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Jazz musicians will recognize the tunes. If you're like me and enjoy some of these tunes, you probably won't make it through this movie.
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Pics of the horn
So a few weeks ago, I was on a big band gig in downtown St. Louis. The gig was dinner music for the local USO. Great group of people, both civilians and military. The band, who I sub with a few times a year, sounded great. I was also happy with how I played throughout the night. All in all, the gig was a great success...up until one of the trumpet players, not paying attention to where he was pulling a cord, knocked my horn (stilling on a stand) over, putting a rather vicious dent into the slide. It was probably one of the worst ways to end a gig. I took the horn to my friend and trusted repair tech in the area and the pictures below are his work. Not only did he fix the slide, he also stripped and scratch-finished the bell, giving it a cool, unique look.
For any brass player (especially trombone) in the St. Louis area (or anywhere if you are comfortable shipping your horn) needing work done to your horn, I can't recommend my friend Aaron highly enough. Leave a comment or drop me an email should anyone like to have his contact information.
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Music Improves Brain Function
This sort of study shouldn't be ground-breaking but it should emphasize the importance of musical training in children. It probably safe to say that adults could do well with this too.
Laurel Trainor, director of the Institute for Music and the Mind at McMaster University in West Hamilton, Ontario, and colleagues compared preschool children who had taken music lessons with those who did not. Those with some training showed larger brain responses on a number of sound recognition tests given to the children. Her research indicated that musical training appears to modify the brain's auditory cortex. Can larger claims be made for the influence on the brain of musical training? Does training change thinking or cognition in general?
Trainor again says yes. Even a year or two of music training leads to enhanced levels of memory and attention when measured by the same type of tests that monitor electrical and magnetic impulses in the brain.
Rest the full article here.
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Europe's The Final Countdown...for Three Cellos and Orchestra
Yeah, you'll recognize this song. Quite popular in the 80's, assuming you were born then. One of my favorite rock tunes from that era for sure. Enjoy!
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Your Mom Loves Eddie Harris
(download)
Here is a cut from my friend's Masters Recital a few years ago. Please excuse the noise made by the trombone soloist =P
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John Coltrane on Music
"I start in the middle of a sentence and move both directions at once."
- John Coltrane
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Don Menza - Groovin' Hard
A great cut of Don Menza's Groovin' Hard. Great tune - we got this arrangement in one of the bands I play in.
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Playing with the Sessions Band Tonight
I'll be sitting in with the Sessions Big Band tonight down at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups. Starts at 8PM. Definitely worth checking out if you want to hear a great band.
