Memories of Steven Mead

[Micah.Dominic.Parsons.]

Hello everyone,

There are many inspirational Euphonium players across the world and one individual who has had a significant impact on me has been Steven Mead. I have taken lessons with Steven Mead since 2012 whichhas lead to a strong friendship.

I was rather curious to know some of your memories of meeting or hearing Steven Mead play!

I look forward to reading your responses in the near future!

Best Wishes,

Micah Dominic Parsons

[MichaelSchott]

I first met Steven in the early1990’d when he was the guest euphonium artist at the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium/Tuba Festival. I had never heard a player with that much technique and showmanship. He could do it all. I remember volunteering to play at one of the clinics. I was so nervous my legs were shaking. Since then I met him many times and he’s always kind and sincere.

[Micah.Dominic.Parsons.]

Hello Michael,

Thank you so much for sharing your memories with me! I have had so many special moments with Steven Mead including travelling to Germany with Steven Mead and Misa Mead and also testing his prototype mouthpieces as well!

I really hope that everything is keeping well at your end!

Best Wishes,

Micah Dominic Parsons

[RickF]

I met Steven Mead for the first time in 2002 at ITEC at Greensboro, NC. A late friend of mine, Bill (Gordon) Wells, and I shared a room at a hotel in Greensboro for that event. After checking in I was getting ice when I saw Steven Mead walking toward me with his gig bag over his shoulder (Steven had just checked in). I introduced myself and said, "I think you know my roommate, Bill or Gordon Wells". He said, "Well sure!". He waited while I got Bill to come out and we chatted for a bit. Bill (known as Gordon by family and close friends) twin nephews, Bill and Jim Gray, started the BBBC (Brass Band of Battle Creek) where Steven Mead often plays principal euphonium. Below is a picture of Steven and Bill when the BBBC toured Europe (sorry, don't know the year).



ITEC-2002 was a great three or four day event and I'll always remember it. Steven Mead and Patrick Sheridan performed on stage for about an hour as one of the events and they were terrific! A strange thing that happened to Steven's horn was his 1st valve got stuck down during one of the pieces. He laughed and told Pat to play something (Pat played, "When You Wish Upon a Star"). Steven then pulled out his first valve and poured some water over it to clear it, and the show went on. Later in the day Steven Mead sat with my late friend Bill Wells and myself for awhile during Riki McDonnell's solo performance (sorry to say Riki McDonnell has passed).

In 2005 I think it was, the BBBC performed at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, FL as part of their Florida tour. Steven Mead performed the piece, "Rule Britannia Variations" (Hartmann). He started off holding a small Union Jack flag while playing. With each variation he raised a larger version of the flag. For the last variation he held what looked like a 6' long flag while playing and holding his horn with just one hand. Just marvelous performance!

After the concert I purchased a couple of Steven Mead's CDs where he was gracious enough to autograph the jackets.

[John Morgan]

While a music director at a school of music in Washington state in the early 2000's, I heard a performance by Steven Mead of "When You Wish Upon a Star". It was really nice and had a nice piano accompaniment. I searched around for the piece with piano accompaniment and could not find it. I then managed to contact Steve directly and asked where I might get that piece and how much I enjoyed his performance of it. He then promptly sent me the piece with accompaniment for no charge at all. I played it at a recital shortly thereafter. That was my first encounter with Steve.

I have since seen Steve at two ITEC's. At the last one in Iowa in 2019, Steve was in the room with the Besson horns when my wife, Linda, and I ventured in. He was holding his rather new gold lacquered Besson. I admired it and was chatting with Steve when he all of a sudden said, here John, have a play on it! Which I did. I played for a few minutes with Steve looking on. It was a nice experience.

I talked with Steve at both of the ITEC's and he was always very kind and genuinely interested in talking with me, and I am sure with others. He is an incredible musician. I saw his masterclass at the 2019 ITEC as well.

[Micah.Dominic.Parsons.]

Hello everyone,

I am absolutely blown away by all the memories which you have shared with me!

I remember going for a lesson with Steven Mead and he pulls out a prototype mouthpiece and asks me to have a go on it. It was only later that I realised that this was the new Dennis Wick SM4X Mouthpiece which was released later that year!

Thank you so much for sharing all your memories of Steven Mead with me!

Best Wishes,

Micah Dominic Parsons

[davewerden]

I have 2 memories that stand out for Steven.

1) Similar to other stories above, I was playing at an event once when I had a college student who was there as well. He was interested in ideas about further study, including possibly a round in England. I mentioned him to Steven and he told me to bring him to over. So I introduced them, and I was quite impressed at the amount of time Steven took to talk things though with my student. Given how busy these events are, carving out such a large chunk for a student you had never met or heard is remarkable.

2) The thing that comes to mind most often when I talk about Steven is what I think was his first solo CD (with the Rigid Containers Band, and it might have been called "Rondo"). He played some very hard stuff, including a piece I brought to the euphonium world from the Doc Severinsen world: Claude Smith's Rondo for Trumpet. But despite all that impressive technical playing, the piece that impressed me the most was Saint-Saens "The Swan." It was SO musical, and also showed a more subtle side of euphonium "technique" that is involved in controlling the long lines and soft entrances.

(That 2nd example is in keeping with other experiences I've had when listening to British brass bands. Musicality is deeply embedded in all they play.)

[MichaelSchott]

I have Rondo on cassette somewhere in my house. I was blown away by the Rondo for Trumpet. Pantomine is on that record as well. You may be thinking of Nessun Dorma as The Swan is not on Rondo. I'd love to get a hold of a CD of it but I don't think they are in print. It's on Spotify for a fee.

[davewerden]

I have Rondo on cassette somewhere in my house. I was blown away by the Rondo for Trumpet. Pantomine is on that record as well. You may be thinking of Nessun Dorma as The Swan is not on Rondo. I'd love to get a hold of a CD of it but I don't think they are in print. It's on Spotify for a fee.

No, I'm thinking of The Swan for sure, but perhaps I was mentally comparing a Swan recording from a different tape where Steven also played with a brass band.

[MichaelSchott]

No, I'm thinking of The Swan for sure, but perhaps I was mentally comparing a Swan recording from a different tape where Steven also played with a brass band.

Thanks Dave.

[bbocaner]

I once sent him an email asking if he knew where I could get felts and springs for my Besson Prestige baritone since he worked closely with Besson in developing that instrument and is known to have a close relationship with them. He said he didn't know but would check on it and get back to me. A few months later he posted on social media that he was headed to Geretsried to work with Besson and I sent him a polite email saying that I had seen that he was heading to a meeting with Besson and reminding him that I needed some place to purchase those consumables and suggesting that maybe he could ask about it while he was there and in response he blocked me from following him on social media.

Jerk.

(it took me three more years of hounding Besson USA representatives and having my local music store call them every week to get the parts that I needed)

[Snorlax]

It is frequently the case that persons in the public eye have one public persona and a private persona 180 degrees off the public persona. In that sense, the euphonium world is no different from many other professions that face a public.

The private persona emerges when the person thinks he is off mic or off camera, and the person is sometimes careless about who hears private contents or observes private behaviors.

[Micah.Dominic.Parsons.]

Hello everyone,

I have really enjoyed reading all your responses on this post!

I have to admit that I have been totally inspired by Steven Mead and have known him since my first lesson with him which took place in January 2012. I am honestly blown away and inspired by his musicality and his passion for the Euphonium!

Best Wishes,

Micah Dominic Parsons