Blogs

Multi-faceted English composer, arranger and low-brass performer Jack Adler- McKean has created arrangements for large tuba ensemble of four of the most popular and enduring orchestral chestnuts:

New Arrangements

• Beethoven - Overture to Egmont (for 8 tubas)
• Dukas - The Sorcerer's Apprentice (for 10 tubas)
• Mozart - Overture to The Marriage of Figaro (for 10 tubas)
• Rimsky-Korsakov - The Flight of the Bumblebee (for 9 tubas)

Available for purchase online at JustForBrass.com.

Photo Credit: Albie Mitchell

Potenza Music Publishing is honored to present nine new publications by Howard Johnson, universally recognized as the most versatile and sought-after jazz tuba player in the world. Composed for Johnson's signature ensemble, Gravity, these new releases of sheet music are scored for tuba jazz ensemble of six tuba players plus rhythm section and include two original Howard Johnson compositions, along with seven of his arrangements of standards.

If there is one accessory trumpet players are notorious for collecting, it has to be mouthpieces. Any trumpet player who has ever looked at the overwhelming selection of trumpet mouthpieces today knows how difficult it can be to pick the right one to add to their collection. In this guide, we will talk about some general mouthpiece rules to help you choose your next mouthpiece.

The holidays are rapidly approaching, and many of us have already started thinking about what to give the most important people in our life. If you’re like me, many of your closest friends are musicians, who can be difficult to shop for. Our experts have put together a list of items that put a smile on the face of musicians at any level.

A New Case

In August 2015 the Drum Corps International World Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana came to an exciting conclusion, marking the end of this year's first segment of marching music festivities. Without a doubt, this competitive season of drum corps was one to remember. Constant shifts in placements, unexpected changes to productions, and other surprises kept fans guessing all summer long. Let's take a look at some highlights from the top four corps at this year's World Class Championships:

The Cadets – Allentown, PA | 4th Place: 95.900

Maintaining a strong lead early on, The Cadets presented what may have been the season’s most demanding show: “The Power of Ten.” Though the corps fell to 4th place during the last week of tour, the hornline earned its first Jim Ott brass award since 2005. Late in the season, new all-black uniforms were suddenly unveiled – a surprising break from what The Cadets have traditionally worn for decades.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh-FyJpXR2E

Can you believe that the school year is already here? We can’t!

For many music students it’s never too early to begin thinking about what you would like to work on throughout the semester, your goals for the next few months, or even potential jury pieces. Often times professors will ask you to bring some ideas to initial lessons to help map out the semester’s plan of attack.

Searching through thousands of solo pieces can be a time-consuming and frustrating task. You may be asking yourself “ Where do I start!?” “How do I know which pieces I should be looking for?” “Which pieces would benefit me the most?” We suggest researching and looking into upcoming competitions and festivals for some standard rep lists. These will give you some ideas of the most important pieces and etudes for your instrument.

Now that the summer is coming to a close, parents, teachers and students alike are beginning to prepare a list of what will be needed to make the most out of the next school year. This time of year is perfect for beginning to set personal goals and getting mentally ready to make the most of your first few weeks back. We’ve included some tips and supplies to help get you ready for school-time awesomeness!

You’ve been enjoying your summer, but suddenly you realize “The new semester starts soon and I don’t have anything to play for my lessons. I haven’t practiced and now I can barely get through a scale before my embouchure is tired. What do I do?” While everyone needs a break from time to time, it can be difficult to get back in the musical groove after extended time away from your instrument. There are several things you can do to make the process less painful.

Do you find yourself becoming bored in the practice room? Are you frustrated about putting the time in without getting the results you want? Do your chops end up feeling overworked at the end of every practice session? If you answered yes to any of these questions, we have a few practice pointers and tools to help you meet your practice goals.

Nothing is worse than the terror of a four bar bassoon solo in your wind band concert -- for the student or the director. Will the reed speak? What if you get the dreaded "sqwonk" instead of the beautiful melody written on the page? And what is with that low note being a good quarter step sharp? Many times, it is actually a poorly crafted pre-made reed that is the culprit of failures in your bassoon section.

Set Your Students Up For Success

Making the most of pre-made bassoon reeds for your students is one of the most important components in setting them up for success. However, as with anything related to double reed instruments, music directors often find themselves at a loss as to what separates good and bad. Thankfully, improving your pre-made reeds is actually much easier that it seems. There are four things your reed needs to do, in order of importance: