Tuba-Euphonium Blog
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Euphonium and Tuba, General Music, DWerden.com, TubaEuph.comen-usSun, 05 Feb 2012 23:34:00 GMTSat, 24 Dec 2011 00:21:47 GMTCF Blogger by DayDream Inchttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssinfo@dwerden.cominfo@dwerden.comA Little Euphonium-Tuba Christmas Cheer!
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Here are two free recordings for the Christmas season, both by the U.S. Coast Guard Band Euphonium-Tuba Quartet.Both are Gary Buttery arrangements from Cimarron Music. Find the sheet music on Cimarron's Euphonium Music Page.English Folk Christmas (medley)Greensleeves (What Child Is This?)Merry Christmas!Free Downloads - Recordings and MusicSat, 24 Dec 2011 00:21:47 GMThttp://www.dwerden.com/blog3/display_blog.cfm?bid=6D71E20B-BA3B-089F-2F27BA59C371F90AGlenn Miller and the Air Force Band
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On today's date in 1944 during World War II, Air Force Bandleader Glenn Miller was lost somewhere over the English Channel. His band carried on, and later became known as the Airmen of Note (or simply "Note" by other AF musicians).I am linking up a few holiday songs from the Airmen of Note in honor of Glenn Miller's terrific work.O Christmas TreeOy ChanukahWe Three KingsGo Tell It On TheMountainFree Downloads - Recordings and MusicThu, 15 Dec 2011 17:43:09 GMThttp://www.dwerden.com/blog3/display_blog.cfm?bid=42D20DC5-FA10-148B-799D88BD027FB0CBAnagrams of Euphonium Player Names
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Here's a little diversion if you are getting stressed out. Below are a list of euphonium players. All are living players, and as of a few days ago I could find all of them on YouTube in the first several pages of a search for "euphonium." Each phrase below is a mixed-up version called an anagram. You build an anagram by using all the letters in the name and rearranging them. No letter is duplicated unless it is also duplicated in the actual name. Do not pay attention to where the spaces fall or where the upper-case letters are.As an example, my name ("Dave Werden") could be either of these two anagrams:End Red WaveEver DawnedTo see the answers, just drag your mouse over the white area below the anagrams to select the hidden text (or use CNTL-A on your PC). But try to figure them out first - it's good for your brain!NOTE: You may or may not see some names here that you would expect to see. This list is not intended to be comprehensive. Is some cases names were not included simply because I could not find a "cute" anagram of that name in the time I was willing to spend on it. I tended to include only players whose anagrams could make a phrase that seemed to me to have an element of humor.Here are the euphoniumists:Vented As MeNow Rabbi Man Dye A Farm Tweet With HamThorny Beach Girl Farm HikersKinked Acre Go Rev Mr RootOld Maced Dish Cello Mind Rink===============Steven MeadVented As MeBrian BowmanNow Rabbi Man Adam FreyDye A Farm Matthew WhiteTweet With HamCharley BrightonThorny Beach Girl Mark FisherFarm HikersDerick KaneKinked Acre Trevor GroomGo Rev Mr RootMichael DoddsOld Maced Dish Riki McDonnellCello Mind RinkGeneral Tuba-Euphonium BlogFri, 09 Dec 2011 00:03:25 GMThttp://www.dwerden.com/blog3/display_blog.cfm?bid=2021AE01-D0A6-FD3D-ABB062608A0C67CFFree Christmas MP3 Songs from U.S. Marine Band
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Is the budget tight this year? In spite of that do you want some more Christmas music to play at home or on your portable player? No problem! The United States Marine Band has once again made available some of their excellent recordings, which you can download for no charge. Here is the description:Need the perfect soundtrack for a holiday party, decorating the house, or just sitting by the fire? In a nod to the season, the Marine Band has made three holiday audio selections available for download during the month of December:Joy to the WorldWe Wish You a Merry ChristmasParade of the Wooden SoldiersGo to this link to download:Free MP3 Christmas Music, U.S. Marine Band(They even look "Christmas-like" in their photo, don't they?):Free Downloads - Recordings and MusicFri, 02 Dec 2011 12:34:29 GMThttp://www.dwerden.com/blog3/display_blog.cfm?bid=FEC4CAA0-DB75-AFCA-428271898F11BBFAThe Passing of Donald Stauffer
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Legendary former U.S. Navy Band director Donald Stauffer has passed away at the age of 92. He was a tuba player who became director in 1969. Here is his obituary:Obituary of Donald Stauffer, U.S. Navy Band Director, Retired.General Tuba-Euphonium BlogTue, 29 Nov 2011 14:06:48 GMThttp://www.dwerden.com/blog3/display_blog.cfm?bid=EFA63978-F844-BAA5-3AA24DF6285020F0New Euphonium-Tuba Quartet - Rolling Thunder March
