TromboneChat

I play mainly with a trombone quartet, where I play bass when the 4th part goes below the staff. I'm not really a bass player, but the other players show up with straight horns or a 36b, so I'm the last man standing, I guess. I get to play lead here and there when the other three parts aren't too low. We also have a traditional brass quintet that we get together for special occasions.

I also play in a local chamber orchestra, which is off season right now. I'm usually on principal there, but sometimes I take third to spread it around and give the other guys a chance. I used to play in a local big band but I'm switching to a college trombone choir. Like a lot of people, I only have so much spare time, and deciding where to spend it is tough.

The summer is a little lean, with only the quartet active, so I'm playing with Band In a Box to learn some standards, improve improv and other stuff.

Yesterday I had one band practice in the morning with the New Horizons band and was planning on one more in the evening with the "big" band. As we were getting ready to start in the morning, our conductor gets a phone call and finds out someone made a mistake and the third band I'm in, which he also conducts, is supposed to perform that evening instead of tonight. Great!
So...after performing in the early evening, I wrapped up quickly, hopped in my car and drove over to catch the second half of the "big" band rehearsal. Three bands in one day. That was a lot for me at this point.
The holiday this week has thrown off the schedule for everyone so I doubt I'll encounter this again anytime soon. At least not until Christmas.

just pulling out n driving to Louisville for the last Jamey Aebersold's Summer Jazz Workshop!

leaving Salt Lake City at 22:30!

planned stops in Denver and KC
of course the plan wasto leave at 08:00 this morning! missed that!

blast wrote: ↑Fri Jun 29, 2018 3:06 am Last week of our run of Eugene Onegin . This week Belfast. Heatwave. Doing as little as possible... eating, warming up, show, beer.
There, Isn't that exciting ?
Next week booked for a gig with no trombone parts...
Do I sign the contract or tell them they got it wrong ?
The life of the pro trombonist.....

Chris

So there are parts. I even remember them now I see them...it was over 40 years since I last did it, so I have an excuse.
Glad nothing else is in this week. Too hot for me.

Chris

PhilipEdCarlson wrote: ↑Tue Jul 03, 2018 10:30 pm just pulling out n driving to Louisville for the last Jamey Aebersold's Summer Jazz Workshop!

leaving Salt Lake City at 22:30!

planned stops in Denver and KC
of course the plan wasto leave at 08:00 this morning! missed that!

just made it to Denver!

I played Reflective Mood (Sammy Nestico) with my community band at our big July 4th concert this week. I thought the director was going to put it early in the program, but he put it an hour in, after I had already played first bone on lots of loud sustained stuff. I tried to lay out for most of the 2 tunes leading up to the solo, but I still stepped up the mic with less than fresh chops. RM is not super difficult, but it does have a few optional high C's and one optional high D. I ended up taking the first C down, but made the D and last high C. It's interesting how you can have something practiced to a T and then things go south at show time. I was not used to playing into a mic and only got about 30 seconds of practice on that in warm up. But everyone applauded, so I guess it went OK.

Yeah. Sunday we played Sweet Virginia Breeze, our highest and loudest, at an hour ten minutes in. The highest note is only an Ab, but my chops were pretty tired at that point, trying to balance 11 clarinets and the same number of trumpets. I'll post an mp3 of how it went. I think I played okay, but I hear myself going sharp. I wish I knew how to play brighter on pieces like that.

I played Tuba in the Army for 13 years and left the Army in 1995 due to my father's health issues. (terminal cancer). I continued playing into the late 90s but my son was born in 1999 and in the 2000s I stopped performing mostly due to time commitments. I missed playing and started back in 2015. Very frustrating to have played at a high level and then come back. I was a good tuba player, not great but competent.

I started playing trombone 2 years ago and am playing in a local big band made up of area band directors and a few other musicians. Great band of which I am one of the weaker links. Again, a new experience for me. I've pretty much "moved" to trombone and am playing it in a community/college concert band as well. I started taking lessons a few weeks ago from a local pro in St. Louis. Very very humbling. I just read a nice article from Michael Lake (link below) that I appreciated.

https://www.altobone.com/its-it-too-lat ... bone-well/

I play because I love playing. I know that I'll never have Bill Watrous' (RIP Bill) technique at this point...lol....but that's ok. Playing has been a big part of my life and I will play as long as I'm physically able. I appreciate this site and those of you who are music lovers like me. Cheers!

Back in town... and of course it's over 110 degrees. Heading to the hardware store to find a new slide screw for my contra, and on the lookout for a new small horn.

