

c. 2015 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved. davidbrubeck.com

Images courtesy of www.robmciverphoto.com

MORE GREAT INTERVIEWS!
Jim Self
John Van Houten
Demondrae Thurman

Charlie Vernon
James Markey
Bill Reichenbach
Stefan Schulz

Canadian Brass
Boston Brass
< Mnozil Brass

1. Traveling (a great deal!), with the tuba presents a challenge. When you fly, does the tuba go underneath? (If so, do you have a special case?). How many tubas do you most often take with you when you fly? Any funny stories on land or sea?
When traveling, I only bring my trusted Miraphone Starlight Eb tuba. I have toured with small planes, sea planes, large planes, helicopters, all kinds of cars, busses, various bikes, tractors, trucks, a rowing boat, fishing boats, really fast boats, huge boats and of course ferry. Pretty much everything but a submarine.
There have been numerous funny, and many not so funny stories, connected to flying.

One of the most memorable was going with Lufthansa from Frankfurt to Linz in Austria. I had packed the tuba inside a gig bag and then put the bag in a carbon fibre case.
Just before take off I look out the window and notice my tuba standing on the concrete next to the plane. Worrisome (!), so I notify the flight attendant. Oh, don’t worry, it is probably not your tuba, she replies. Yes it is! I have a gig this evening and NEED it to be on the plane, I told her. I left my chair and followed her up to the area outside the cockpit. It turned out the luggage compartment of the mid sized plane was full so my tuba would not fit. After arguing for ten minutes with several crew members, the cockpit door opens and the captain puts his head out. What’s going on he asks. While still on the ground I explain the desperate situation to him. He must have been a music lover because he makes a few phone calls, probably to check the regulations, then suggests to bring the tuba inside the cockpit!

The crew opens the plane door, I am handed one of those orange wests and walk on to the runway to “identify” my tuba.
In front of a full plane of impatient passengers, looking like question marks, I bring the entire case inside the cabin and try to stuff it through the cockpit door. The door is too narrow. Damn, what now? Wait, I can leave the case behind and put the tuba with gig bag inside the cockpit. Said and done. Thanks Lufthansa pilots for saving the concert!

2. Tell us about growing up in Norway: How close was your nearest neighbor/how big was your town as a child? What kind of things happened when it was too cold to go out? Is there a part of you that was forged away from access to the Internet and people that is vital to what you do now?
I grew up on the country side with the nearest neighbor just 20-30 meters away. I guess they learned to live with the tuba sound.

You can’t really call it a town. More a large area with agriculture. Amongst those 3000 people living there, we had four wind orchestras, three choirs and several smaller music groups.

It was never too cold to go out. Like most of the country, this part of Norway is close to the ocean, which means less extreme temperatures.

I have often wondered if the absence of Internet made a difference. For sure, we had other things that could steal our time! That being said, I think that today’s youth might need even more discipline to avoid having all their time being consumed by Internet use. Loosing focus is another challenge.

My wife is very important for what I am doing right now. Both for general inspiration as well as a musical discussion partner.

3. If a genie appeared and said that you and your tuba could take the place of ANY and musician and ANY instrument for a combination of any three concerts or albums, which three situations would you choose?
I can’t really think of any.

4. Arnold Jacobs extolled and inspired us all to become “story tellers of sound”, but in your case you seem (at times), utterly absorbed by the emotional content. Do you allow yourself to become deeply involved in the emotion of a piece, and what does it demand from your attention?
Personally I have always found Jacob’s statement confusing. Music to me is not about telling a story. Reading literature is, or perhaps singing a text. Instrumental music is much more abstract and about a series of emotional characters. Sometimes happy and sometimes sad, and everything in between.

In fact, I find it very liberating NOT having to construct a story. And when listening, to be free to construct my own personal dream castle inside my head. Totally different from the person next to me.
The result is that the spirit of music is freer, more individual on both the sending and receiving end.

