davidbrubeck.com

It is difficult to believe that we have completed our second set of interviews since davidbrubeck.com launched “Seven Positions”;our second “partial” of seven interviews is complete! We would like to extend our most sincere gratitude and appreciation to our second set of respondents. They have been gracious, giving and kind. What follows is small sample, or appetizer, with each interview interwoven with highlights from the second set of seven (or partial) of “Seven Positions”. To read the entire interview for each, simply click on their name immediately below. It is difficult to imagine a more exciting list:
8. Phil Teele-Los Angeles Studio Recording Legend
9. John Rojak-Chamber Music Great from The American Brass Quintet
10. Ben van Dijk-International Soloist
11. Randall Hawes-of The Detroit Symphony Orchestra
12. Denson Paul Pollard-Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
13. Thomas Matta-Chicago Master Arranger and and Freelancer
14. Fred Sturm-Gifted Arranger and Original Member of Matrix

1st Position
What do you look for in an instrument?
The first thing what comes to mind is an instrument that makes me enjoy my own playing. To me, that means that it has to project a beautiful sound at all dynamic levels, and in all of the different musical styles and venues I have to play in. In addition, the instrument has to give me an easy feeling so I can play it as effortlessly as possible. Ben van Dijk

2nd Position
How do you conceive of an ideal tone quality?
My goal is a tone that sounds like a trombone, first and foremost. Rich, warm, and human. A sound that fits any circumstance, and is not defined by being a “jazz” or “legit” sound. Thomas Matta

I think a beautiful sound consists of great core surrounded by an aura of harmonics. I like to think of a rich, full, singing sound that can have a variety of colors. John Rojak

3rd Position
What is your secret to a beautiful legato?
What I try to achieve is:
1. A continuos, un-interrupted, flow of air that makes liquid connections of notes:-))
2. As little or, when possible, no tongue to interupt the air.
3. The most difficult one: a slide movement that does not interfere the first two points. To achieve this I think of what I always call, my jazz-slide. From the start of my trombone life I have always listened to both jazz- and classical players. I noticed more jazz trombonists, of different levels were able to play a nice legato tune than classical ones! Ben van Dijk

4th Position
What helps you achieve musical expression?
Being real and knowing what you’re playing. Phil Teele

Listening to singers and other musicians and mimicking them. I’ll always try to have an active musical line so it doesn’t become stagnant. Playing art songs is a good way to practice musical expression. You can have the most technically competent player and it can be unmusical. Randall Hawes

I think the key to being able to express yourself musically on the trombone is to listen to vocal music as much as possible. It has been said before (and I totally agree with the idea), that the human voice is the greatest musical instrument ever created. Denson Paul Pollard

5th Position
Name two inspirations. One musical. One non-musical.
Perhaps my greatest musical inspiration has been Joe Alessi. He is such a legend on the instrument that it almost sounds cliche to list him as an inspiration, but he is truly the greatest trombone player that I have ever been around.

I guess nobody really knows if Jesus was musical or not. Jesus has been my most important non-musical influence through reading the Bible and learning how he taught how to treat others, how to act ourselves and work hard. Denson Paul Pollard

Chet Baker – about as real as jazz gets, in my opinion. His trumpet playing and singing is spontaneous, melodic, soulful, passionate, agonizing, and joyful all at once! Thomas Matta

6th Position-JR

Photo courtesy of John D. Rojak for davidbrubeck.com

I don’t feel like there are disadvantages to bass trombone in a quintet. I think a skilled player on either bass trombone or tuba can accomplish the same musical goals. John Rojak

6th Position FS
What were your roles in Matrix, and how did the arrangements conceive ofthe bass trombone? What do you feel the group achieved?
I’m proud to have been one of the 9 founding members of that wonderful band. I was one of the band’s two primary writers along with my mentor, dear friend, and band-mate John Harmon who created the bulk of the Matrix repertoire. As noted above, I played bass trombone, euphonium, valve trombone, a polyphonic string synthesizer (quite innovative instrument for it’s time) playing pseudo strings and sustained color patches (I had no chops!), and I contributed to the group’s background vocals. Matrix hit right when the big bands — namely Woody, Stan, Buddy, and Maynard — were starting to slow down, and I’m proud of the fact that we quit playing “covers” in bars and clubs and took the giant step toward creating our own original book. Starved for a while but were committed to doing our own thing, which still sounds pretty unique decades later. We had a fine 6-piece horn section and 3 rhythm players, but so many of the horn players could play keys, sing, and double on other horns. We were never really commercially successful, but I wouldn’t trade my 4 years with the band for anything. Fred Sturm

7th Position PT
What would it surprise people to know about recording music for movies? Which skills are most valuable to be successful?

