Music Lesson Marathon: Brass

Make Music Day

Presented by

Brass Lessons: Monday, June 21

All lessons will be livestreamed on Zoom at this link.

1:00 PM EDT: Accessing Creativity Through Technical Awareness
John Fedchock [FB] [SITE]

Targeting common technical hurdles to facilitate creativity as a jazz artist.

Since his emergence on the scene in 1980, John Fedchock has established himself as a world-class trombone soloist, a heralded bandleader, and a Grammy-nominated arranger. An in-demand performer and writer in New York City for over 25 years, his critically acclaimed John Fedchock New York Big Band has become a marquee group, showcasing Fedchock’s trombone and arranging as well as the band’s all-star soloists. The band’s four CDs have all received high praise from critics and extraordinary success on national jazz radio charts. In recognition of his formidable arranging skills, Fedchock received a 2003 Grammy Award nomination for “Best Instrumental Arrangement”. His John Fedchock NY Sextet has performed throughout the U.S. and at international jazz events, and his John Fedchock Quartet has received considerable attention due to significant national jazz airplay. Fedchock began his career as a jazz trombonist with the legendary Woody Herman Orchestra. He toured with Herman’s “Thundering Herd” for 7 years, during which time he was musical director and a featured soloist. He served as musical coordinator and chief arranger in the production of Herman’s last two Grammy Award nominated albums. Fedchock has toured with T.S. Monk, Gerry Mulligan’s Concert Jazz Band, Louie Bellson’s Big Band and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, and has performed as a soloist around the world.

2:00 PM EDT: Creative Practicing: Staying Engaged While Having Fun in the Practice Room
Andrew Hitz [FB] [SITE]

Andrew Hitz is a soloist, clinician and speaker who has appeared in over 40 states and 30 countries including Japan, Brazil, Russia and Singapore. He is probably best known for his time as the tuba player and co-owner of Boston Brass. Andrew has also performed with the National Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Kennedy Center Honors Orchestra, Alarm Will Sound and as a soloist with the U.S. Army Blues and the Marine Band of Mexico. As an Educational Ambassador for Jupiter Band Instruments, Andrew has presented at over 20 state music educator conferences and taught master classes at some of the finest music schools in the world including the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, the Royal College of Music in London and The Juilliard School in New York City. He is a host of The Brass Junkies and The Entrepreneurial Musician as well as the founder of Hitz Academy, an online school featuring lessons, clinics and live workshops like Inside the Practice Room and Winning the Audition.

3:00 PM EDT: “The Brass Pillars” – Covering the Basics for an Effective Warm Up Routine
Buddy Deshler [FB] [SITE]

Trumpet Artist Buddy Deshler is an ambassador for the transformative powers of the arts, champion of living composers, and agent for change in the instrumental music field. His bourgeoning career has taken him around the country, as well as internationally, and has allowed him to share the stage with ensembles such as the King’s Brass, The Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass, Foden’s Band, his own Vice City Brass, The Phoenix Brass Collective, and as of 2017, the illustrious Dallas Brass. In addition, Buddy has performed with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, York Symphony, Williamsburg Symphony, Delaware Symphony, Washington Chamber Orchestra, Concert Artists of Baltimore, American Festival Pops Orchestra, and more. His international performances have taken him to Le Domaine Forget in Quebec, the Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada, and Santiago de Cuba. As a performing artist for XO Brass, Denis Wick, Smith-Watkins cornets, and Hercules stands, Mr. Deshler tours nationally, conducting lectures and clinics everywhere from middle school through college students. His educational programs and masterclasses focus on sound pedagogical approaches to practice and the business acumen necessary for a modern career in music. His clinic, “The Entrepreneurial Student”, instills the idea that one can develop and execute the skills necessary to jump start a career in music while still being a “student” and has been presented at numerous colleges throughout the United States. As an educator, Mr. Deshler serves as President, Artistic Director and Co-Founder of the nonprofit organization “Brass Institutes of America” which encompasses the The Fredericksburg Brass Institute and Tidewater Brass Institute, two weeklong summer music festivals offering a rich immersion in master classes and seminars, large and small ensembles, instrument exhibits, participant recitals, and free concerts featuring renowned guest artists. Deshler is also an active member of the International Trumpet Guild by occupying the role of Youth Day Coordinator as well as being a frequent session host of Trumpet Ensemble Reading Sessions and Chamber Music seminars. Buddy presently resides in Potsdam, NY where he serves as Visiting Assistant Professor of Trumpet at SUNY Potsdam, Crane School of Music. He holds a B.M. in Instrumental Performance and an Artist Diploma from the Frost School of Music, University of Miami, a M.M. from the Peabody Institute, Johns Hopkins University, and is completing his D.M.A from Arizona State University. His primary teachers have included Phil Snedecor, Craig Morris, and Josef Burgstaller.

4:00 PM EDT: Clean Your (Practice) Room! – Declutter Your Physical and Mental Space to Streamline Your Progress
Lance LaDuke [FB] [SITE]

Learn actions you can take TODAY to get rid of the excess “stuff” in your LIFE (and in your HEAD), so you can focus on what is TRULY important.

