Tag Archives: Brass Quintet
Art and Wallpaper, Part 3: Why Wallpaper Is Not Art
As I was saying, that beautiful wallpaper … does it evoke a heart response? By looking at our three tenets of creating art (link here), it should become obvious why wallpaper is not art. Wallpaper does not engage with any of these— it is not specific in its emotional conveyance, it is purposefully unclear in […]
Art and Wallpaper, Part 2: The Three Tenets of Creating Art
In my previous article, we addressed the notion of what art is—it is a fundamental piece of the human condition that connects two or more people in a shared emotional state. An artist is the person who creates the thing (painting, dance, musical performance, creative writing, etc.) that transports the audience member into a similar […]
What Music Looks Like / Phoenix Chamber Brass
Okay… so this is a bit of a selfish plug. These videos were just finished up, so I wanted to pass at least one of them around. My brass quintet, Phoenix Chamber Brass, is in the process of completing an application for the American Voices American Music Abroad Project. If we are selected we will […]
Building a Residency: The Proposal (Part 2)
A couple weeks ago we talked about thinking big when it comes to residency programs. Next let’s talk about next steps. Now that we’ve found our dream home, we have to go about moving in. When I first began working on the proposal for PCB’s residency I hesitated and faltered—a lot. I was scared of […]
Following the Forks in the Road
My ten-year high school reunion just happened this past weekend, and this got me thinking back to that time in my life. Believe it or not, I was preparing to have an international touring career with Synergy Brass, and later to form the Phoenix Chamber Brass, when I was in eighth grade. I didn’t know […]
Commissioning Project: Build Your Own Repertoire
Just over a year ago, when PCB was still just a gleam in my eye, I had an idea. It stemmed from my desire to really advance the brass quintet in its micro-genre and in the macro-genre of chamber music. What I noticed about other groups in the chamber music world was that composers were […]
So You Want to Start a Brass Quintet
Or, perhaps more accurately, you want to start a chamber ensemble. Or perhaps any kind of musical ensemble. Who am I to say you can’t start a symphony orchestra? If that’s what you want, you can make it happen. Anyway, you want to start a group. But how? The task seems a bit daunting, right? […]
The Pursuit of a Life in Music
Welcome to Long Tones. Glad you’re here! This blog is primarily intended for people like me—either “young professional” musicians, or those of you who are still in college. Maybe you graduated not long ago, or you soon will. You want to “make it,” to live the dream of being a professional musician. There’s just one […]
Long Tones: The Pursuit of a Life in Music 