TBJ129: Martin McCain on travel, creating new repertoire and BBQ. Trombone player and educator Martin McCain gives us a peek at his diverse and prolific career. From his bio: Global Music Award Gold Medal Winner and Grammy Award-nominated trombonist Martin McCain enjoys a career that spans an impressive scope of genres. A third-generation musician, he maintains a versatile performance schedule as a soloist, recording artist, chamber, orchestral and commercial musician. According to the Internati...
Jan 21, 2020•1 hr 8 min
TBJ128: Euphoniumist Chris Buckley of the US Army Band on growing up in Laredo, Texas, euphonium repertoire and his love of cooking. Chris Buckley is a great player and a great guy. This wide-ranging conversation included great information on the Army Band Tuba-Euphonium Workshop. That's a lot of greats. From his bio: SFC Christopher Buckley is one of the newest members of the United States Army Band. He grew up in a large family on the South Texas border. While in Texas he competed in several i...
Jan 07, 2020•56 min
A "distilled and refined" Patrick Sheridan returns to the show to share his thoughts on passion projects and reflects on the loss of Sam Pilafian. In this fun and lively discussion, we cover: Shiverfest Wide in the hips Harry Watters Susan Rider Marine Band Scratch and Sniff How he picks projects Playing, teaching, conducting and publishing Distilled and refined Seeing Pat in action at American Band College How the project vetting has changed I'm on your porch Rainman of the tuba Four Star Brass...
Dec 24, 2019•1 hr 18 min
TBJ126: Trumpeter Susan Rider of "The President's Own" United States Marine Band on overcoming doubt, the importance of focus and jamming with her dad. Susan dropped serious conversation ninja on Andrew & Lance and made them have a normal conversation. Weird. From her bio: Trumpeter/cornetist Master Gunnery Sergeant Susan Rider joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in July 1997. Master Gunnery Sgt. Rider began her musical instruction at age 10. Upon graduating in 1985 from N...
Dec 10, 2019•1 hr 11 min
TBJ125: Andrew & Lance Give Thanks. Lance drops a bunch of questions on Andrew, testing his ability to be thankful. Hilarity ensues. In this fun and lively discussion, we cover their gratitude related to their favorite or most memorable: Artist (Lance: Jeff Conner and Elvis Costello) Piece of art (Andrew: Monet, Leaves of Grass, The Godfather, "Two From the Vault" by the Grateful Dead, "Linchpin" by Seth Godin, all of Led Zeppelin) Piece of technology (Lance: Parker Mouthpieces, Jeff Conner,...
Nov 26, 2019•53 min
TBJ124: Alan Baylock on arranging for the Airmen of Note, running the One O'Clock Lab Band at UNT and falling in love with the F Major 7 chord. Alan is an amazing arranger and bandleader and still manages to be a great guy! From his bio: Born and raised in a small town in Southwestern Pennsylvania, Alan Baylock has composed music that is performed throughout the world. One of the most respected and sought-after jazz composers and educators in the industry today, he is the director of the Grammy-...
Nov 12, 2019•1 hr 8 min
TBJ123: Sam Pilafian Tribute On October 25, 2019, Sam Pilafian would have turned 70. To mark this special occasion we decided to reach out to some of Sam's best friends to ask for stories, thoughts, reflections, and impressions. Mark Gould, Marty Hackleman, Jose Sibaja, Michael Sachs, JD Shaw, Patrick Sheridan, and Jose Sibaja shared stories ranging from hilarious to moving and we hope you find it as therapeutic as we have. Happy Birthday, Sam! #yeahman ----- We are happy to announce the next of...
Oct 25, 2019•1 hr 11 min
TBJ122: Shelagh Abate on playing horn on Broadway, meeting Sting and the importance of networking. She gives us a great overview of life in a Broadway pit and what it takes to get (and stay) there. From her bio: SHELAGH ABATE is unquestionably one of New York’s most sought-after musicians. Shelagh’s love for the horn is almost as old as her love for music itself. Known for her simultaneously warm and assertive sound, her versatility and musical intuition has earned her a place in the lexicon of ...
Oct 15, 2019•1 hr 6 min
***We just launched a brand new Brass Junkies newsletter ! It will change your life. Like, it's life-changing! Subscribe today to stay in the loop on all things Brass Junkies!*** Sign up by 10/31 for a chance for you and a friend to chat with The Brass Junkies! TBJ121: Trumpeter Wayne du Maine on working with Bernstein and Prince, but not at the same time. He is one of the busiest and most successful musicians working today and he shares how he balances it all with a smile on his face. From his ...
Oct 01, 2019•57 min
TBJ120: Colin WIlliams (Brass Junkies Rewind) Hey all! This is our first Brass Junkies Rewind. We're hoping to occasionally highlight a particularly good early episode that many people might have missed. This was back from Episode 26, way before I got more "creative" with the show notes. Simpler times. ***We just launched a brand new Brass Junkies newsletter ! It will change your life. Like, it's life-changing! Subscribe today to stay in the loop on all things Brass Junkies!*** Colin Williams, n...
