Hi John, (a bit off topic but...)

Yes, I've spoken with Ken Wood a few times on the phone. Really nice guy and excellent musician. I take it he's a brass tech at the Band Room but not positive. He told me about how he added a trigger to his 1st slide on an older Besson he played for a long time... maybe New Standard or Sovereign. He now has a Prestige 2052.

A good friend of mine - and excellent tuba player here in S. Florida - used to play in Heights Concert Band too. Not sure of the dates though. Maybe you now him? His name is Bill Barlow. He's originally from TX and played in the Navy Band (not in Wash. DC) during the late '60s early '70s. After service he became a boat captain of large boats. He was real busy during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf. So much so that he had to take off most a whole season playing in our band that year. Small world for sure.