trptjock

I still have my music from all three years of my corps experience: Lead Soprano book from 1991, 92, 93 Phantom Regiment. Also read some cool tunes over the winter months as well as the changes to our shows over the years. I also have the music scores from 1995 Regiment when I instructed. Some great memories.

I marched Regiment from 1991-93. I was the soprano soloist in 1991 and had spoken to Kevin about coming to Regiment in 1992 when he was in high school in Shreveport Louisiana. Kevin Rabon came to the corps in 1992 playing soprano, he played mello in 93 and 94, when I came on staff in 1995, he moved back to lead soprano and I was his soprano tech. I know that some caption heads will adjust music over the course of the summer to add musical effects that will heighten something visually. Usually the original staff arranger (Jim wren or J.D.) will be on hand to adjust what is needed and the rest is worked on to make sure that the desired effect is obtained. I did this the two years I was caption head with the Blue Stars in 2002-03. If the arranger is not available, then it will need to be done by someone on staff. Now if your arranger is on tour with you like in Regiments (JD Shaw) or Blue Devils (Wayne Downey) case, then the adjustments are made as quickly as possible. My two cents.

Selling a set of White Yamaha Field Corps tenors with two 6 inch spocks. I will also include a Ludwig Vest carrier. I am asking 600.00 (or best offer) for 6 drums and a vest carrier. The cut of the tenors is form the older vintage with the "Power cut" marching toms. Look at early 90's cavaliers tenor drums and that gives you the cut of the toms. The drums have seen some wear but have been well taken care of. There are a few lugs that need to be replaced but that is easy to do. These drums can be a good set to practice with for your next audition or for your own personal use. Please only serious buyers need respond. Ray V.

Hello, Yes, the horn is still available, but I am waiting to hear back from a potential buyer right now. At this point it is still for sale, but on hold. Send me an email to (trptjock@aol.com) if you are serious about purchasing this horn. Thank you. See you on the field. RV

bump

Hello. I am selling a Kanstul 3 valve mellophone that I purchased recently for a corps that I taught this past summer. So this horn has seen some action, but has been taken care of while I have had it. I have also recently chemically cleaned the horn and can guarantee that all the slides and valves move freely. I am selling this horn for 400.00 or best offer. The price of the horn does not include shipping charges. Only serious inquires please. Don't let this horn pass you by.

Hello, I am selling a used Kanstul 3-valve contra in "G". This was an old Regiment horn from 1998 and has been sent to a repair shop to have dents removed, chemically cleaned and saw action this past season with the 2003 Blue Stars. I have replaced all the felts, pads, springs and valve guides on the horn so it is mechanically solid again. It does feature a removeable bell for ease of transport. It weighs roughly 21 pounds but is surprisingly well balanced in the playing position. It has a good 6 years or performances to its credit. I purchased it for the Blue Stars to use this past year since the corps does not own any large contras. This was a personal purchase for me to use in my teaching studio for brass techniques as well as using it for Drum Corps demonstrations at the 2003 Minnesota Music Educators Association conferences. Now that I am back in school working on the DMA in Trumpet performance, I need money to pay for school for the spring semester. I am asking 2500.00 firm to cover cost of the horn as well as shipping and packaging. I will ship anywhere in the continental US. Conact me if you are looking at buying this horn for your personal use, or for your corps/organization. This horn has seem its better days, but before I took it out for the 2003 season, I had an instrument repair friend of mine do a complete "pull-apart" on the horn and remove all the dents that he could feasibly get to and get the horn back to normal. 5 seasons on a Div I tour does take a horn through the paces, but rest assured that this horn is in very good condition. Please email me if you have any further questions. Ray Vasquez Brass Caption Head 2002, 2003* Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps 2003 Division III World Champions

Hello, I recently purchased a Kanstul G Contra Grande (3 valve) and may need to sell it. There are some extenuating circumstances that may or may not make me want to sell the horn as of yet, but I am just getting a sense of there being someone who would want to buy this horn if I was to sell it. I would sell it for how much I paid for it and put into repairs and maintenance. I would be asking $2,500.00 or best offer. As of the time of this posting it is not for sale, but things could change in about a little less than a months time. Let me know what you think. Thank you. Ray