I do go through a lot of horns, but I really like to have one setup for each instrument that I don't need to change. Just found out recently that the small horn situation isn't where it needs to be. Oh well!

This weekend, hacking through a couple of acts of Die Frau Ohne Schatten (Strauss) with Fulham Opera. It's brutal but we get there, and we're all sweating this weekend.

Then one quintet blow through before shutting down for the summer break.

S

StevenC wrote: ↑Sun Jul 01, 2018 6:27 pm Not only does my wife tolerate all the trombone playing that goes on in and around this house, she really seems to enjoy it. She seems to judge concerts based on how much low brass is featured. It seems strange to me, but it also works for me.

Yes, I am in the same situation. My wife (a piano player who has little feel for playing in/with an ensemble) greatly appreciates band music. With regard to the community bands I've played, she generally remarks that the low brass sounds good and in tune while the other sections play out of tune. On the other hand, in general, the other sections DO play out of tune, and the low brass doesn't.

sf105 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 07, 2018 2:27 pm This weekend, hacking through a couple of acts of Die Frau Ohne Schatten (Strauss) with Fulham Opera. It's brutal but we get there, and we're all sweating this weekend.

Then one quintet blow through before shutting down for the summer break.

S

Haha ! I remember playing with Fulham Opera in my late teens.... good to know it's still there. I played for 7 mins in today's gig.... but it was a 300 mile round trip. Strange world. An old college friend was playing.... I don't think I had seen him since... 40 years.... it was a sort of 'how did your life turn out ?' conversation.

Chris

I play bass trombone in a 70+ year old community band that visits assisted living facilities each week. We learn 2 concerts per year (Christmas and spring) and then tour it around the area to folks who don’t get out often. Often I’m reinforcing either the tuba book or the euphonium book as well as holding down the bass trombone book. Band’s shut down for the summer, so probably 20 of us meet weekly and sightread band pieces and charts from the band’s large music library. Sometimes I’m the “tuba,” sometimes the only trombone. This group also breaks into chamber groups, so I play the tenor book in a little German band and the bass book in a Dixieland group.

I also play tenor in a local reggae band. We just played an after-party last night in a bar that was easily 85F without the lights. Lead guitar, bass, drums, alto sax, and me, all tunes either originals or original covers. Great great opportunity to play stuff that’s just been written by a non-trombonist, and that pushes me out of my preconceived comfort zones. I also play in area pit orchestras as needed for amateur musicals. Always SOMETHING to play!

I joined both of these groups sight unseen and committed myself to try them for at least 3 months. I can’t overstate how important it is to stick around for a while when you’re in a new group. The community band isn’t super-duper great, but the people sure are, and I wouldn’t have known that if I’d bailed after the first rehearsal. Same with the little reggae band, although we do actually make some money. My forum advice would be to always jump at the chance to play and just see what happens.

I am currently using my summer to practice as much as I can. I'm trying to spend a lot of time on my fundamentals after an enlightening lesson with Dr. Pollard at IU. I've had to think a lot about moving my slide faster and buzzing my mouthpiece to help my playing.

Summer camp starts on sunday and that will be the end of my three weeks of heavy practice. Now I will play music for a week with a symphony orchestra. If there is free time I will spend time on further practice.

The past three weeks I've practiced beween one and four hours a day, and there are some changes in my playing that I can notice. To sum "practice helps".

1) My embouchure is more efficient which means I don't waist so much air and can play longer phrases. About the double length compared to before. Comes from a deeper breath and more economic playing. I can now play phrases mp-mf for up to about 15 seconds. I try to improve efficiency further and my goal would be to play 20 second phrases which would cover a four bar legato phrase in 4/4 at a tempo of 60 with some margins.
2) I managed to play the whole book of 15 elementary studies by Tommy Pederson at faster tempo than before.
3) I managed to play through the first half of the book of 15 advanced etudes by Tommy Pederson although not at full speed. It's a progress because earlier I had to give up on some of them. They just left me with frustration. Now they all are within reach. That's a big leap forward.
4) My fretting technique has improved which I think comes from a better controlled embouchure. This means I can now do fast slurs on each of the seven positions from low to high much better than before. As an example I do fast fretting (glisses) from (b) to and back again. I touch every note in between with a full sound on every note. The feel is my lips works just as a camera lense, it opens and closes, but allways seeking the smallest possible opening for the best efficiency. Air is on. Corners are firm. I can feel my bottom lip is pushed slightly forward on the low notes? I definitely feel this study is helping me right now. The feeling of how I do this exercise is complete different from before.
5) My tonguing techniques has also been improved by this better control of the embouchure. I notice I hit notes more accurately all over the horn.
6) I have got a few advice that helped me make progress on the tenor as well as on the bass trombone.
7) I have practiced all major scales on my euphonium to be more intuitive and familiar in the sharp keys.