Being able to sight-read anything.

Good sound.

Be able to play hard things over and over.

Nerves of steel.

When I started working in the studio scene, I was amazed at how good everyone was-big sounds, great intonation. They could play anything, any style.

Once, I walked on the sound stage at Fox. It was a call with Jerry Goldsmith for a TV show called “The Studio”. It started with a pedal ‘C’ slurring up to a pedal ‘D-flat’,and stayed in that register for 24 bars then another 12 bars of highly technical trigger register stuff then some soft stuff then at the end after about 24 bars of rest there was a part starting on an ‘F’ in the staff up to an ‘A’ down to an ‘A-flat’ then up to a high ‘B’, diminishing to pianissimo over 5 bars.

We rehearsed for 1 hour, then takes for 1 hour. This was the 10% terror you’ve heard guys talk about. The point is that you can run into anything and have to play it over and over and not miss. The call with Jerry had only a violin, a viola, a cello, a flute, and a clarinet, so I was pretty exposed.

Being a studio player is like being a matador; you never know when you will be gored. Phil Teele

7th Position DPP
How have you imagined the future of classical music and the bass trombone from the perspectives of Hong Kong and New York?
Unfortunately, I am a little worried about the future of classical music in America. The biggest reason is that music education programs around the United States are being cut. I just wonder if it will be possible to have symphony orchestras if no one has been educated at an early age to appreciate this kind of music.

Although China is a budding classical music market, most orchestras and their managements are unorganized and the conditions which classical musicians work under are very raw. Hong Kong is an exception because the Hong Kong Philharmonic was constructed as a British Orchestra. Denson Paul Pollard

7th Position FS
How did arranging and composing informed your bass trombone playing and vice-versa?
I’ve heard many other trombonists who compose and arrange talk about learning to hear music from the inside of an ensemble — being situated in the middle of a big band, etc. But many of us fail to admit what is likely the TRUE impetus (!) — which is our constant search for an identity amidst groups of exciting lead trumpet players, dynamic drummers, killer sax soloists, singers, etc. Specific to your question, I was playing bass trombone before I wrote anything of significance, so almost everything I’ve done since my 20s as a writer has demonstrated a strong knowledge of the proclivities and limits of the bass trombone and the trombone section.

As I wrote more, I discovered a much greater respect and empathy for my ensemble role as a bass trombonist — I learned to zero in more effectively on the segments doubling with bass and/or bari, whose note I was doubling in the wind section stacking, and most notably — something I preach constantly to my student bass trombonists in my big bands — is to carefully discern if one’s part is occupying root functions or being stationed more tightly up into the trombone section voicings. With those awarenesses, the bass trombonist can either brighten up and thin out to emulate the smaller bores in the trombone section above you, add warmth to the bass trombone and baritone sax combinations, and supply some “woof” and punch when bass line roles call for it. Fred Sturm

T1
What is the best trombone playing you have ever heard?
For me, it will probably always be Bob Brookmeyer. I loved his style, his sound, his sense of time, his command of the harmony, and most of all, his incredible lyrical sense. I think my favorite solos Bob ever recorded was on “Someday My Prince Will Come” with his quartet. Fred Sturm

T2
What is the best trombone playing you have done?
I think that currently as a member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, I am as good a trombone player as I have ever been in my career. My mantra as a trombone player is to get better each day. Denson Paul Pollard

T3 The Concerto, “Canticles” for solo bass trombone and wind ensemble.
Johan de Meij has been one of my best friends since I was 15 years young. We grew up together musically, playing together in youth orchestras and brass ensembles and listening to music together. Johan became a very good composer with an amazing successful career, as we all know. It took him a bit too long to write something solo for the most beautiful, impressive member of the trombone family-but he finally did!

