Tubas, euphoniums, mouthpieces, and anything music-related.
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(Neither owned a mouthpiece. Those were school-supplied mouthpieces.) It seems as though even the less-dedicated young scholar (anonymous - in the middle) knew which buttons to mash for D-flat, yes?
"privilege" - both grew up in two-bedroom (asbestos siding) houses (gravel driveways, and no carports) with multiple siblings. One of their fathers died of leukemia when they were in elementary school.
MiBrassFS wrote: ↑Fri Jul 12, 2024 2:44 pm
In the 60’s, those fiber sousas were the latest and greatest, high tech innovation. The Astro-naut mouthpiece? Chick magnet.
It’s only recent history that players and directors poo-poo’ed them.
For a time, there were even fiber tubas… RMC Richards/Martin/Reynolds… ———————————————->
I'd put either of those players with those mouthpieces, those instruments, and those levels of instruction up against any 2024 young whippersnappers with whatever tubas and whatever mouthpieces.
band director/private teacher wrote:I've got this amazing 11th grade student...
...ok.
bloke "Where did both of them learn to make beautiful sonorous tones and to phrase musically?... in their primitive Baptist shaped-notes-hymnals churches."
I bet it also didn’t hurt that there was actual music being played on instruments as well as vocal music to be heard day in and day out in everyday life on radio, tv, movies, etc. It was a different day.
It’s not that people don’t want it. It’s just not what people are being fed. I was having a conversation with a young person who was lamenting the current popularity of a young lady singer. I told them I thought they were popular not because they were great, but rather that they’re in the right place at the right time presenting an alternative to current trends.
Your point is well taken. Popular music on the radio was still musical, and we played marches and pieces written for wind band that today might be considered "classics" (so-called band pieces - specifically written to a difficulty level - were not yet a thing) though we just considered them music. That having been said, I really don't think that either one of those older friends of mine really listened to Top 40.
About the most pop stuff that we might have played at pep rallies at were things written by Henry Mancini or things like Hancock's "Watermelon Man"...
... I keep being reminded of things: I think the first time I may have played the theme to "Peter Gunn" was when I was 15 or so, and - 7 years later - played it under Mancini's own baton.
Continuing to wander off topic even more, I think that was probably the only time I've ever heard the bass ostinato played correctly... it's just about impossible to find it played correctly even on YouTube unless it's the actual TV show. A young Will Lee was the bass player on that gig.
The Blues Brothers Movie used the Peter Gunn Theme. I was in school at the time and was playing a church gig with a trumpet player I had both gone to high school and then college with (he was a performance major, but went bad and became an insurance company lawyer…). Anyway, warming up in the area behind the alter (don’t remember what that area is called… minister locker room?) I started playing the bass line to Peter Gunn quietly trying to bait this trumpet player to join in. Of course, he obliges. After a few minutes (of us playing much too loudly…) the minister comes running in all red faced and tells us we can be heard throughout the church.
I don’t remember if we were ever called back to that gig.
Last edited by MiBrassFS on Sat Jul 13, 2024 2:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Too bad he didn't have a sense of humor. I suspect the congregation did.
As far as the bass line is concerned, almost no one plays the grace notes on the 5th eighth note - third beat...
... I suspect the incorrect execution is due to either lack of attention to detail or copying off of past arrangements - which featured lack of attention to detail.
The coolest arrangement I ever heard of it was when it was converted to 12/8 and the bass played all 12 eighth notes. It's quite a swinging arrangement, and I don't remember where I heard it. It gave it a more of a Perry Mason flavor, which was cool, considering that both were film noir.