Sep 17, 2019•1 hr 13 min
Brass Junkies Extra: Tubist Aubrey Foard of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra on the state of the lockout In this special episode of The Brass Junkies, Aubrey Foard catches us up on where things stand with the BSO lockout. From his bio: Aubrey Foard is the principal tubist of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, a position he has held since 2018. He also serves as Lecturer of Tuba and Euphonium at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and as Artist Faculty at the Brevard Music Center. Mr....
Sep 09, 2019•59 min
TBJ119: Clarke Rigsby of Tempest Recording on Paul McCartney, Steve Gadd and his Most Improved Player trophy Clarke Rigsby of Tempest Recording has acquired a reputation amongst his peers for being “musically militant.” Nuff said. From his site: Clarke Rigsby of Tempest Recording has acquired a reputation amongst his peers for being “musically militant.” Today, technology often overshadows or masks (or invents…) true musical talent, and although Clarke has the tools to “fix it in the mix,” he’d ...
Sep 03, 2019•1 hr 9 min
TBJ118: Trumpet player and builder Trent Austin on Clark Terry, making sacrifices for your dreams and an augmented trumpet Trumpeting Renaissance Man Trent Austin lives up to the title: entrepreneur, player, designer, and raconteur. Celebrated trumpet artist, educator/clinician and entrepreneur, Trent Austin is a trumpeting Renaissance Man. His brilliant performances and recordings in both the jazz and classical music worlds, as well as packed-house Master Classes have garnered him rave reviews,...
Aug 20, 2019•1 hr 10 min
TBJ117: Mike Nickens, Director of "The Green Machine" pep band at George Mason University, on being unapologetic about who he is and leading by example (while carrying a scepter). He has built a gig for himself which allows him to be fully him while enabling his students to do the same. From his bio: Serving as Director of Campus Life Ensembles and Collaborative Arts, and as an Associate Professor of Music, Dr. Michael W. Nickens (a.k.a. Doc Nix) is most recognized as the leader of the “Green Ma...
Aug 06, 2019•1 hr 5 min
We're back with another Listener's Choice episode! This time, Walter asks about the recording process. Andrew & Lance unpack the process of making an album and preview their upcoming Cones and Tones project. In this fun & lively episode, we cover: Lance as a home remodeler Andrew Phish shows Thank you, Ticketmaster Marty Erickson, Craig Knox, and the sousaphone pusher 8-tracks Walter What is the relevance of an album today? Does "album-length" matter any more? What makes for a cohesive p...
Jul 23, 2019•1 hr 3 min
TBJ115: Hiram Diaz, euphonium player in "The President's Own" Marine Band, on the High Bridge Brass Quintet, audition prep and being a terrible shot. From his Marine Band bio page: Euphonium player Staff Sergeant Hiram Diaz joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in January 2012. Staff Sgt. Diaz began his musical instruction at age 12. He graduated in 2003 from the New World School of the Arts in Miami and continued his education at the University of Cincinnati-College Conservator...
Jul 09, 2019•1 hr
From John's Marine Band bio: Trumpeter/cornetist Master Gunnery Sergeant John Abbracciamento joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in November 1992. Master Gunnery Sgt. Abbracciamento began his musical instruction at age 8. After graduating from Valley Stream South High School in 1978, he attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. He completed his bachelor’s degree in music at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1983 and also earned a master’s degree from M...
Jun 25, 2019•1 hr 2 min
TBJ113: Rebecca Cherian on encouraging young women players, the importance of allies and the Bernstein Bounce. Rebecca Cherian is Co-Principal Trombone of the Pittsburgh Symphony. From her bio: Rebecca Cherian was awarded the position of co-principal trombone of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra by Lorin Maazel in 1989. She has been trombone instructor at Carnegie Mellon University since 1993. Cherian was a founding member of the International Women’s Brass Conference in 1994 and served as the I...
Jun 11, 2019•55 min
TBJ112: Matt Niess on The Capital Bones, 3 x 3, and getting help from the "Trombone Angel" Matt Niess is a multifaceted trombonist who served with The U.S. Army Band in Washington, DC and currently serves as Adjunct Associate Professor, Classical and Jazz Trombone at Shenandoah Conservatory. From his bio page: Matt Niess is a cross over trombonist who served with The U.S. Army Band in Washington, DC from 1988-2018 where he played with The Army Blues and The Army Brass Quintet. He is from Levitto...
May 28, 2019•1 hr 8 min
TBJ111: Tim Buzbee on learning The Furies overnight, winning gigs in 8 countries and being put in a piece of metal Tim Buzbee, Principal Tubist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, knows he would probably be flipping burgers if not for the help of teachers Ed Jones, Gene Pokorny, and Matt Good. Tim Buzbee has been the Principal Tubist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra since 2010. Tim grew up in Queen City, Texas and knows he would probably be flipping burgers if not for the help of teacher...
