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  1. Two Sterling Euphonium Options

    There are a couple options on the Sterling Virtuoso that I have mentioned before. To add some clarity, here are some photos.


    First, here is the heavy bottom cap for the 4th valve:





    The horn is usually shipped with both the normal and heavy cap for the 4th valve so you can compare them. The heavy cap adds a bit more "authority" to the sound, but using it is a matter of personal preference.


    The photo below shows the Amado ...
  2. Part 4 of Arthur Lehman's Article About Harold Brasch

    The 4th article about Harold Brasch (written by another euphonium legend, Arthur Lehman) is now online. It offers some more insights about Harold's remarkable playing.


    Here is an excerpt:


    Another strange - well, maybe not strange but unusual, now a days - instrument he owned was a Czech valve trombone. It was a tenor trombone - brass, not plated. He had at one time played Mantia's arrangement of "Original Fantasie" on a Navy Band radio broadcast. Sounded pretty ...
  3. Panel Discussion - Careers in Low Brass

    At the year's International Euphonium Institute, there was a panel discussion, or round-table, on the topic of careers for tuba or euphonium players. The panel included Adam Frey, David Childs, David Werden, Brian Bowman, Martin Cochran, Kevin Wass, and Eugene Dowling. We all discussed our own history and also took questions from the audience.


    The recording of the event is available on the Euphonium-Tuba forum, in the Downloads for Members Only section. You must be logged in as ...
  4. Elision: Caught in the Middle

    In my previous house I saw starlings in my yard now and then. According to Wikipedia, these are "...small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae." At the time I didn't know what to call them, but I saw them all the time. Later I learned they were "starlings."


    The same is true with "Elision." This is (among other things) a musical term, and it refers to a note that is shared as the last note of one phrase and the first note of the next phrase. For a piece written ...
  5. New Recording Added - Lucas Spiros, euphonium: Ransomed

    We now have a new featured recording in the Downloads for Members Only section of our forum. It features Luke Spiros performing the Salvation Army solo "Ransomed" by George Marshall. Luke was Principal First Chair Euphonium Soloist with the US Marine Band for 23 years and performs this solo with his usual gusto.


    It is available as a free download if you are a member of the forum (membership is free):


    Lukas Spiros - Ransomed
  6. Mouthpiece Extension from the Leadpipe

    One aspect of choosing a mouthpiece is often overlooked - the distance it extends out of the end of the leadpipe's receiver. On the euphoniums I have used for example, a Denis Wick or a Bach mouthpiece seems to extend about the correct distance. That is, it seems like what the manufacturer had in mind and compares well to whichever mouthpiece came with the horn.


    However, some brands seem designed to stick out further. I believe this is partly because they are made for a trombone ...
  7. David Childs - the Hot Canary

    Here's a fun video of David Childs, euphonium, performing the novelty feature Hot Canary. His father, Robert Childs, conducts a 10-piece brass ensemble from the Cory Band. This piece requires some flexibility and fast "rips" to create the desired effects.


  8. James Morrison and Bill Watrous - Flintstones

    There is a great video online of the jazz trombonist Bill Watrous and the jazz trumpeter (plus euphonium, etc.) James Morrison. They do a hot rendition of the Flintstones theme with the Daryl Mckenzie Jazz Orchestra.


    It can be instructive to watch other low brass perform. Watrous is a jazz/studio player, and hence does not usually need to project the way a typical tuba or euphonium player do. There are some good shots of Watrous' embouchure. Notice how stable it remains as he ...
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