What's my goal for the future?
I guess I want the feeling of my instrument playing itself. That's the feeling. Until this happens I don't expect anything will sound easy. If it doesn't sound easy it is not going to be music. It hasn't happened yet that my instrument has played by itself. It takes a lot of work to get me there.

/Tom

Playing third in the summer band is going well most of the time. The music in the folder is a mixture of difficulties. One piece spends a lot of time with pedal G and pedal Ab. Playing it makes me feel like a fraud. I don't play this passage well at all.

The "big" community band is done and it was great. Challenging, lots of work and an excellent social atmosphere.

Down to two bands now but in late August I may be able to play in the local junior college night concert band. It's part of the adult education program so I think all you need is a high school education. That will take me through December then I'll just sign up again for spring semester.

Today I had my first rehearsal in a couple of weeks with the band I'm playing lead bone parts for and my chops got really tired really early. That's what happens when you don't go to the gym. You get out of shape.

I'm really jealous of those attending ITF. I would have loved to be there.

Robert

Played bass tbone today in an amateur big band that does a freebie for a nursing home once a month. The bass bone player in the big band I run plays lead and I play bass, great break in routine for the both of us as in my band I play lead and he plays bass. Next week dress rehearsal Monday, big band gig Wednesday (any other Clevelanders here? Brothers Lounge on Detroit, 8 to 10 pm), community band rehearsal Thursday.

brtnats wrote: ↑Sun Jul 08, 2018 5:32 am I play bass trombone in a 70+ year old community band that visits assisted living facilities each week.

I do the same thing in one of my bands except it's a 50+ band...although one of our trumpet players just turned 90! And I'm the only trombone so it's usually 1st bone parts.
I'd like to keep playing for this band even in a few years after I've (hopefully) improved to a point where I'm capable of bigger and better things. I really like what we do for these people in the nursing homes and assisted living facilities. It gives them a small break from their often depressing lives.

Last Tuesday night, the local NW Tasmanian Brass Bands got together for a seminar/workshop with Nigel Seaman who is assistant Band Director for the Corey Band, the worlds top Brass Band.
It was a fantastic night, he may be a Tuba Player, but damn he knows his stuff, and explains everything in such a great and funny way that you don't feel intimidated by his expectations and knowledge. If you ever get a chance to see, or hear him, I highly recommend it.

We are being very spoiled as coming up this Monday, with another combined Band seminar/workshop, this time under former Principle Trombone Player for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Mark Eager.
Mr Eager came down to us a little over a year ago for a similar event, and again, just as it was with Nigel, his insight and tutelage is a fabulous resource for us here in little ole Tassie.
There was some talk about perhaps having a one on one session with some of our soloists, and I would certainly be putting up my hand if there is an opportunity, but time may be against us.

I'll update with a revision of the night when I get a chance.

I am teaching the bone/euph section at a HS band camp for the next couple of weeks. I have never done this before, so it will be an adventure for me and the kids. Fortunately, this is one of the top bands in the whole state, so hopefully they already have good fundamentals. Unfortunately, the bones are playing marching baritones instead of real trombones.

One of many band camps this week! A really great one, good staff and good kids.

Today I'm buying a horn and trying some others. Excited!

Burgerbob wrote: ↑Thu Jul 26, 2018 12:27 pm Today I'm buying a horn and trying some others. Excited!

What are you buying?

StevenC wrote: ↑Thu Jul 26, 2018 12:54 pm

Burgerbob wrote: ↑Thu Jul 26, 2018 12:27 pm Today I'm buying a horn and trying some others. Excited!

What are you buying?

LT16M! Just got it home. Love it already.

I've been pretty fortunate with gigs recently. Played a show in LA (trombone, flugabone, and synths) on July 7th, wrote and recorded all the horn parts for an album in a two-day session last week (I used trumpet, flugelhorn, alto cornet, French horn, and trombone), recorded horn parts remotely for a jingle (trumpets, trombones, bass trombone, and tuba - including a tuba solo!), am playing in the Cincinnati Jazz Festival on the 28th (trumpet, trombone, and synths), and in between all that have had sporadic shows with a funk band I'm in.

