The trombone embouchure as you’ve never seen it before. Not sure what if anything can be gleaned from this in terms of playing technique, but it’s kind of interesting to watch. There are also 2 follow-up videos on YouTube.
Trombone History: Salvation Army
June 30, 2009 By 2 Comments
Added the following photo to the Trombone History Timeline (20th century):
c. 1916—Chicago, Illinois: A photograph of Chicago Salvation Army Band members shows tuba, trombone, horns, trumpets, and cornet (see facing image) (Chicago Daily News negatives collection, DN-0066937. Courtesy of the Chicago Historical Society). The related quote by George Bernard Shaw, from only a few years earlier, is “Many a sinner has played himself into heaven on the trombone, thanks to the Salvation Army” (1907).
Just for Fun–Musical Roller Coaster
June 26, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The ups and downs of music performance.
Roller Coaster from crisoldemusicas on Vimeo.
Trombone History: Painting of Female Trombonist
June 25, 2009 By 1 Comment
Although it has perhaps not been widely known, there are records of female trombonists throughout trombone history, dating back to the 16th century. The Trombone History Timeline shows, for example, entries from 1594, 1600, 1613, 1618, 1630, and 1632 that detail activities of trombone-playing nuns in the Italian cities of Ferrara, Venice, and Bologna. The following painting by Italian Pietro Paolini (or his school), dating from c. 1625, offers a rather clear representation of a female trombonist among a group of musicians (source: Patrizia Giusti, Pietro Paolini: pittore lucchese, 1603-1681. Maria Pacini Fazzi editore in Lucca, 1987, p. 158).
Pietro Paolini, Gruppo di giovani suonatori con vaso di fiori
Brian Bowman on Euphonium: Beautiful, Lyrical Playing
June 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Simple but beautiful. A euphonium clip from another one of my former teachers, Brian Bowman, now euphonium professor at University of North Texas. Hard to find a better euphonium sound anywhere. Trombonists can learn from the lyrical approach as well…
Trombone Giants
June 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Another of my former teachers, Scott Hartman, with 4 other great trombone players.
Breathing: Pulmonary Function Calculator
June 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Johns Hopkins now has a free online pulmonary function calculator that computes predicted values for some of the most common breathing measurements. Predicted values are simply the amounts that medical professionals would expect, based on basic individual data–in this case, a person’s age, height, and gender. They are extrapolated from broad demographic studies; you will notice that the Johns Hopkins site actually includes multiple possible values, based on the various separate studies.
Two particular measurements, vital capacity and FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 second), are of special interest to brass musicians, as discussed in articles elsewhere on this site. They can be measured relatively easily on your own with a pocket spirometer and a peak flow/FEV1 meter. Predicted values for these measurements simply provide a means for comparing your breathing measurements with those of the average person of your same age, height, and gender.
Trombone History: Moravian Trombone Choir
June 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Added 3 images from 1944 to the Trombone History Timeline (20th century). Three photographs, which show soprano, alto, and tenor trombones, document a Moravian trombone choir performance in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Taken by Howard R. Hollem, they bear the title “The Moravian trombone choir which plays chorales before the opening of each performance of the Bach choir,” and belong to the American Memory collection of the Library of Congress. Numerous other timeline entries, dating back to the 18th century, detail the extensive Moravian trombone choir tradition in trombone history.
Trombone on Star Trek
June 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Just for Fun–trombone on Star Trek. Since Star Trek is having a bit of a resurgence.
Murray Crewe on Contrabass Trombone
June 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Bass trombonist of the Pittsburgh Symphony, Murray Crewe (one of my former teachers), on his contrabass trombone. The better to Bartok with…