The composition Canticles means a lot to me. He composed it to celebrate our 35 years of friendship in the year 2007 and he wrote it in memory of my late father-Piet van Dijk. As Johann writes, “He was a musician in heart and soul, and a wonderful person. As a trombone and euphonium teacher he played an essential role in my later career as a musician, for which I am still grateful”.

Canticles is a really nice piece with great melodies and interesting challenging parts for both band and soloist. It has emotional melodic parts but also moving giocoso sections where the bass trombone roars through the complete register. Ben van Dijk

T3
How can you compare playing in a top jazz outfit like Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd, to a top classical one like the Detroit Symphony Ochestra? What things are shared in common, which aspects are most different?
You have good apples, and you have good oranges…Playing in a big band like Woody’s was like chamber music in a lot of ways. Only 13 players, and we all listened to the drummer. There was Woody, who was a nice man. He could be cranky at times, but he had a high standard of how his band should sound-a specific kind of swing.

Woody also had a high standard for behavior too, like when a bass player threw a chair out on the dance floor because Woody wasn’t happy with the way he was playing something…he quit the band in a few days, storming off the bus, walking by Woody muttering expletives. The drummer was a crucial piece of the puzzle, strangely similar to a timpanist in an orchestra; it was often a tough spot to fill. Sound and feel: the timpanist is crucial to the sound of an orchestra; the drummer is crucial to the sound of a big band-same with the principal trumpet and lead trumpet.

In the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, there are 90 of us who are expected to listen and blend. In Woody’s “Thundering Herd”, we listened and blended, too. In Woody’s band I listened for the bari-sax player to hook up with him (as well as the trombone section), on many parts of the music. In the DSO, I key into the sound of the tuba player and blend with the trombones.

Thank goodness the DSO doesn’t tour as much as the jazz band did. Woody’s band would have months and months of constant one-night gigs in marginal hotels with an occasional luxurious, week-long stay in Vegas, New York or San Francisco- while performing run outs or playing at a club.

When the Detroit Symphony tours it’s very posh in comparison; very nice hotels, with everything organized and planned with a very carefully limit on how much the group plays/rehearses/travels.

On the jazz side, the union didn’t really help us out much. We were all reminded that we were dues paying union members, however, when we unknowingly crossed a kitchen workers picket line at the Sands hotel in Las Vegas. We were each sent a scorching letter from the national union condemning what we had done! In the orchestra, the union is very involved. This was most notable during our strike in 2010, when they came to our aid as we were out of work for 6 months.

I now look back at the two years traveling and performing with The Woody Herman Orchestra as sort of a “dues-paying graduate school” for me. I learned so much about the business: how to travel and deal with “road” chops and how to finally have the motivation and experience to put my work into a higher gear in order to win an orchestra job.

These days, I occasionally get my big band “fix” by playing with the Walter White Band. It is a nice, tight group with two trombones, three trumpets, three ‘saxes’ and a rhythm section. Walter White, on trumpet, fronts the band. Randall Hawes

c. 2013 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved davidbrubeck.com

Miss the first Seven Installments of Seven Positions?
Here’s your second chance. Just click on the name to read the interview:
1. ‘Seven Positions’ with Charlie Vernon, of The Chicago Symphony Orchestra
2. ‘Seven Positions’ with James Markey, of The Boston Symphony Orchestra and New York Philharmonic
3. ‘Seven Positions’ with Chris Brubeck: Jazz Soloist, Composer and Bandleader
4. ‘Seven Positions’ with Doug Yeo of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Arizona State University
5. ‘Seven Positions’ with Jeremy Morrow, of The New World Symphony
6. ‘Seven Positions’ with Tom Everett, of Harvard University
7. ‘Seven Positions’ with Gerry Pagano, of The St. Louis Symphony

For the uninitiated, the concept of a nine piece fusion band which features two trombonists (both tenor and bass), must seem like a dream. Matrix was (and is), a dream come true. From Wisconsin, they traveled the world with original and refreshing jazz. Their first bass trombonist, and an important writer for the group, was Fred Sturm. Sturm would later lead outstanding jazz programs at Lawrence University, Eastman School of Music, and Birch Creek Academy while gaining a reputation as an arranger and a human being extraordinaire. davidbrubeck.com is overjoyed to host Matrix Bass Trombonist Fred Sturm as the seventh and final installment of the second partial of “Seven Positions”.

