This edition of Off the Record features Frank sitting down for a chat with old friend and drum corps legend Jack Meehan. What a great way to start off the New Year! Enjoy! Click on the player below to listen
Jack Meehan is a true drum corps renaissance man. From his initial exposure to the activity while growing up in the Burroughs of New York City to his long time association with the Concord Blue Devils, Meehan has always strived to better himself, his family, and his students, both within and outside the drum corps [...]
One popular scientific theory holds that the universe continues expanding, a result of the incredible force generated by the Big Bang. There seems to be a good deal of evidence for this view. Whether this will go on forever is debatable, and even Einstein struggled with this problem. After all, why wouldn’t the collective mass [...]
Welcome back to the land of “All Things Brass.” This installment of Brass Advantage delves into an all-important physical action that will determine the performance success or failure of any musician. “Breathing & Breath Control Techniques for the Symphonic & Marching Wind Musician”
A hush falls over the audience as the ensemble turns backfield and shapes the hauntingly melodious beginning strain of a deeply moving ballad. The pit percussionists layer tasteful textures onto the rich brass sound, the timpanist applying a perfectly balanced and feather-light touch to a roll even as a gentle wind chime floats above it [...]
Welcome back to the land of “All Things Brass.” This installment of Brass Advantage is “Part Two” of an article written by Ms. Lucinda Lewis (Principle Horn of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra) that was written for both music educators and brass players seeking advice on embouchure health and rehabilitation: Embouchure Overuse Syndrome in Brass [...]
A few days ago, I held in my hands a valveless trumpet upon which ringing fanfares were once sounded in the Royal Court of His Majesty, James II of England. This rarest of horns may also have served to enliven Shakespearian dramas and comedies of the period. Crafted of copper and brass in London by [...]
Welcome back to the land of “All Things Brass.” This installment of Brass Advantage is “Part One” of an article written by Ms. Lucinda Lewis (Principle Horn of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra) that was written for both music educators and brass players seeking advice on embouchure health and rehabilitation:
On a Sunday afternoon in mid summer 1968 it’s oppressively hot and humid in Jersey City. We wear uniforms made of wool blend, and don’t care. The “breeze” feels like one of those moments in mom’s kitchen when you open the oven to see if the roast is done. It matters not. We have to [...]
Ironically, there exist some individuals who have had a profound effect on the drum corps activity yet are generally unknown to many younger practitioners of the art. It’s the duty of the rest of us to pass along knowledge of their substantial contributions. That said, here’s a story about one of them, a man whose [...]
