What Does It Mean...?

What does it mean to have it all?
...a plan a hope a dream a goal...

fast and slow
high and low
big and small
can we have it all?
what should we aim for?
where is the key to the door?
what door--all doors?
where is our door?

learn from all
whether tall or small
famous or not
it's what they've got

can we listen to our inner ears..?
sometimes far, sometimes near
it's ok to shed some tears
it can be healthy to look at our fears

to be oneself in the midst of peers

to stand in the crowd and feel clear
it's irrelevant whether they cheer...

it's ok to be you
and if you're in a stew
feeling a bit blue
begin simple and anew
start with what you can do.


Some music, on a similar frequency, for your enjoyment...
Excerpt from At Far, Brought Near
on my "Anew at Home" CD.
MP3 single available on iTunes.

Rover and The Red Scooter

While recording and performing "The Red Scooter" (one of the pieces from my collection of unaccompanied solos, "You Are Not Alone..."),
I often would think of my childhood companion and friend, my dog Rover. He would run with me up and down hills when I would be riding my bike. We would wrestle in the snow and jump into a big pile of Fall leaves. Rover would come to school and wait for me.

Rover was the kind of dog that kids dream of having. He loved to play with us all the time and he felt like one of us kids. Sometimes, at night, when parents in the neighborhood would call out the name or names of their children to come inside, my father would yell out, "Norman! Marcey! Neal! Rover!" Sometimes, he would get mixed up and call one of us kids "Rover"!

"The Red Scooter" is a playful piece about having childlike fun. The next time you play (or listen to) it, connect to some fun childhood circumstance of your own and enjoy the ride!

Here is a sound clip of "The Red Scooter" from my "Anew at Home" CD.

[For those interested: An MP3 of "The Red Scooter" is available as a single track on iTunes. The printed music for this piece is included in the unaccompanied trombone solos collection, "You Are Not Alone."]

Blinded by Sound

Master Manlon was having a master class on "Resonance." Here, he is in the middle of a dialogue with Selby, an oboist...

Master Manlon: "So, is there any objective way we can assess what makes a sound a 'good' sound or a 'bad' sound? Yes, Selby?"

Selby: "Is this the question we should be asking? Doesn't it depend on the context of the music, what would make a sound appropriate or 'good' for that circumstance?"

Master Manlon: "Ahhhhhh! So, any sound could be a 'good' sound, if it fits the occasion or a specific piece of music?"

Selby: "That's what I would think, but we do have our personal likes and dislikes. I know what kind of oboe sound I like."

Master Manlon: "If you hear another oboe sound that is different to the one you like, can you still hear the music the person is making?"

Selby: "To be honest, it does get in the way of my hearing other qualities, at times, and does challenge me to listen beyond my own concepts."

Master Manlon: "I thank you for your honesty and openness. You have just hit at the root of prejudice."

Selby: "Excuse me, sir?"

Master Manlon: "Blinded by sound. Blinded by appearance. Blinded by that which is different to oneself. The root of prejudice or the potential seed for prejudice to grow, if not educated or directed into a broader perception."

[end of excerpt]

A lot of brass players--in fact, instrumentalists, in general--classify sound according to 'dark' and 'bright.' Oftentimes, 'bright' can mean 'bad' and 'dark' can mean 'good.' Oftentimes, 'bright' can mean a 'thin' sound and 'dark' can mean a 'full' sound. In my estimation, this is not accurate. I have heard resonant, beautiful, full 'bright' sounds and very dull, thick, heavy, unvibrant 'dark' sounds. To add to this, not everyone agrees what a 'dark' or 'bright' sound is!

If we are blinded by our concept of sound, it is no different than a person who is physically attracted to a certain body-type. Not all the time is their 'ideal' body-type full of content.

I would encourage those interested (the next time you listen to players), to try to hear what the players are communicating beyond ones own school of thought of what is 'good' playing and 'good' sound.

One good exercise in broadening ones concept of sound is to listen to many different kinds of players and feel the unique flavor, texture and substance of that sound. For example, I play trombone. But I don't always think of sounding like a trombone. Sometimes, I go for the haunting sound of a wooden flute or the intensity of a romantic cello or the crispness of a sharp bassoon staccato. I try to use all the instruments and have them be a part of my sonic palette.

[Note: There is a relationship between the above post and my "If the Shoe Fits..." post. Also, the above dialogue with Master Manlon is from my book in progress, "The TAC Legend Writings." To read previous excerpts from the book, click here and here.]

Frog Concert

We looked down in an area of tall reeds and saw this frog who was sitting in perfect silence. In the very next moment, it began. One low short tone followed by another and another, coming from many different places around the small pond.