1st Position
What do you look for in an instrument?
I’ve been out of the playing loop (concentrating on writing and teaching) for almost 20 years, so my answers will no doubt be dated! Back in my playing days, I was drawn to horns with dark, rich timbres.  I wanted something that wouldn’t break up when I hit it hard dynamically, but I didn’t want to meet too much resistance. I had a strong, full lower register but wrestled with the top end, so I searched for instruments with nice open upper registers.  Because my road days in the ’70s required performance on bass trombone, euphonium, and valve trombone, I searched for horns that would be somewhat consistently disposed in color and timbre and would allow for rapid-fire changes between the instruments (sometimes all 3 on a single tune).  I played a Bach Bass Trombone, a Willson Euphonium, and had the privilege of owning one of Rich Matteson’s valve trombones.

2nd Position
How do you conceive of an ideal tone quality?
My Dad was a cellist with the Chicago Symphony and my Mom was an operatic contralto, so I had incredible timbral models in my home long before I ever picked up an instrument. Dad and Mom both talked so often about sound. The recordings playing in our home were those fabulous CSO masterpieces with Fritz Reiner conducting — Bartok, Wagner, Respighi — what fabulous blueprints!

3rd Position
What is your secret to a beautiful legato?
You’ll get much better answers than mine from the “big guys!” I started out as a trumpet player in high school, so I tried to carry over the natural legato (with no tongue) of the trumpet to the “doo” tonguing on the trombone. I wanted to completely obscure the “click” or “pop” on the edge of the legato note changes. I remembered thinking “loo.” Kind of a feathering of the “doo” with the softest tongue touch to separate the notes.

4th Position
What helps you achieve musical expression?
As a player, I emulated great musical models. For my classical side, I loved the great classical cellists (including Dad) like Rostropovich and Casals. I always loved the great Bordogni-Rochut Etudes and the Bach Cello Suites — and tried to play them, other etudes, and solo/chamber/orchestral lyrical performances with a total dedication to the line. For my jazz playing, I always admired the players with beautiful sounds — Bob Brookmeyer, Carl Fontana, George Roberts, Jim Pugh — and the spirited, energetic, fluid players like J.J. Johnson, Curtis Fuller, and Frank Rosolino.

5th Position
Name two inspirations. One musical. One non-musical.
My favorite trombone recording of all time is Jimmy Cleveland playing Gil Evans’ arrangement of “The Ballad of the Sad Young Men.” Gets me in the heart every time!

For non-musical, it may sound like a stock answer, but for me, it’s Susie, my wife of 36 years — she’s brought my 2 children, love, devotion, and wonderful humor to my life. She’s been privy to all of my musical pursuits since we first met as well.

6th Position
What were your roles in Matrix, and how did the arrangements conceive ofthe bass trombone? What do you feel the group achieved?
I’m proud to have been one of the 9 founding members of that wonderful band. I was one of the band’s two primary writers along with my mentor, dear friend, and band-mate John Harmon who created the bulk of the Matrix repertoire.

As noted above, I played bass trombone, euphonium, valve trombone, a polyphonic string synthesizer (quite innovative instrument for it’s time) playing pseudo strings and sustained color patches (I had no chops!), and I contributed to the group’s background vocals. Matrix hit right when the big bands — namely Woody, Stan, Buddy, and Maynard — were starting to slow down, and I’m proud of the fact that we quit playing “covers” in bars and clubs and took the giant step toward creating our own original book. Starved for a while but were committed to doing our own thing, which still sounds pretty unique decades later. We had a fine 6-piece horn section and 3 rhythm players, but so many of the horn players could play keys, sing, and double on other horns. We were never really commercially successful, but I wouldn’t trade my 4 years with the band for anything.

After Matrix, I had the honor and joy of serving as a bass trombonist in
both the North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band and then the Eastman Jazz
Ensemble during my graduate years. I learned a boatload about big band
playing and conducting from Leon Breeden (UNT) and my great mentor Rayburn Wright at Eastman.

7th Position FS
How did arranging and composing informed your bass trombone playing and vice-versa?
I’ve heard many other trombonists who compose and arrange talk about learning to hear music from the inside of an ensemble — being situated in the middle of a big band, etc. But many of us fail to admit what is likely the TRUE impetus (!) — which is our constant search for an identity amidst groups of exciting lead trumpet players, dynamic drummers, killer sax soloists, singers, etc. Specific to your question, I was playing bass trombone before I wrote anything of significance, so almost everything I’ve done since my 20s as a writer has demonstrated a strong knowledge of the proclivities and limits of the bass trombone and the trombone section.

