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Hitz Academy Blog

A blog about performing music, teaching music and the business of music.

Filtering by Tag: Rolf Smedvig

Empire Brass on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood: Monday YouTube Fix

Andrew Hitz

Growing up in Boston in the 1980's I was exposed to countless professional brass quintets.  Empire Brass, Atlantic Brass, Paramount Brass.  The city of Boston had the most thriving brass quintet scene in the country and for this young tuba player that was invaluable.  To get to hear my instrument featured in a chamber setting showed me what was possible and inspired me to get to work.

I will never forget the first time I heard Sam Pilafian play.  (When I was 11 and hearing him play for the first time I certainly never dreamed he would take over a gig for me as he did with Boston Brass earlier this year!) His playing was virtuosic, he was completely approachable, and he made me think that I could someday do what he did.  That's a great thing to be exposed to at such an early age!

The Empire Brass appearance on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood was a collision of two worlds for someone my age.  Seeing Sam along with Rolf Smedvig, Charlie Lewis, Dave Ohanian and Scott Hartman on the same television screen as Mister Rogers is still kind of crazy to me.

But the best part of this is Sam giving Mister Rogers a tuba lesson.  The other best part is when Mister Rogers asks if it helps to be friends and there is an uncomfortable laughter...

Enjoy!

ft. The Empire Brass Quintet

again the Empire Brass Quintet

Monday YouTube Fix: Empire Brass

Andrew Hitz

This is simply brass quintet at its finest.  As many of you know, Sam has been one of my mentors since I was 12 years old.  I have never heard any other tuba player play with such character within a quintet.  He is the perfect foundation on which to build a chamber group. The amazing thing to me is how much character each one of them plays with while never stepping to the foreground musically when it is not called for.  The ears that these five musicians have are special.  Every lick that gets passed around the band is perfectly matched: the beginnings of the notes, the weight, the ends of the notes, the line, everything.

I sure am happy I stumbled upon this clip.  I hope you enjoy it!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G6r5KcgJQw]