During all of this I have been preparing for a cross-country move from Indiana to Los Angeles. Moving, especially cross-country on your own, is a nightmare.

As for my playing deficiencies, right now it's the same old issues: high notes on trumpet and low notes on French horn. I have no idea how horn players do it. Fortunately, I've only had to perform one exposed low horn part (4th horn on Liszt Les Preludes...I don't think the personnel manager realized the 4th part is the most important when he put me on it) and it went fine, but don't ask me to play Heldenleben.

Well this week we have been playing Pagliacci by Leoncavallo in a very large Circus style tent. There are lots of sideshows... face painting, tarot reading, hot dogs, puppets, donkey rides etc. The audience just walks about as the singers and chorus are all around the tent. It is actually very good and great fun. Until yesterday, we had great weather but last night was cold and wet and today looks to be worse. No control over the weather. I have also started coaching on a youth orchestra course. Busy, busy.... but we are on a break soon... we are in the US in August.

Chris

86 Fahrenheit at night 93.2 Fahrenhiet at daytime. This has been for the last four weeks. Numerous fires starts every day even one in my neighbourhood. Some fires are out of control. Thunderstorms and trains are causing most fires but there are also fires started by pyromans. This summers wether is insane. Since we have no aircondition (we don't need one usually) it is very unpleasant. Hard to get some sleep. Climate changes are for real. I have never experienced a summer with four-five weeks of constant warmth over 90 Fahrenheit and no reign. My lawn is dead. I can remember maybe two days of warmth like this in my lifetime (more than 50 years). What to do? I have two fans that I sit by the whole day. I play 20 minutes shifts and then I have to rest. I change shirts often. I want reign and cool whether now. I hate this.

As an answer to my prayers it started to reign now. Hope it will reign for hours.

/Tom

Couple of suggestions for staying cool, Tom:

1. Try sleeping under a damp sheet. As the water evaporates it feels cool.

2. Shower with cooler water than normal. Take a "cool soak" at the end of your usual shower.

3. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but wearing a damp shirt will make you feel cooler. In fact, there used to be a medical treatment that had sufferers wearing wet clothing.

Trying to get rid of my summer chops...
I took it very easy on the musical side last year so it feels as if I am fighting the summer chops from last year!

August will get serious with a big wind band project under the baton if one of the most known wind band composers worldwide, then brass banding will start and chamber orchestra stuff too.

Have to get up to speed on tenor and bass... sold my alto, not enough time

imsevimse wrote: ↑Sun Jul 29, 2018 5:35 am 86 Fahrenheit at night 93.2 Fahrenhiet at daytime. This has been for the last four weeks. Numerous fires starts every day even one in my neighbourhood. Some fires are out of control. Thunderstorms and trains are causing most fires but there are also fires started by pyromans. This summers wether is insane. Since we have no aircondition (we don't need one usually) it is very unpleasant. Hard to get some sleep. Climate changes are for real. I have never experienced a summer with four-five weeks of constant warmth over 90 Fahrenheit and no reign. My lawn is dead. I can remember maybe two days of warmth like this in my lifetime (more than 50 years). What to do? I have two fans that I sit by the whole day. I play 20 minutes shifts and then I have to rest. I change shirts often. I want reign and cool whether now. I hate this.

As an answer to my prayers it started to reign now. Hope it will reign for hours.

/Tom

I'm on vacation in Sweden right now with my family (like almost every year; we love Sweden). No wood fires in this area. Temperatures are a bit extreme, that's true, but we just jump in the lake when it gets too bad. I'm having a great time.

I'm trying to keep my chops in shape as good as I can, by doing some mouthpiece buzzing and free buzzing every day, and playing with a practice mute a bit (yes, I brought my horn). My plan was to get at least half an hour of face time every day this way; this hasn't quite worked out yet... It's going to be tough when I get back.

blast wrote: ↑Sun Jul 29, 2018 3:47 amUntil yesterday, we had great weather but last night was cold and wet and today looks to be worse.

I hope the tent is weather tight...

It's been really hot here too. At this time of year triple digit temps are the norm. I practice in the garage where there is no AC and it's normally around 89 to 91 degrees F so I run a fan while I play. If I keep it at the low setting I don't notice the effect it has on my sound too much. Just a very low flutter.
I have the same conductor for two of the bands I'm in and he's writing over half of our charts for the band I play lead bone parts in. He's really working me on the upper register taking me up to G's and A's above the staff so this is what I've been practicing on the most lately on both the bass and the tenor trombone. I posted a thread about training to improve upper register in the Teaching and Learning forum using the Jason Sulliman approach. I make sure I put some time in on this every day. Right now my target note is F# above the staff. Like he says in his video, it's got to sound easy.
My next concert is in two weeks playing tuba parts on the bass and it's going to be outside which means it will be HOT!