As I wrote more, I discovered a much greater respect and empathy for my ensemble role as a bass trombonist — I learned to zero in more effectively on the segments doubling with bass and/or bari, whose note I was doubling in the wind section stacking, and most notably — something I preach constantly to my student bass trombonists in my big bands — is to carefully discern if one’s part is occupying root functions or being stationed more tightly up into the trombone section voicings. With those awarenesses, the bass trombonist can either brighten up and thin out to emulate the smaller bores in the trombone section above you, add warmth to the bass trombone and baritone sax combinations, and supply some “woof” and punch when bass line roles call for it.

T1
What is the best trombone playing you have ever heard?
For me, it will probably always be Bob Brookmeyer. I loved his style, his sound, his sense of time, his command of the harmony, and most of all, his incredible lyrical sense. I think my favorite solos Bob ever recorded was on “Someday My Prince Will Come” with his quartet.

T2
What is the best trombone playing you have done?
Not much out there to cheer for! I think it was probably my role as bass trombonist with the Eastman Jazz Ensemble; we had such great music to play, and I felt that I was in solid shape to handle those significant duties.

I think the best trombone WRITING I’ve done was my recent chart for the great Jim Pugh; Jim visited our campus, and during a great dinner hang at Vince Lombardi’s Restaurant in Appleton WI after the concert, I asked him to name a tune he’s always wanted to play with a big band and I’d arrange it for him. He chose Enrico Rava’s beautiful “Diva,” which I scored a year or two later. We recorded the accompaniment with my Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble in Appleton and had Jim dub his solo separately down in Champaign-Urbana. Jim’s a musical hero of mine and one of the great gentlemen in our field. You can hear the track on YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXRItkZcEYU

c. 2013 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved davidbrubeck.com

Images appear courtesy of Fred Sturm and matrixjazz.com

Editor’s note: Sturm does not appear on the three Matrix recordings currently available.

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
Stefan Schulz

c. 2013/2014 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved davidbrubeck.com

Deanna Swoboda first came to national prominence as tubist with the Dallas Brass. Her rock solid time and sensitive phrasing seemed effortless as she anchored the world-famous brass. Swoboda subsequently served on the music faculty of Western Michigan University and has recently accepted a faculty position at Arizona State University.

We are delighted to host the visionary and talented Professor Swoboda as the first interview for the first installment of “The Fourth Valve” tm.

1. How do you conceive of, describe or imagine the ideal tuba sound?
Having a concept of sound is very important. We can develop our concept of sound by listening to live performances and to recordings. Imagining and imitating is a great way to begin developing a sound. Know what you want to sound like every time you sit down to play. I like to imagine a tuba sound as clear, warm, pure, resonant, with core in the middle.

2. How do you achieve more musical expression?
One way to achieve more musical expression is by listening to a lot of music, and listening to different styles of music. Someone said to me one time, “be careful what you listen to, because what you put into your ears and into your mind, will always be there to some degree”. Put high quality sounds and high quality thoughts into your ears and mind so that you can achieve high quality sounds through your instrument.” Another way to work on musical expression is learning how to move your body with the music. Working away from the instrument, using arm, facial, and body gestures to express the music is quite effective. When taken back to the instrument, it is often easier to express the musical idea.

3. Name two types of inspirations:
Musical – Recently, Take 6, the vocal group. They are the masters of tight rhythm, tight harmonies, and musicality. Great live performance!

Non-musical – The gift of life and everything in it. Every day is another opportunity to wake up, be grateful, and give back to the world.

4. What was your typical warm-up routine like as an undergrad?
As an undergrad, I didn’t really have “a routine”. I played some long tones, some scales, lip slurs and was ready to go. As a graduate student, I began to realize how important “the basics” are to our lifelong development on the instrument. The more time that I spent playing scales, lip slurs, long tones, the more I improved and the easier it was to learn new music. I also believe that the more music that we learn, and the more diverse the styles we play, the more we develop our musicianship and our ability to interpret music.

