In my position at South Texas College, I conduct the large Symphonic Band, a medium-sized group called the Chamber Winds, and the small Brass Ensemble. I had done some conducting before, but never as such a large part of my daily activities. Prior to my appointment at the college, I was primarily a performer, with teaching a […]

This past school year, I had the good fortune to judge two solo competitions. In both cases, the field was open to all musical instruments, and I was there to represent the brass family on the panel. I was excited about these opportunities, because I get very tired of seeing violinists, cellists, and pianists in front of […]

December is sometimes called “Brass Players Get To Eat Month” because of the relative abundance of performance opportunities in general, and gigs for brass players in particular. For whatever reason, brass music is associated winter holidays. On the one hand, it’s very nice to have a few extra dollars to help fund holiday travel. On […]

The summer before my sophomore year of high school, I attended Interlochen Arts Academy and played in the High School Concert Orchestra — second in quality to the World Youth Symphony Orchestra. About halfway through the summer, I had the opportunity to challenge into the top group, and the piece we played for that audition […]