May 14, 2019•1 hr 7 min
TBJ110: Listener's Choice - How to Start a Brass Group, Part 2 In this Listener's Choice episode, Andrew & Lance follow up with more information on starting a brass group. Topics include: Killer squirrels Rehearsal techniques How will you present the art? Being producers of music vs. consumers of music Lindberg (not that one) Collaborations with other artists like the T'Ang Quartet, Imani Winds, Enso Quartet, etc. How do you find gigs? Working with management How to spend $20,000 Do the legw...
Apr 30, 2019•1 hr 7 min
Richard A. White is the subject of the upcoming documentary, "R.A.W. Tuba" and is one of our most inspirational guests. He spoke with us about his life, his career, and the upcoming film. From his website: With over two decades of performing on the world’s classical music stages, tubist Richard White has matured into a musician known for his clear sound and stylistic flexibility. He began his tuba studies with Ed. Goldstein at age twelve at The Baltimore School for the Performing Arts, where he ...
Apr 16, 2019•1 hr 14 min
TBJ108: Jim "Don't call me BB" Nova on writing, driving and April Fooling. Pittsburgh Symphony trombonist Jim Nova puts up with more abuse from Andrew & Lance for no good reason. From his website: My love for all musical things Star Wars began a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away… As a six-year-old child, my father took my brother and me to see The Empire Strikes Back. Even at that age, I was overwhelmed with how important the music was to the storytelling, and thus began my lifelong l...
Apr 02, 2019•1 hr 8 min
TBJ107: Christopher Bill, trombonist, singer, and multi-instrumentalist and internet sensation! Christopher is a trombonist, singer, and multi-instrumentalist based outside of NYC, but it’s more accurate to say he’s based on the internet. He has been playing piano since he was 6 years old, trombone since he was 10, and he has been composing/arranging since he was 12. Christopher has a Bachelor of Music for classical trombone performance from the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music in New York. W...
Mar 19, 2019•1 hr 21 min
Legendary trumpeter Jim Pandolfi has one of the most amazing stories in music. Or most places. In this fun and lively discussion, we cover: How Andrew and Jim first met in NYC many moons ago Applesauce Life out on Cape Cod (in the Dagobah System) "The older I get, the better I was" 15 years playing with The Met (wearing telescoping glasses due to an eye condition, macular degeneration) Having to leave before his vision loss got too bad How determination became the byword of his career The impact...
Mar 05, 2019•1 hr 8 min
Seth Horner, tubist of the North Carolina Symphony on talking to himself, studying with David Fedderly and his box of mouthpieces. Seth Horner on trusting your gut, turning down a military band gig and phrasing. From his website: A native of Eugene, Oregon, Seth Horner is the newly-appointed principal tuba of the North Carolina Symphony in Raleigh, NC. Horner was the acting-principal tuba of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for three seasons beginning in 2014, served as part-time instrumental fa...
Feb 19, 2019•1 hr 2 min
TBJ103: Joe Lovinsky, horn phenom, discusses his time in the Army band, being a sharp-shooter, cage fighter, and ultra runner. Yes really. 100-Mile Joe! Joe Lovinsky is an amazing player, teacher, and person. He sits down with Andrew & Lance to discuss why he may, in fact, be the most interesting man in the world! From his bio page: Joseph Lovinsky, principal horn and frequent soloist of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra, was appointed to this position by world-renowned horn soloist Barry Tuck...
Feb 05, 2019•59 min
Classical Trumpeter and Gold Medal Global Music Award Winner Mary Elizabeth Bowden has been described by Gramophone Magazine as “brilliant” and “radiant in new repertoire for trumpet.” Bowden, a Yamaha Performing Artist, is highly regarded for her artistry and virtuosity as a soloist and has been praised for the clarity, purity, and power of her sound. Bowden released her debut album, “Radiance”, on Summit Records featuring new American works. She has been featured on MPR’s “ New Classical Track...
Jan 22, 2019•1 hr 4 min
Joe Jackson was born in Dallas, Texas into a musical family; his mother is a former professional clarinetist, and his father, Jim Jackson, a former trombonist with the Fort Worth Symphony, is today a renown recording engineer. Joe chose the trombone at age 12, and during his high school years was the recipient of three Down Beat Magazine “DeeBee” awards. During his tenure at the University of North Texas, Joe studied with Vern Kagarice, Hal Galper, David Liebman, and Don “Jake” Jacoby, played le...
Jan 08, 2019•1 hr 11 min
TBJ101: Intern Listener's Choice. Our first batch of interns for this year fire off some amazing questions for us to tackle. We have always relied on interns to help us carry the ball forward in Pedal Note Media and have ramped up our efforts this year. We are incredibly fortunate to have such talented and intelligent folks helping us out and one of the ways we're trying to return the favor for them is to help them with their own careers and projects. This first batch is about to end their time ...
Dec 25, 2018•51 min