Internationally known as an educator, performer, and creator, Lance LaDuke teaches at Carnegie Mellon University as Assistant Teaching Professor in Music Entrepreneurship and Euphonium. Lance teaches business, marketing and communications (as part of the CMU Music Entrepreneurship Program), euphonium, created the Modern Musicking Show, co-created the Exploded Ensemble and directs the Tartan Tuba Band. Additionally, he coaches and mentors a variety of budding entrepreneurs and chamber ensembles. Lance is a former member of Boston Brass and the US Air Force Band in Washington DC, has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra the Pittsburgh Symphony, the River City Brass and the Brass Band of Battle Creek. He has taught and/or given masterclasses at some of the world’s finest conservatories, including Juilliard, the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Lance co-wrote and produced “ Band Blast Off, ” a highly successful band recruiting video and maintains an active speaking career, sharing his thoughts on entrepreneurship, practice, leadership, and self-development. His book, “Music Practice Coach, Five Workouts to Get the Most Out of Your Practice Time!” is available as a free PDF download through this site. Lance is an Educational Ambassador for Jupiter Band Instruments and is the co-host of The Brass Junkies Podcast.

5:00 PM EDT: The Secret Recipe of Jazz Trombone
Darren Kramer [FB] [SITE]

Natural Slurs, Alternate Positions, Ghosting Notes, Doodle Tonguing: Learn how to quickly improve your groove by combining four fundamental ingredients into your own powerful “Sonic Tonic” recipe for playing any style of music with smooth effortless trombone technique.

Darren Kramer has been a professional musician for 35 years working as a full-time freelance trombonist, pianist, composer, arranger, producer, and educator throughout the globe. He achieved virtually every accolade as a trombonist while an adolescent growing up in Colorado including every All-State group and the prestigious McDonald’s All-American High School Jazz Band his senior year. Kramer then soon graduated from University of Miami and freelanced extensively in Miami, Las Vegas, NYC and Denver. He has toured internationally with Rob Thomas rock band Matchbox Twenty, superstar Tom Jones, the legendary Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, as well as Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies Broadway Tour directed by Mercer Ellington. Kramer has performed with dozens of celebrities and has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman and VH-1 Storytellers. He has also recorded with artists such as Michael Brecker, Eric Marienthal, Rick Margitza, Jerry Hey and Gary Willis.

6:00 PM EDT: Efficiency in Brass Playing
Roger Ingram [SITE]

A discussion on how to achieve added range, greater control of partials, increased accuracy and a fuller sound through a better understanding of aperture/embouchure movement, airspeed regulation, volume management, and the creation of internal compression.

Roger Ingram is one of the most sought after and prolific jazz lead trumpet players of our time. He grew up in Los Angeles in the 1970s and was fortunate to study, perform, and record with some of Hollywood’s most successful studio musicians of that era. Roger has participated in hundreds of recordings with some of the most well-known jazz and pop artists. He has also performed on a multitude of movies scores and tv/radio commercials. Roger’s first road tour was with the Louie Bellson Big Band at age 16. The following summer, he toured with the Quincy Jones Big Band. He went on to play lead trumpet with the Connie Stevens Show, and the international pop star Tom Jones. In the early 1980s, he was immersed with playing production shows on the world renowned Las Vegas strip. After Las Vegas, he joined the Woody Herman Orchestra on lead trumpet in 1985, and remained with him until Herman’s death in 1987. Afterwards, Roger toured and recorded with dozens of performers, including Maynard Ferguson, Chico O’Farrill, Arturo Sandoval, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Ray Charles, Paul Anka, and a 20 year stint with the Harry Connick, Jr. Big Band. In between tours, Roger also actively participated in commercial recordings and Broadway productions in New York City.

7:00 PM EDT: Jazz Improvisation
Paul McKee [SITE]

Paul McKee, newly appointed Associate Professor of Jazz Trombone and Arranging/Composition at the University of Colorado at Boulder, received a BME from the University of Northern Iowa and an MM in Composition from the University of Texas at Austin. In 1984 he joined Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd and appeared on several Grammy-nominated recordings. Over the years Paul has served on the jazz faculty at schools including DePaul University, Youngstown State University, Northern Illinois University, the University of Missouri at Kansas City and Florida State University. Paul maintains a busy schedule as a clinician and guest artist, and his arrangements and compositions have been performed and recorded by professional and academic jazz ensembles worldwide. His recording Gallery was released to critical acclaim and features performances by Carl Fontana, Bobby Shew, Tim Ries and Ron Stout. Paul recently appeared on the recording Back When It Was Fun with 7 on 7, a group comprised of musician/educators from colleges across the nation. Additional recent recordings include big band projects by Dan Gailey (University of Kansas) and Steve Owen (University of Oregon).

8:00 PM EDT: Skill vs. Talent!
Patrick Sheridan [FB] [SITE]

Learn the neuroscience of improving anything!

Patrick Sheridan is one of the most celebrated tuba soloists in his instrument’s history. He has performed more than 3,500 concerts in over 50 countries in venues ranging from the White House to NBA half-time shows to the Hollywood Bowl. He is a former member of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band and has been featured on NBC’s “Today Show” and NPR’s “All Things Considered.” Beyond his busy performing life, Patrick’s commitment to education is extensive. His wind students occupy positions in major international ensembles. Mr. Sheridan has served on the music faculties at Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, The Rotterdam Conservatory, The Royal Northern College of Music and The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. He most recently served on the music faculty at the UCLA where he conducted the Brass Ensemble and Wind Ensemble and taught tuba/euphonium. Along with Sam Pilafian, he is the co-author of the world’s best selling method for instrumental improvement, The Breathing Gym, which won the 2009 EMMY Award for Instructional/Informational Video Production. He is the Chief Design Consultant for Jupiter Band Instruments, XO Brass, and Hercules Stands. Patrick also frequently works across the United States as a guest conductor with university bands and orchestras as well as high school and middle school all-state and regional honor bands and orchestras most recently serving the the Nebraska All-State Band Conductor. Patrick is a member of ASCAP and an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi.