By Jessica Ducharme I have been giving the idea of having a “musical hero” a lot of thought recently. What is a hero or heroine really? A hero/heroine can be defined as: A person who [...]

Origins Musicians have been improvising for as long as there has been music. When prehistoric man first banged on a makeshift drum, or blew down a hollowed out bone with holes in it, he had [...]

As 2011 draws to a close, the timeless classic “What a wonderful world” sung here by Louis Armstrong comes to mind. It has been another year of ups-and-downs, both in the brass playing world, and [...]

As a veteran of several institutions of higher learning – both as a student and as a teacher – I have what I consider a worthy concern about a vital element missing from the curriculum [...]

Being a response to some statements taken from interviews by notable alternative rock and pop musicians Thom Yorke (of Radiohead) and Lady Gaga, my commentary relies on a few of their words to make its [...]

Author’s Note: I actually wrote the following post while watching the men’s World Cup tournament in South Africa last year, but as the final match of the women’s World Cup in Germany has just been, [...]

By Joe Young I often forget that simply discussing music with other musicians brings me great joy. Today I found myself discussing what makes performances successful and worthwhile in our ever-changing society and culture. The [...]

As brass musicians, we often lament our short history, and the supposed corresponding deficiency of old music and instruments, particularly when compared to that of strings, piano, and even woodwinds. “They have hundreds of years [...]

This was originally drafted as a comment on Raquel’s fantastic article titled “The State of American Orchestras”, though its length quickly lent itself to a response post. Please read Raquel’s article here and comment on [...]

I’ve been reading articles, blogs and points of view from pundits, board members and administrators on the state of American orchestras. Not because it’s fun and exciting reading material, but because American orchestras seem to [...]