Slight variations in pitch, rhythm and timbre, moving with breathtaking momentum, surround sound. Holographic, rhythmically complex, making sense, yet totally mystical and personal.... We were the only human listeners. Awesome, magical and totally natural. A special, unannounced concert for us.

Perfect timing. My father passed away the very next day. The concert said to us (Carol and I), 'Enjoy the beauty when it is happening; try to see the marvel and the wonder of life. Always tune to the vital As of Attitude, Appreciation and Awe.'

The frog concert ended as suddenly as it began. Just like life itself.

The frog concert--for us and all the other lives that witnessed it.

A moment of eternity, sanity and peace.

Reading at the Speed of Sight

Just because you can do something currently, doesn't mean you will always be able to do it. Take sight-reading, for example.

When I was growing up, and until I got into the orchestra, I was an excellent sight-reader. That's what I was told by others and I knew myself that I was pretty good at it. This ability stayed with me through my Empire Brass days--all of those guys were GREAT sight-readers.

After I left the group, the need for me to sight-read difficult music occurred much more infrequently. Occasionally, we would get a Boston Pops piece in the morning and have to play it on a TV show that evening. The same with Pops recording sessions. A piece would turn up in the handwritten manuscript of the composer (oftentimes, divisi) and then the recording light would go on! Time for the first run through! But there was no demand for me to sight-read on a regular basis. Since I knew what the orchestra would be playing a year or more in advance, I started to see my sight-reading get rusty.

Then I noticed a lot of students sight-reading was not very good. So, I decided to write a sight reading book using four clefs (treble, alto, tenor and bass). I titled the book "Reading at the Speed of Sight."

The book is not easy at all and was designed in such a way that most of the studies are not predictable in their harmonic outline. In other words, they are not meant to be beautiful nor meaningful in their musical content. The purpose is to develop sight reading-skills or to improve the sight-reading ability we have--or used to have!

Many musicians who are freelance artists need to be able to sight-read. Many times they are called to play at a moment's notice and having good sight-reading skiills is valuable and impresses the employer and fellow musicians.

Sight-reading, in my experience, used to play a bigger role in orchestra auditions than it does nowadays. But don't use that as an excuse not to work on it. In additon to the reasons already mentioned, it's good for your brain! :-)

In the book, I include several different methods of approach which have proven to be very effective. Also included in the book are 20 sight-reading duets. They were inspired by Bartok's violin duets, in a certain kind of way, because, in sight-reading, assumption can be the mother of all screw ups! :-)

I think "Reading at the Speed of Sight" is an excellent book for advanced players--students or professionals who want to keep and build upon this very useful skill. It is available on the Studies area of our website, along with other texts and exercises. By the way, you can download (in pdf format) the first two etudes for free! Those are the easy ones--though not as easy as they look! ;-)

Meeting Woody Herman

At the time I was taking lessons from
Ed Von Hoff, my mother took me to hear Woody Herman and his band. At the intermission we actually got to meet him and someone took this picture. It was 1965 and I was 10 years old. It was such a thrill to hear and meet him, let alone get to take a picture with him!

At the break, I also met the trombone player. I wish I could remember his name. I went up to him and said I played trombone too. He said, "Great, maybe you will be playing up here one day." I said I wanted to be in an orchestra. He smiled at me. Then, I innocently said to him, "I saw you puffing your cheeks when you were playing. I thought you weren't supposed to do that?" He looked at me, smiled again, and said, "Well, you are right. I shouldn't be. But I am."

Tribute to My Teachers: Edward Von Hoff

It has been almost 43 years to the day that I started playing trombone. I'll never forget that day when my beloved mother took me to the music store and we rented my Olds Ambassador trombone. I felt so proud as I walked down the street carrying my new trombone.

I was astonished when we were walking down the street and this man said, as he walked past me, "Well, young man, I see you have a trombone!" I looked at my mother and said, "How did that man know that?" My mother responded by saying, "Maybe the different instruments have their own special cases."

After I received my six free lessons at the music store (which was part of the deal when you rented from this store), I started taking lessons from a band director and music teacher in the St. Paul puplic school system. His own instrument was trumpet and his name was Edward 'Ed' Von Hoff.

He took me as a student because he used to live next door to my mother many years before. His house was a half mile from where we lived. I remember that walk as if it were yesterday.

He was a very thorough teacher. Each week I had to learn a scale, memorize a little piece and do some sight reading. If I played out of tune, he would stop me and say, "Normie, do you smell that?" He had a great sense of humor. Every time I would empty my spit valve, he would tell me to empty my spit into a glass, put it into the fridge, then serve it to guests. He said they would love it! I laughed so hard I thought I would fall over!

After two years of studying with Mr. Von Hoff, he told me that I should take from a trombonist.

I learned a lot from him. He loved music. He would always try to come to other concerts I was in later on to hear me play.

Just for the record, I never served any one that special cold drink--yet!
:-)