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Trumpet Method Book Review: Verzari
Many trumpeters go to a music store and thumb through books on shelves hoping to find something cool and interesting. This is one of those instances for me. Sometime between 2005 and 2007 I came across a trumpet method book by Sandro Verzari using this very strategy of discovery. The “Exercises on the emission of fundamental…
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Podcasts
There aren’t many ways to occupy your time while driving to and from work. Especially with when you have a four year-old diva sitting in the back seat belting out the hits like she preparing for an audition to “the Voice”. Before my kid, I had time to decompress after a long day, take long…
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Fascinating Things
I was told today that I have a “child like fascination with everything related to space”. I took a moment to think about it and came to the conclusion that this person was right. Soon after I felt good about the nice way I was called a geek. It’s been a while since that’s happened…
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Balance
I’d like to think that I have a certain amount of balance in my life. If I keep to my routines I feel whole and complete. As a musician-educator there are few opportunities to work both sides of my professional life equally and with the same intensity. One will usually be stronger than the other,…
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Book Review – from a trumpeter?
When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Origins of Hip Hop I love this book. The story of the birth of hip hop in a format I can share with my daughter…Outstanding work! Many thank and congratulations to Laban Carrick Hill and Theodore Taylor. For more information about Laban Carrick Hill, check…
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Modern Music
At one point in my early musical life, I became a fan of modern classical music. So much so that I remember not listening to anything that wasn’t written before 1952. I thought I knew something none of my high school friends were hip enough to know about. It was my little secret. When ever…
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My Kid And Me
Parenting seemed like fun when I wasn’t a father. I have a 4 year old girl, and she is what we call “a spirited child”. Since I am a middle school teacher I knew I didn’t have any real answers to the question of parenting. I was also armed with the knowledge that I didn’t…
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Miles Davis on my mind
While having a conversation with a students I said “I’m not the biggest Maynard Ferguson fan in the world, but I really like his recording of I Can’t Get Started With You.” The student gave the impression that there are not enough Maynard fans around here, and that we worship Miles Davis. I looked at…
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Schlossberg Routine
This is a routine Chris Gekker put together using exercises from Max Schlossberg’s Daily Drills and Technical Studies. The routine is broken into three sections (A,B and C) to help give players a variety of options. Chris Gekker’s, “Schlossberg Routine” Pick a routine a day Routine “A” pg. 3, # 9 quarter note =40 pg. 4,…
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Things I learned from my students
I was blown away by two statements made by middle school students I teach. The first made me wonder about the way independent thought is formed and the other is just an impressive thought I want to share. “Footsteps and echoes of the environment demand to be heard through something. That something is music.” “Chapstick…
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Ed Castro's Blog 