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The name Henry Fillmore is synonymous with great marches for band. The Rolling Thunder march is especially favored by low brass because that section is featured to such great effect. This new arrangement for two euphoniums and two tubas gives all players some interesting parts and creates an exciting piece for the audience as well.The chosen key is the same as the band key, so players familiar with the band version will have an easy time reading this (well, more-or-less easy!). The page below lists the euph-tuba quartet arrangement and also has a link to an MP3 of the piece:Rolling Thunder March for Euphonium-Tuba Quartet Tuba-Euphonium Site NewsTue, 08 Nov 2011 01:25:23 GMThttp://www.dwerden.com/blog3/display_blog.cfm?bid=80C793F6-9A93-9E85-88CFA1CF5FE42889Methodology for Evaluating Intonation
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I have been testing intonation for euphonium manufacturers since around 1980, and it soon became clear to me that there are many possible ways to get inaccurate results. Is the horn warmed up fully? Am I playing the horn's Ab or I am playing the way I always play an Ab on a different horn? Am I unconsciously bending the pitch to make it look better than the horn really plays because I favor the horn? Etc.Whenever I ran these tests I wanted the results to represent what the horn actually tends to produce. Whether comparing brands for my own purchase or helping a company make a better instrument, accurate results are critical. Surely no two people running this type of test would product identical results. But I believe I have a methodology that works consistently enough to be of value to me and others.Note: I have versions of my own mouthpiece in small, medium, and large shank sizes. I always use my own mouthpiece so that I don't confuse results by using a mouthpiece I don't know well.First, it is important to get the instrument fully warmed up. A cold instrument will not only be flat overall, but the relative tendencies on certain notes will be skewed. As I warm the horn up I use all valve combinations so that I don't leave one slide tube cooler than the rest.Once I am satisfied, I still may continue to play a while before testing, especially if I haven't had much time on that horn. I want to become familiar with its general playing characteristics, especially response and tone. (Tone color may incorrectly affect one's perception of intonation.)Main tuning slide. I tune the horn's B-flat with the main tuning slide and proceed to find the best compromise for the valve slide positions. (Because it is useful to be able to adjust the individual slides, they are usually made to be too sharp when pushed all the way in, which leaves you with more control. This is the same reason that the horn is not built to play a perfect Bb with the main tuning slide pushed in.)2nd valve slide. I almost never adjust this one. One leg of the slide is too short to offer effective intonation adjustment without risking losing the slide while playing.3rd valve slide. The balance most affected by this slide is intonation of 23 notes like concert F# and 12 notes like G. Let me explain. If the F# is too sharp, then pulling the 3rd slide will help. But if G is too sharp with 12, using 3rd instead is a practical alternative. But if 3 is pulled to help the F#, it may be too flat for a G. So my decision is based on the best comprise for intonation of the 23 F# and then either 12 or 3 for the G.1st valve slide. Part of this decision can be the intonation of 12 combinations, which are usually sharp and will benefit from pulling 1 slightly. However, there is often a stronger consideration among the intonation tendencies of notes played with 1st valve only. The 6th partial is usually sharp on brass instruments. For euphonium this is seen in the pitch of the upper Eb, E, and F (concert). But nearly as often, compensating euphoniums are flat on the high Ab (1st valve). There can be other issues on the remaining 1st valve notes, so I need to find the best compromise for all 1st valve notes. Usually this means pulling the 1st slide a bit.4th valve slide. Because I have tuned the open horn to a Bb, I start the 4th valve tuning by playing a middle concert F using 4. The 4th valve lowers the open horn 5 half steps, so the open tuning Bb is lowered to an F. Once I adjust the 4th-valve slide for middle F, I play the C below it, which is normally a 4th-valve note, as a final check. If the C is not quite right, I adjust the 4th slide for it.When I am convinced I have the best combination of valve slide positions, I start the real testing. I will have already prepared a sheet with all the note names, and room for 3 entries for each note. (I want to be able to double- and triple-check my results conveniently.) Naturally I have an electronic tuner to show me the results.I find it best to not just go up a chromatic scale, but rather to play notes more-or-less at random, changing ranges often. This helps keep me out of any ruts, mentally or physically. As I play