It does not mean however, that you don’t need knowledge to perform music.

What you need is a deep knowledge about how to create musical and emotional characters, or archetypes, and how they work together.

A musical archetype is a way of phrasing that is immediately recognized by the audience as a particular character. For example, what technical tricks must we pull off to make the music sound romantic? Or espressivo, or joyful, or wild?
When playing, we should not let a bar go by without knowing what character we want in this particular bar, or even on this particular note.

Constructing long series of characters in combination with an immense focus on the present, makes for a good performance.
When audiences see me on stage as “utterly absorbed by the emotional content”, what they really see is me being focused on the present moment, trying to maximize the musical character that I am working just now.

Here is a transcribed quote from an actor:
One of the most important things in music is honesty. When you have learned how to fake that, you have come a long way!

This statement sound like a cynical joke, and most of the time it is.
However, there is much truth to it.

Music without emotional involvement is worthless.

On the other hand, musicians can’t allow themselves to get carried way beyond control.

What we should try though is to find the tipping point. The point where everything collapses because of too much involvement. A good performance balances constantly on this knife edge between rock hard control and emotional breakdown.

5. How do you choose literature? Are there some things you feel audiences are not yet ready to hear on the tuba?
I choose music that allows me to explore interesting musical characters. I don’t like pieces that “plays themselves” and where the composer has reduced the musician to a note machine. “Just play what’s on the paper and all will be fine.”
Not ready to hear on the tuba? Not really, except boring playing.

6. On the tuba that you most frequently use, which ranges are the most effective and for what purposes?
Do you sometimes hear dynamics and ranges as merely different colors?
I tend to play mostly in the mid and high register. Dynamics and ranges are merely tools for creating musical characters.

7. How did you learn to phrase so beautifully? Do you conceive of, plan or mark phrasing in a special way?
I experiment a lot and I analyze great performances by others. I ask myself, what is it that makes this phrasing sound so organic and beautiful. I look at the use of unwritten tools such as timing (agogic), dynamics, accents, tenures, vibrato etc. Then I try to imitate. I record myself a lot so that I can hear where I might improve.

What I have found is that what sounds natural is often far from it. In other words, we have to do some pretty unnatural things in order to have the music sound natural!

The good thing is that we humans are flexible and with some practice we can make almost anything feel natural.

8. Although nurtured by and (an integral part of) the brass/wind community, your opportunities have taken you into broader circles of musicians, and even beyond the circle of musicians to artists and cultural figures. What have you discovered as a man of artistic temperament in your travels and encounters?
Rimsky Korsakov describes the different orchestral instruments in his book about orchestration.
He describes the brass as being great for signals and dramatic highlights. When he wants richness of colors and beautiful melodies he turns to the strings, sometimes the woodwinds.

These definitions are very common amongst 90% of the composers that are played by modern orchestras.
Modern brass teaching is mostly about making the student ready for an orchestra gig and less about creating soloists. Therefore, it would be strange if the teacher did not focus on this demand for “signals and dramatic highlights” in the orchestra, and less on exploring colors and melodic playing.

We all try to fulfill the expectations put on us.

That is why a soloist must also look to other instrument groups for inspiration.

I have had the fortune of meeting some fantastic musicians over the years, and learned from all of them. The latest encounter was the fantastic Indian violinist Subramaniam with whom I now have played many concerts. Look him up! He is right now writing a double concerto for violin, tuba and orchestra.

9. Other than tuba, which three instruments/musicians fascinate you, and why?
I am fascinated by the violin, the voice and the piano. Partly because of the enormous repertoire between them. Partly because composers and performers through hundreds of years have explored almost all existing characters they can produce. I represents a veritable ocean of knowledge and experience.

At the same time, I am glad that I play the tuba. Compared to the violin the tuba is still in the kindergarten when it comes to exploring and using articulations, colors and musical characters.

c. 2015 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved. davidbrubeck.com

Images courtesy of Mirafone and worldmusiccentral.org

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