Bach Mass in B Minor: Monday YouTube Fix

This is one of the all-time classics. I can't ever get enough Bach. There is so much to focus on at any given time that you can hear a piece like his Mass in B Minor for the 500th time and hear something new.

This is from the BBC Proms in 2012 at Royal Albert Hall in London with Harry Bicket conducting The English Concert and the Choir of the English Concert. The soloists are:

Joélle Harvey soprano
Carolyn Sampson soprano
Iestyn Davies counter-tenor
Ed Lyon tenor
Matthew Rose bass

Enjoy!

Prom 26: Bach -- Mass in B minor Johann Sebastian Bach - Mass in B minor Joélle Harvey soprano Carolyn Sampson soprano Iestyn Davies counter-tenor Ed Lyon tenor Matthew Rose bass Choir of the English Concert The English Concert Harry Bicket conductor Royal Albert Hall 2 August 2012 0:00:07 - Kyrie eleison 0:10:33 - Christe eleison 0:15:20 - Kyrie eleison 0:19:06 - Gloria in excelsis Deo 0:25:35 - Laudamus te 0:29:40 - Gratias agimus tibi

Four Words to Make Your Next Practice Session More Focused

"Make the simple beautiful."

-Marty Hackleman, former horn player for the Canadian Brass, Empire Brass, and National Symphony Orchestra

The next time you are bored in your warm up, think of this four word quote from Marty Hackleman and I guarantee you it will get better.

While technical wizardry on any instrument can be quite engaging it is actually the simple or "easy" music that the best musicians in the world can make sound way better than the rest of us can.

Making the simple beautiful should be a goal that is at the forefront of your mind every time you pick up your instrument or baton.

The Brass Junkies: Marty Hackleman

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We were honored to be joined by one of the best horn players in the world and a dear friend of mine, Marty Hackleman! As you will hear, the mindset that he brings to his craft is truly phenomenal. And it all stems from a decision he made when he was 16! It's an inspiring tale.

Marty also talks about the many stops along his incredible career, including winning his first professional audition at the age of 19.

He is the only person who was ever a full-time member of both the Canadian Brass and Empire Brass and discusses how it came to be that he and Dave Ohanian came to switch quintets.

And he has some tough love for Jens!

It's All About Communicating

"Music can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable."

-Leonard Bernstein

The above quote is a good reminder that we have to get away from worrying about operating our instruments, voices, or batons and instead need to focus on communicating.

That is ultimately our only goal.

Emanuel Ax: Monday YouTube Fix

Emanuel Ax has been one of my favorite pianists in the world for as long as I can remember. I am spoiled by getting to see him perform every single summer at Tanglewood. He is a phenomenal artist whose musicianship I regularly look to for inspiration.

Here is a performance of Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Opus 83 from The BBC Proms in 2011. He is accompanied by the Chamber Orchestra of Europe under the direction of Bernard Haitink.

Enjoy!

Johannes Brahms Piano Concerto No 2 in B flat major, Op 83 1 Allegro non troppo 2 Allegro appassionato 3 Andante 4 Allegretto grazioso Emanuel Ax, piano Cham...

Intonation is Relative

"It is okay to play out of tune. It is not okay to stay out of tune."

-Michael Davis of (Hip-Bone Music and Former Trombone Player for the Rolling Stones)

This also brings to mind one of my favorite phrases: "Intonation is a social skill."

If two people are playing together and are not in tune with each other it doesn't matter what the tuner says. One is not flat and the other sharp. "They" are out of tune.

Whether you are "right" or "wrong", when you notice you are out of tune, fix it.

Are You Procrastinating?

“If you had started doing anything two weeks ago, by today you would have been two weeks better at it.” ― John Mayer

Stop procrastinating. Face whatever it is that you fear about your playing or career and make a plan to attack it. Take the first step today or you know where you’ll be two weeks from now.

Igor Stravinsky: Monday YouTube Fix

Performing Igor Stravinsky's Firebird Suite with the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchesra at Symphony Hall was one of the highlights of my childhood. It is such a powerful piece that will always have a special place in my heart.

Here is Stravinsky himself conducting the Firebird Suite in its entirety. The orchestra and date of the performance are unkown.

Enjoy!

Stravinsky conducts The Firebird (originally broadcast by NHK)

Figure It Out

"I think if you figure it out for yourself you'll have taught yourself something better than I could teach you."

-Seth Godin

"Figure it out" is just another way of saying "fail until you get it right."

If you are still a student, take the initiative to figure things out on your own rather than checking the syllabus to see if something is required.

If you are out of school, get curious. Find something you can't do and figure it out.

Want to build a website and don't know how? Figure it out.
Interested in making a podcast and don't know how to start? Figure it out.
Don't know how to get something funded on Kickstarter? Figure it out.

That's all that anybody who knows how to do it ever did.

The Brass Junkies: Joe Alessi of the New York Philharmonic - Episode 12

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This guy doesn't exactly need an introduction! Joe Alessi is the Principal Trombone of the New York Philharmonic and one of the world's great players and pedagogues. We caught up with him when he was in Vail with the Philharmonic and talked to him about a lot of stuff. The connection was pretty rough but the stuff he was sharing was gold so we released it anyways.

The times I've gotten to play with Joe have been some of my career highlights. You can learn more from sitting next to this guy for one concert than you can from a four-year college degree. It was great to have him on the show!

Want to help the show? Take a minute to leave us a rating and a review on iTunes.

You can help offset the costs of producing the show by making a small donation at https://www.patreon.com/thebrassjunkies. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Produced by Austin Boyer and Buddy Deshler of FredBrass