each note, I start by closing my eyes. The I bend the note's pitch up and down to shake off any tendency to play a note where I want it rather than where the horn wants it. When I have lost my own notion about the note, I move the pitch around, while I feel and listen for the most resonant sound - that is where the horn wants to play the note. As soon as I have that note locked in, I open my eyes and read what the tuner says. Then I check the pitch by approaching it from above and below using intervals and scales to make sure I have truly found the horn's pitch. I write its result down and move on to another note, repeating the same process.After testing a few notes at a time, I always return to the Bb to make sure the horn has not drifted off center overall.A final step is to look at the overall tendencies and see if there are patterns that could be improved by slide adjustments. I check to see if the patterns show that my initial settings were not as good as they could have been, and I also check to see if further compromises would be helpful. If there are some tendencies that are too extreme, it might be a better choice to make a small negative change on some other notes in order to make the extremes less so.The end result is the chart that I send to the maker (and often publish on my site). My results would perhaps be different from results another player might produce. However, other players will probably experience the same tendencies I found, but possibly to a greater or lesser extent.There are two other factors I have not included in the charts. One is the improvements that could be made with a standard-equipment trigger. For example, if most inaccuracies are in the sharp direction, a tuning slide trigger could easily fix them. And second, the pitch on different horns can be more difficult or less difficult to adjust with your embouchure. Both factors are worth considering if you are evaluating euphoniums to purchase.See the euphonium intonation graphs...General Tuba-Euphonium BlogMon, 03 Oct 2011 00:45:39 GMThttp://www.dwerden.com/blog3/display_blog.cfm?bid=C73E4545-A1BB-79C9-F53985E5D6F0F370New Article: Buying an Inexpensive Euphonium
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For a lot of beginners or intermediate players, buying a high-price euphonium is not appropriate or affordable. However, they still want to make the best choice for a horn that will probably be played a number of years.I just posted a new article about buying an inexpensive euphonium, which I hope will help people know how to make a choice. It covers Number of Valves, Receiver Size, Finish, Weight, Case, Considering Future Repairs, and Used Instruments: Buying an Inexpensive Euphonium for Beginning or Intermediate Players.If you see a topic I have omitted, please add a comment to this blog post and I will consider enhancing the article.Tuba-Euphonium Site NewsTue, 20 Sep 2011 00:20:02 GMThttp://www.dwerden.com/blog3/display_blog.cfm?bid=843426CD-C2C1-FA7D-E1965C4498EF7464Players Endorsing Instruments
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In my conversations with brass players over several decades I have gotten the impression they believe the fact that professional players are endorsing particular brands makes their recommendations and opinions biased. In fact, that is somewhat true. But it's also true that amateur, non-endorsing players may also be biased. We all take care to choose the horn we're going to play, but naturally we have different reasons for our choice(s). It is complicated by the fact that playing a particular brand over time will usually engender more bias. (If you get annoyed with it over time, you probably would switch!)But an analytical person can separate personal preference from the positive and negative qualities of the various choices. I've gotten very good feedback on brands from players you've never heard of. Some professionals are equally analytical and can discuss the qualities of various brands intelligently.Does this all get more complicated for a professional player who endorses a brand? Perhaps, or perhaps not; it does depend on the player. I have known pros who render very balanced opinions to folks asking them about instruments. On the other hand, I have heard (a smaller number) who seemed more slanted.Along the same lines, I think most endorsers chose their brand carefully and feel it is the best choice for them. No pro wants to play a second-rate horn, so at the very least you can generally assume they think the one they play is a good pro instrument. However, I have seen a few cases where a player is convinced to change brands for promotional or monetary reasons. In the instances I'm familiar with, the player switched from one good brand to another, but is seems obvious that the switched-to brand was not their first choice, all else being equal.This may come as a surprise to some readers, but I would not be quick to "blame" someone for doing