New Aria Diva Stand Light

I've used a standard Manhassett stand light for quite some time, having bought it in a pinch when the pit was darker than expected one day. In the end, the light did little to alleviate matters, but I made due until recently when I decided to treat myself to a new LED light. I looked at several and ended up soliciting advice from the know-it-alls at The Trombone Forum. Here's the thread.

I ended up with an Aria Diva - it's super bright and easily illuminates the whole stand. I was concerned that the audience or other players would find it distracting, but I asked around and nobody had any issues. Which is more than I can say for standard lights when pointed the wrong way!

Sitting in with Avocates

I heard from a North Shore trombonist I'd played with before with an invitation to sit in with the Avocates Swing Band. The only downside is the location - Beverly. Turns out I'd met a handful of these guys before. The band rehearses at Dane Street Church, the same place where the resident community band plays, also where I'd played the Missud session a while back.

In any case, it was super fun. I played the second book and had a great time sightreading - mostly sightreading anyway. We started off with Bandstand Boogie, which I hadn't played or heard since I played it in high school! It came flooding right back, though, and I powered through with nary a missed note or rhythm, garnering accolades from the git-go.

The band is fun and interesting, just a pain in the neck to get to. If I can manage it, I hope to play regularly with them.

Oklahoma!

Last weekend, we wrapped up Oklahoma! And once again, a wonderful orchestra experience. I love playing with SLOC. The production is always top-notch, but this group holds a special place in my musical heart since I played my first musical since 1982 with them in 2010 with the Music Man. And what better musical to return to for a trombonist?

I also gained a real appreciation for Oklahoma! during the production, particularly the sophistication of the musical themes and the use of classical dance in the Dream Ballet and elsewhere.

And it's always a pleasure to share the pit with Bob (below).

My part this time was the "optional" 2nd trombone part. I quickly began to appreciate that in this case "optional" is by no means "extraneous!" The part didn't have as many notes as the 1st part, but the range was all over the place - way below the staff to way above. I found myself playing with the trumpets and horns as often as with Bob.

Bob and I will play together in Patience this spring, this time with me on the 1st book.

November 2 CCB Concert

On November 2nd, the Chelmsford Community Band had its first fall concert since I've been with the band (5ish years). The lineup was wonderful - exactly my favorite kind of material. Consensus among the band is that this is one of our strongest concerts in recent years, which I attribute to the hard work of the band but also to our still-new director Lucinda Ellert. She manages to get more out of the band than I would have thought possible, with great insight and patience, but also with dedication and discipline.

Another highlight that made a big difference: Tom Palance came in to work with our trumpet section and was a featured soloist on two of our pieces. Another one of Lucinda's great ideas! I'd love to have a trombone clinician next... but I think we'll probably do a woodwind...

I videoed the whole concert and set up a YouTube playlist, but we haven't circulated it widely. Here's a sample.



And here's our lineup:

• Them Basses
• Cajun Folk Songs
• Pavane
• Prelude, Siciliano and Rondo
• Concertino for Three Brass
• Intermission
• Seventy Six Trombones
• To a New Dawn
• Rose Variations
• Bugler’s Holiday
• Concert Etude

Tips & tricks for recording with a Zoom H2

I've never been terribly convinced by my Zoom H2 Handy Recorder. Still, it does a reasonable job. I started getting much better results (and less stress!) after finding this comprehensive post describing what settings to use:

http://zoomforum.us/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=9745

Interested in the results? Here's one example on Soundcloud.

Great band scheduling app!

Our band struggles a bit to keep track of the comings and goings of members.... who's coming to rehearsal tonight, do we have enough euphoniums for the concert, etc. So I sent a message out to a band group I belong to asking for some advice. I've used a Google spreadsheet for ages, but it's laborious to fill in and not a great management tool.

So, within an hour, I got a message from the leader of the Nottingham Concert Band recommending Muzodo. It looks fantastic! Seems to do just what I wanted - I can manage attendance, share schedules, and look at coverage by instrument and chair. Exciting! (Nothing like being both a band geek and an IT geek....)

A Strings Family?

So, this will be Gemma's third year on cello. She really likes it, and she's good. Today, Elsa starts on viola.

When I went to pick up her instrument earlier this week, the rep from Rayburn saw that Gemma plays cello and said, "Ah, so you're a strings family!" I said, "No, we're a brass family and my two daughters are aberrations!"