As a touring musician, my routine became sacred. That is the only practice I would get, typically. I would buzz my mouthpiece a lot, play basics in my hotel room (typically with a mute) and then go to the concert hall for a sound check or to present a master class. Practice time on the road is challenging. It was sometimes possible to find a room at a nearby school or church to practice. But, most of my heavy practice was done at home, before the tour would begin and then I did a lot of “maintenance” on the road. I always looked forward to getting home, so I could practice and learn new material.

Now, as a university professor, I can organize my schedule to accommodate my practice. Practice time in sacred. I put it into my daily schedule, as if it’s a class I teach. I block out 2-3 hours every morning for my personal practice. I believe it is important to be a musician first, before teaching and helping my students improve their musicianship, it’s important that I am firmly rooted in my own music making. At that point, I feel more connected to everything I do, on the instrument, and with my students.

5. What one sentence, or so, comes to mind when you think of:
Bill Bell:
When I think of Bill Bell, I think of a great musician and an inspiration to everyone. He was the first person to bring more prominence to the tuba, giving it more of a solo voice and creating more of a active role for freelance tuba players.

Connie Weldon:
I consider to be the first prominent woman tuba player as a soloist, a professor, and as an orchestral player. Connie was a master teacher and integral to the development of the tuba euphonium ensemble, generating new repertoire for that genre.

Arnold Jacobs:
When I think of Arnold Jacobs, I think “Song and Wind”. Thinking about Mr. Jacobs and the two lessons I had with him, I am always reminded of “the ease of playing the tuba” and about “being a singer on the instrument”.

Harvey Phillips:
A great human being. And, the amount or music he generated for the tuba and euphonium. His dedication to improving the instrument and the repertoire for the instrument is unprecedented. Harvey Phillips was key in establishing T.U.B.A., what we know today as ITEA, an organization dedicated to improving tuba euphonium instruments, generating new music and providing an outlet for players to come together, to perform, and to be inspired.

Winston Morris:
Winston Morris is a genuine, kind, full spirited human being. He is passionate about everything he does. He is passionate about the tuba, about teaching, about his students, about life.

6. How do you view the role of the tuba in a brass quintet? What are the challenges? The delights?
The role of the tuba in a brass quintet is to provide the foundation of time, rhythm, tuning, articulation, and tone. Everyone in the quintet, being aware or not, depends on the tuba for strong fundamental playing, something they can sit on and build upon. For me, the challenges have included being able to play as delicate and soft as the trumpets. In addition, the brass quintet repertoire is some of the most challenging repertoire I have ever played and it has pushed me to reach new musical heights. My favorite part of quintet it melting the sounds together, “flying in formation”, sounding like one person playing 5 instruments! Oh so fun!!

7. How do you imagine the tuba in the future, any new roles or types of music?
Our instruments will continually improve, with better response, better valve mechanisms, more ergonomic. I don’t like to think less about the evolution of the tuba, and more about where we, as musicians, can take our musicianship with a tuba in our hands. Our goal should be to improve overall musicianship, so that people forget it’s a tuba we’re playing – to equal that of an electric guitar, or a solo violin.

8. What is the best tuba playing you have ever heard?
I can’t identify the best tuba playing I’ve ever heard because I am continually inspired by ALL tuba playing and ALL tuba players! When listening to a recording or listening to someone perform live, I always learn something new, something that will inspire my own playing in a positive way.

9. What is the best tuba playing you have ever done?
I am a student for life and cannot honestly talk about the best tuba playing I’ve ever done. Everyday is a new beginning and we are only as good as our last performance. I can tell you though, that I am blessed to have had such a vibrant and interesting performing career. Performances range from performing concerts with Dallas Brass, tons of educational performances (rapping and acting), performing solo with the US Army Orchestra. Traveling the world and seeing places I never thought I would see; Europe, Russia, China, and all 50 US states. I am grateful to be a musician.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2iNzJv0tc8

c. 2013 David William Brubeck All Rights Reserved davidbrubeck.com

Interested in more “The Fourth Valve” tm Interviews?
Don Harry
John Stevens
Jim Self
John Van Houten
Demondrae Thurman
Deanna Swoboda
R. Winston Morris
Beth Wiese
Aaron Tindall
Marty Erickson
Beth Mitchell
Chitate Kagawa
Aaron McCalla
Images appear courtesy of deannaswoboda.com