so. I thoroughly understand the rationale. In my own life I have chosen for personal and family reasons to not travel to perform as much as I might otherwise. Consequently, I have less need to be concerned that a company will support me if I wish to perform in far-away venues dozens of times a year. But if I wished to get out there and "set the world on fire" most of the year, I might need to think about establishing a relationship with a company that has deep pockets.My own philosophy on endorsements is that I want to play the horn that I truly feel is best; therefore, I can endorse it without hesitation. Every time I have the chance, I play-test other brands. As I do so, my goal are:see if I like it better than minefind out what its good qualities arefind out what its weaknesses areIf I find myself wondering if this new horn is better than mine overall, I would probably try to arrange a longer test. If the longer test revealed that it is a better horn, then I would work on switching.I have never had a "contract" with a company to play their instrument forever or even for a set time. As such I am not bound to play a horn I feel is second best. I played Besson starting in college and for most of my days in The U.S. Coast Guard Band. In 1980 I became a Besson artist, which continued until about 1990. During those years I was naturally happy to share the reasons I chose Besson, but I was also candid about the weaknesses as well, mostly the intonation issues. I would sometimes even share which brands I thought had the best intonation. But having said that I would explain that I stayed with Besson because it had the sound I wanted, and that a horn with better intonation could not sound the same way for me.In 1989 I tested a Sterling and became interested in its qualities. Then around 1990 I became a Sterling artist because I thought it had the kind of sound I wanted as well as somewhat better intonation and response. In addition, it seemed like Sterling was listening to players and improving the horn, while at the same time Besson was not showing as much interest. Over the years I have been playing and discussing Sterling, I gladly shared why I like it, but I also freely discussed the positive qualities of other brands. My goal, as it was with Besson, was to get folks to give it a serious try. Then players can make up their own minds about what to finally buy.In most cases, when you talk to a player who endorses a brand, you can get a good feel for what they like about it. Some will even talk about the relative strengths of other brands and give you a sense of how they see the balance of qualities among the competitors. But, as I said, any player has a bias. Make it your job to gather as many of these subjective opinions as possible, then try some horns!In a related area, you may have discovered the intonation graphs I have on the site. These are not there to sell you on a brand or discourage you from a brand. They are my honest take on how well in tune each horn plays. I have a long process I use to try to build non-biased numbers, and I feel what I show you is accurate, especially regarding the relative sharpness/flatness of different notes. The amount they are sharp or flat may vary with the player, but in almost all cases if I find a note is sharp, you will not find that it is flat.I don't have all brands represented in the graphs simply because I have not had sufficient "quality time" with other brands to be sure I could produce accurate graphs. But the ones that are there are as accurate as I could make them. The Besson Sovereign graph, for example, was made when I played a Besson Sovereign. I shared the results with the company's designers so they could have more information about their design. In fact, I have shared most of these graphs with the corresponding companies to help them improve the breed. I feel it's better for all of us when each company gets better; competition drives improvement!But back to the main topic!You should never buy a horn on just one player's endorsement unless you have absolutely no chance to try horns yourself.You should not assume your favorite player will have the best opinion for your needs in a horn.You should not assume that a player's opinion is hopelessly tainted because of their endorsement arrangement.You should not necessarily think you must be wrong if you like a different horn than one recommended to you by someone you respect. You are the one who will be playing it and your opinions are probably perfectly valid.Regardless of the likelihood of encountering a bias here and there, talk to lots of people and gather lots of opinions. The most valuable "take-away" of these conversations is that you will get some ideas of the kind of things to look and listen for.General Tuba-Euphonium BlogSun, 14 Aug 2011 01:11:19 GMThttp://www.dwerden.com/blog3/display_blog.cfm?bid=C5D7CB81-DAFF-7810-B7C4A7DA4CA59DDB221st Birthday of the United States Coast Guard!