I just got done playing a puppet show called "Wanda And Winky Go To California" based on the children's book of the same name. Unusual orchestra: trombone and piano only. It turned out to be fun and as far as tromboning goes, fairly challenging. A mix of classical music (selections from the Korsakov and Boutry concertos, pieces by Poulanc) and jazz (caravan).

Andrew that did sound like fun. I guess you and the pianist were the pit ensemble?

JohnL wrote: ↑Sun Jul 29, 2018 8:21 am

blast wrote: ↑Sun Jul 29, 2018 3:47 amUntil yesterday, we had great weather but last night was cold and wet and today looks to be worse.

I hope the tent is weather tight...

Mostly

Late notice call last night to help out a local wind band on 1st trombone of 2. Smallish group, doesn't make a huge ff. Took my 24H and spent the evening happily parping away - small-bore noises worked pleasingly well in that context.

Had a sectional with the 2 tenor trombone players of the brass band i will start playing the bass trombone with in September. I was a little nervous before it because i knew both of them a (as amateurs) very good players:
-The one playing 2nd has studied the trombone for a few semesters before switching to becoming a teacher in a school.
-The other one plays all low brass (except tuba) on a high level and also plays with one of the premier "polka-groups" in my region.
So i was a bit anxious if they think my playing will suffice, because last they heard me play was a year ago before i went through cancer treatment.. Seems my playing is back on track! I could hold my own concerning intonation and they complimented me on my rhythm/time feel but told me i could play a fraction louder and be more present in the section, which is fine by me

Looking forward to explore what it means to play in a (british style) brass band!

shider wrote: ↑Wed Aug 01, 2018 4:39 am i could play a fraction louder and be more present in the section, which is fine by me

Looking forward to explore what it means to play in a (british style) brass band!

I am a naturally lpud player, dont know where that comes from. I frequently got the hand in Bruckner, Mahler etc and even in military parades, although I dont make any effort to play louder than the people around me.

I also played a lot of british style brass band. Played with some of the internationally highest level competing bands and under the baton of brass band top shots like James Gourlay or Philipp Harper. Never ever have I been asked to play softer on bass trombone in a brass band, quite the contrary!

Prepare yourself for some really loud and low playing.

Some years ago, on the highest levels you saw some pedal Bb or A. Maybe a G. Now the composers ask us to play pedal F or Eb really loud and sustained. That takes training! Phil Teele embouchure studies are your friend.

Nowadays I stepped back and play in a band competing in a challenger section. But volume requirements are still pretty crazy.

It rather depends on the tastes of the MD. Some can never have too much bass trombone, resulting in some insane sounding balance issues in performance. Others prefer the sound to have a more natural part in the mix.

I've been spending some time on a 1 1/2G this past week!

I never though I'd be playing a 1 1/2G again in my lifetime but I'm really liking it. It is a little harder to be flexible between extreme leaps, into and out of the low and extreme low register, but everything else is so much easier I'm willing to work on my flexibility. I think the mouthpiece switch will be a permanent change

I will play a big band gig at a garden party tomorrow with various players in a temporary band from all around stockholm. "Dress nice" I had planned to go in my gray suit, a white shirt and tie. Unfortunately wether says thunderstorm tomorrow so I have no clue what to were tomorrow.

/Tom

imsevimse wrote: ↑Fri Aug 03, 2018 1:43 pm I will play a big band gig at a garden party tomorrow with various players in a temporary band from all around stockholm. "Dress nice" I had planned to go in my gray suit, a white shirt and tie. Unfortunately wether says thunderstorm tomorrow so I have no clue what to ware tomorrow.

Gray suit, white shirt, tie, and a flotation device. Maybe a set of swim fins.

Sitting at home. This is the second week in a row that my gig got cancelled due to tornado warnings. Too bad I have to be on the road when the decision is made.

The strangest clothes desicion ever. The garden party might be in a tent or in the open air. Might be a meadow with horses. Maybe reign and thunderstorm and hard winds or sunny and very hot. An hour ago a short thunder went over me and the sky opened and water was everywhere but apparently very local. I grabbed my jeans and a red shirt and looked in the mirror. "Dress nice"? No, thats my every day look. It's totally wrong. I prepared the white shirt and now I'm in my gray suit and umbrella heading for this gig. There are two hours by train which means weather can change as I'm getting there. At the moment it is no reign and no thunder and the sun is shining. I'm hoping for the sun for the rest of this day even though the weather man talks about local thunders.