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August 4, 2011 is the 221st birthday to the U.S. Coast Guard! Founded in 1790 by Alexander Hamilton, it is the countrys oldest continuously-operating seagoing service. Men and women of the nation's smallest military service save more than 5,000 lives every year (not to mention billions of dollars in property).In recognition of this event I am offering some recordings of The United States Coast Guard Band. These MP3 files are free for download, and they should play on most portable players and computers.The first is a great Sousa march, from the Band's album "Live from Japan": Hail to the Spirit of Liberty, by John Philip SousaAnd from that same album, Hammersmith, by Gustav Holst.And from their album "Americana", the fun (and challenging) Variations on America, by New England composer Charles Ives. This was originally written for organ, but works very well with the sonorities of an excellent concert band.Enjoy!Free Downloads - Recordings and MusicTue, 02 Aug 2011 18:45:49 GMThttp://www.dwerden.com/blog3/display_blog.cfm?bid=8BD0EABF-A4F2-6828-CBFF19B24BE78CDEDavid Werden, Solo Euphonium: Variations, by Jerry Owen
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I just added a new video to the Euphonium Videos page. This one is a performance by me of Jerry Owen's original euphonium composition "Variations," written for jazz euphonium player Rich Matteson. The band is The United States Coast Guard Band, conducted by Lewis J. Buckley, from a 1983 performance for the College Band Directors National Association. The piece is a good showcase for the jazzier sounds of a euphonium, but it does not require the ability to ad lib - all notes are written out. I enjoyed playing the piece so much, as found it to be such a good crowd pleaser, that I approached Jerry Owen about publishing it. He agreed, and I published the solo/band version. Later, when I turned over my publications to Cimarron Music Press, this was included. And more recently Jerry has made a solo/piano version available.The piano version can be found here:Variations, euphonium solo with piano.and the band version is here:Variations, euphonium solo with band.VideosMon, 25 Jul 2011 23:46:54 GMThttp://www.dwerden.com/blog3/display_blog.cfm?bid=63B1AECA-9148-D5F0-DD460C708D5E5C19The Euphonium In Non-Classical Music
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(This article is not meant to discuss the use of euphonium in jazz, but that may be a topic for a future post.)One has to look hard to find them, but there actually are examples of a euphonium being heard or mentioned in popular music. I began to notice when I was in high school. First, I knew some of the songs from the musical "The Music Man," including the song "76 Trombones," which mentions euphoniums. And then there was a pop song called "What the World Needs Now (Is Love), in which there very first notes heard in the song were played by a euphonium.The first example I'll link here is the song "76 Trombones" from The Music Man. This was composed by Iowan Meredith Wilson. Not only did it mention a euphonium, but it mentions "double-bell euphoniums." For the record, that is the only mention of the double-bell version in any music that I know of. Here is the downloadable MP3 file:Seventy-Six Trombones, Robert PrestonThe original move with Robert Preston is currently out of print, but there is a fun newer version on DVD, the 2003 version of the Music Man, with Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth"What the World Needs Now" was not just popular when I was in high school - it has been used in several movies since then, including My Best Friend's Wedding, Forrest Gump, Hot Shots!, Austin Powers, and others. It has also been used in commercials, including one for Mercedes Benz. Usually the version used is the original, which opens with a euphonium solo, and then features some simple counter-melodic lines in other parts. I have tried to research this and find out the name of the euphonium player, but I did not come to any firm conclusion.The MP3 file is available here:What the World Needs Now Is Love, Jackie DeShannon (vocal)If you are a brass band fan, you probably know the song "Floral Dance," which was also featured in the movie Brassed Off. I believe the most commonly-heard version is the brass band arrangement, but it was originally a vocal. Within the lyrics are several mentions of instruments, including "euphonium."Here is the MP3 file:Floral Dance, Peter Dawson (vocal)Floral Dance in its instrumental form is still worth a listen. It does not feature the euphonium specifically, but is a very characteristic British piece. Download the MP3 file here:Floral Dance, Brighouse & Rastrick (brass band)In the movie Oklahoma Crude, Henry Mancini made great use of the euphonium playing of Dick Nash (normally Mancini's solo trombonist, but Nash started his musical life as a euphonium player). The song "Lightfinger" features Nash in an easy-going novelty song. Download the track here:LightfingerOne of the more "interesting" uses of the euphonium name is in the song "I Used to Play the Euphonium," by Las Vegas Body Snatchers. It is a rock vocal, and the download MP3 is here:I Used to Play the EuphoniumAnother pop music use by a relatively modern group is an album by the Picketts. In this case, "Euphonium" is the title of the album! Here is the download:Euphonium, by the PickettsThen there is the song "Euphonium Dance," on an album by Serge Ermoll, which is performed by a female vocalist. The album is called In Good Company and the song can be downloaded here:Euphonium DanceAnother song with the name "Euphonium" is by D.J. Bruno. The style is hard to classify - it sounds like some kind of background mix. Download file is here:Euphonium, by D.J. BrunoWinner of the "cutest song in this article" would be "Eddie Euphonium," by Dave Rimelis. It is part of an "alphabet" album, and naturally is part of the letter "E" track. It is a vocal, with instruments including euphonium. There recording is here:Musical Sounds of the AlphabetThen in a more-or-less "nostalgia" style is the song "Euphonium Cakewalk," by the Temperance Seven. It is an instrumental, euphonium feature. The MP3 download is here:Euphonium CakewalkThat's the list so far. If I learn of more, I will do a follow-up article at a later date so you can complete your collection!General Tuba-Euphonium BlogSat, 09 Jul 2011 18:09:58 GMThttp://www.dwerden.com/blog3/display_blog.cfm?bid=1017753F-0CCE-77C5-7E2513BDFADBBA63New Article - Panel Discussion on Buying a Euphonium
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There is now a new page on the site to extend the discussion of the "Choosing a Euphonium" page. The panel discussion is taken from a larger discussion at the International Euphonium Institute in 2007. Hear opinions from Brian Bowman, David Childs, Eugene Dowling, Adam Frey, and David Werden. There is also an audio recording if you would like to hear the panelists "in person."Here is the new page:Buying a Euphonium, IEI 2007 panel discussionAnd, as a reminder, here is the original article (which has been newly revised):Choosing a EuphoniumTuba-Euphonium Site NewsThu, 30 Jun 2011 23:36:15 GMThttp://www.dwerden.com/blog3/display_blog.cfm?bid=E2E8F2A2-F84B-8343-12CAD69AE62CEE76New Model of a Great Cleaning Device: QHR Sudser
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About a year ago I reviewed an exciting new instrument cleaning device, the Quick Horn Rinse. It is the invention of Bill Ricker. In my testing it proved a quick and convenient way to clean out your horn.Now Mr. Ricker has improved on the original with the Quick Horn Rinse Sudser. As the name implies, this QHR model has a built-in soap dispenser to help you control the flow of soap through the bore. Before I write about this new model, let me say that its improvement is in the area of convenience. You can get the job done with the original version, but this makes some things easier. For travel, you might consider the original model because it would bit easily in most cases and has less of a "hard body" to possibly cause dents.In my testing, I had a horn that had been in need of a cleaning for some time. It seemed like letting soapy water sit in the horn for a while was a good strategy. So out came the new QHR Sudser and we went to work with the horn sitting on my lawn. I filled the soap dispenser and then attached the Sudser to my garden hose. The Sudser has a lever that controls water flow and one that controls soap flow, both operating over a continuous range to give you control. I started with both levers open to fill the bore with soap. The rubber nozzle fit securely in the horn's mouthpiece receiver, so I was able to let it push soapy water through while I operated all 4 valves to make sure the liquid got into all the passages of the main slides and the compensating loops. When that was accomplished I moved the water control level to stop the water and let it soak for about 20 minutes. Once I was satisfied, I closed the soap lever and opened the water flow lever to rinse the horn thoroughly.The result was a nice, clean interior with modest effort on my part. The Sudser's control levers made the process even easier, which was especially welcome. Not that I'm