Update: Clothes fine! Gig done. Huge tent placed in meadow with horses. First set; sky opened, all people in tent, reign falls, wet in tent, broken glas on dance floor, warmth, lightnings. Thunders "helped" drummer. Pause! Dinner, speaches, drinks, Second set; Sunny outside. Sunny inside. All sing. Band is happy, guests are happy, folks out of tent. Quit playing! Applous! Oh no, one more? Heading for home. Not wet on outside only on inside.

/Tom

The usual as far as practicing and performing in the two community bands I play in. Last Tuesday the band I play tuba parts in played outside for National Night Out. I really don't like playing out doors. Just not for me.

Then yesterday this happened. My bass was on a the work bench in the garage resting on the bell with the slide hanging over. I was doing something near it, bumped it, had my hands full, couldn't respond fast enough and it fell to the ground. All the tuning slides have little dents now and when I went to take the horn apart, the hand slide wouldn't come off the bell section. I did get it apart but when I did I realized the piece pictured was stuck in the bell section receiver. That piece is actually press fitted into the slide handle and I had inadvertently pulled it out. I'm surprised it's not soldered in place. I wish I had taken a pic of it when it was still "broken". Anyway, I got it fixed today. The rest of the horn is ok thankfully. My old DG isn't as pristine as it used to be.

Also, while I waited for my horn to get repaired I got a chance to try out a Benge 290 bass with a rose brass bell. I didn't really like it other than the nice tone quality of that bell. Very uncomfortable to hold and the hand slide was VERY close to the bell. I had to hold the slide brace with the very ends of my fingertips or else they would bang into the bell when I moved the slide.

You describe a common complaint from King 6B and early 7B/8B owners. These horns were designed to be held with the thumb around the bell brace, and thus yo9u support the weight of the horn with the left hand instead of gripping it with the weakest fingers of the left hand. I will only part with my early King 7B when they pry it from my cold, dead, fingers or can no longer play and need to sell it.

Your complaint about the bell clearance on the 290 is probably similar with the King 8B and the Conn 88HK (9" bell). The horns are basically the smaller bell versions with a larger bell; hence the close slide clearance.

What am I doing? Played a gig this morning for a Senior Center where they were dancing. Actually saw one couple dancing a polka to the polka they usually do a line dance to. I'm a happy caper.

Another season of SPSO coming up, along with the regular singing at church.
SPSO highlights include El Amor Brujo, Three-cornered Hat, Sibelius 2, Dvorak 9, Gershwin Concerto in F, Bernstein On the Waterfront. I've been practicing

I'm playing a big band gig in Maple Valley and Snoqualmie this weekend, and then going to the Vancouver Trombone Week next week. I'll be back, and two more big band gigs @ our local Rodeo (yee haw), and then school's basically back at that point...

I tried to get a little something to eat before heading to rehearsal last night and ended up biting my tongue right on the tip. It wasn't really painful when playing the horn, it was more of a distraction. I kept thinking about it or anticipating it and it messed up my concentration.

There are plenty of other situations that can cause much more discomfort or pain than simply biting your tongue. Like braces for example. My best friend in high school got braces when he was a sophomore and at that time we were taking private lessons together from the same teacher. At one of our lessons he broke down and cried because his lips were bleeding on the inside from the braces digging in. I'll never forget that.

With no gigs or rehearsals for 2 months (YES!!) I have spent the summer working on the Vining range songs book and trying to work up Tommy Dorsey's "Trombonology." That is probably the hardest thing I have every tried to play. It's basically one big long fast lip slup. I am trying to get it to the level where I can play it with my big band, but that is still a ways off. The high range is getting a bit better. That Vining book will wear you out in a fairly short time. I am OK up to the high E flat, but above that, there is still work to do.

The highlight of the summer was going to the STS workshop in Columbus, GA. That event has doubled in size since I went in 2015. What a treat to hear Joe Alessi, Jim Nova, Paul Pollard, etc., in recital every night.

We start our big band back next weekend and I am actually looking forward to getting back into that routine.

And the thing I am most excited about is non trombone - I am registered to do a mountain bike ride from Grand Junction, CO to Moab, UT on the Kokopelli trail the first week of October. That is going to be a blast. Cool temps, great scenery, and hopefully fantastic riding.