lazy, but...Mr. Ricker is not a large corporation and he does not have a lot of leverage when it comes to obtaining raw materials. Keep in mind that he is producing a device to help cleat out brass instruments; he is not likely to be negotiating with ALCOA to build hundreds of thousands of custom-cast fittings, for example. However, he has done a very capable and clever job of producing a useful, well-made product with what I assume are mostly off-the-shelf pieces. The rubber leadpipe hose is supple rubber and feels like it will last very well. As mentioned above, the rubber is supple enough to hold tight in the leadpipe against water pressure. The washers and fittings are also good quality and operate smoothly. And the newest addition, the Sudser component, works and feels great. Lever valves operate smoothly; the threading of the soap reservoir feels just right and thread on and off easily; and it even has a rubber guard on the bottom to help avoid scratching should the Sudser and horn come in direct contact.I recommend this product very highly. We should all keep our horns clean on the inside, and anything to make that job easier also makes it more likely that we will do it! Nice job, Mr. Ricker.General Tuba-Euphonium BlogSun, 05 Jun 2011 20:29:04 GMThttp://www.dwerden.com/blog3/display_blog.cfm?bid=617E976F-AC81-8CCD-E006780DC96EC213IEI 2011 Is Coming Up - Don't Miss It
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There is a great opportunity coming up in about a month: the 2011 International Euphonium Institute. If you don't already know about this event, it happens each year in Atlanta, Georgia, and is the creation of American euphonium artist Adam Frey. In Adam's materials he says, "Participants will be immersed in recitals, chamber music, concerts, focus classes, and master classes. Participants will also have private instruction during the week and choose to perform in master classes as well as being offered solo and ensemble performance experiences at the Institute and in outreach concerts in the community." That's all true!I was pleased to be a performer at the 2007 institute and it was a rewarding experience. Of course, there are (fortunately) opportunities today that were not available when I was a young euphonium student. You can attend band camps and brass festivals in several regions, and regional, national, or international conferences are put on by the International Tuba-Euphonium Association and other organizations. But of all the events I have seen, the IEI offerings perhaps the most intense learning and fellowship experience, while being in a way more relaxed that many other events.Performers this year include euphoniumists Tormod Flaten, Adam Frey, Don Palmire, Brian Miexner, and Gail Robertson and tuba artists Sergio Carolino, Bernard H. Flythe, and Stacy Baker. If you attend, you will hear a wide diversity of playing and teaching styles among these players.Looking at events like this, you would expect to hear outstanding artists in performance and benefit from their master classes. But what is not so obvious is that you will have the opportunity to get to know the artists and staff as human beings. If you have not discovered this by now, let me assure you that most of these great players are nice people as well, and you can learn this firsthand at the IEI. You might just sit in the courtyard and chat while everyone is eating pizza, for example, and there are opportunities throughout the days' events for "getting to know you" sessions.Part of the event is a bus trip to a church where most of the congregation know what euphoniums and tubas are. There's a nice community dinner and a chance to play in a lovely sanctuary as part of a very large ensemble (the photo here is at that event) This is a very appropriate venue, because religious services are a perfect fit for the sound of conical low brass.New this year is a solo competition where you have a chance to be enriched by hard cash while being enriched by the experience of the institute itself. Details are here: IEI Festival Solo CompetitionsMy overall impression was that the IEI offers a great "density" of experiences. It seems like every minute is filled with some kind of opportunity or other. Note that my enthusiasm is not part of a paid ad or blog post. There is no reciprocity here. I am writing this because I truly believe this is a wonderful opportunity for euphonium players. So sign up and go!Here is the main information:International Euphonium Institute, 2011General Tuba-Euphonium BlogSat, 21 May 2011 20:59:50 GMThttp://www.dwerden.com/blog3/display_blog.cfm?bid=145B6120-A6BD-843E-AE5EEA70D39F8D5D