Pedal tones (in my experience) have been helpful for me to help refine my sound in all registers. The idea is that when you properly execute the pedal tone and produce an actual sound with a pitch center, this will then train you to hear notes that are not possible through the natural harmonics of the horn. The lowest note possible on a B-flat trumpet is a low F-sharp, but you can lip and play a pedal F all the day down to as low as you can play. Some players have mastered this and used them in solos many times before. As for warming up, (Big Dog will attest to this), we used these to get the lips to move more freely so that the lips are ready to play in the meat and potatoes register of the horn. As a contra player (Big Dog), he does not reap the benefits of this exercise due to his large mouthpiece size, but on soprano, mello and baritone, the benefits really help the player out in many ways. I also know that the Blue Devils use pedal tones in their exercises as a way to increase blood flow to the lips and really get the face back to where it should be. Icing the lips is advisable only if you have done some extensive playing without any rest in the extremes of the horn. If you use pressure (like I do, at times) the lips will have a tendency to swell and get unresponsive. So I usually ice down the face to get the chops back to normal. I only do this when I can feel the lips begin to swell, or when my range begins to reduce from fatigue, and I still have another two hours of playing left to do in a gig. It is a quick fix and does not have any adverse affects on the lip muscle. Much like icing a sore muscle for swelling, this provides the same relief. Other things you can also do for lip issues: SPLIT-LIPS, use vitamin E tablets (gel tablets), pop the tablet, place the gel on your finger and spread it onto the lip right before you go to bed. the gel will have a tendency to smell like garlic but it works wonders. Also use DCT, or some type of lip balm with sun-block to keep the lips moist and supple. PIMPLES ON THE LIPS, take some colgate toothpaste and apply it to the pimple right before you go to bed. There is a chemical in the paste that reacts with the dirt and oil in the pimple that helps to dry it up. In the morning, the pimple will either be reduced, or gone. You will get a slight burning sensation when you place the toothpaste on your lipe for the first time. That is OK, that tells you that it is working. I have not tried this with any other toothpaste, just Colgate (plain-jane, vanilla, white bread, no-frills Colgate). FEVER-BLISTERS, gargle with salt water, and try to keep that area of your body sterile. Kinda hard when its your mouth, but the blister will eventually go away. I hope this helps. If there are any other ideas on this topic, please feel free to post them here. We are all here to learn and contribute.

No, the baritone is really a small bored piston-valved (usually 3, but can be 4) instrument resembling that of a baritone you would see in your average middle school band room. With a recording bell (bell is bent to have the flare facing front rather than up). A euphonium is aactually related to the tuba family and is also called the tenor tuba. This instrument is usually 4 valves (sometimes 3 in student versions) with the valve section either being all 4 valves on top, or having the 4th valve on the side of the instrument to operate with the index finger of the left hand. if you want to see what a baritone and a euphonium look like, check out the Yamaha website and see for yourself. Usually a euphonium will be played in your more professional bands, and have an occasional appearance in orchestras. The baritone can be used as a euphonium, but the depth of sound is not there. One other note, the baritone is always going to be a small bored instrument, while the euphonium will usually be a large bore horn with either a european, or large shank mouthpiece that fits into the reciever. A large shank mouthpiece will not fit into a European shank. Many european manufacturers are made with a european shank, either standard or as an adapter. This would mean that the instrument will probably fit a large shank mouthpiece and have an adapter for a european mouthpiece. So the baritone will have a more trombone like sound (more brilliant) while the euphonium will have a more tuba like sound (more rich). I hope this clears up this discussion. Why are there bartiones and euphoniums in a marching design? To offer the brass instructor more options for depth and richness of sound and quality. There are baritone lines in DCI that use only baritones (Cavaliers, Cadets, Crossmen, any Yamaha line) and those that use nothing but euphoniums (Phantom Regiment, Santa Clara (not too long ago)), and those that use a mixture of the two depending on what part will be using the instrument (Blue Devils, Spirit-usually the lower parts will be played on Euphonium for the depth of sound that is possible on a euph.) Make sense?

A trombone with a dual bore refers to the way the handslide is constructed. For example you can order a ML bore straight tenor trombone (pea shoter) from Bach with a dual bore slide which means that the slide tube in the hand slide will have two bore sizes. The slide in which the mouthpiece will go on will be one size (around a .500) and the other side of the hand slide will usually be or a larger bore (around a .508-.512 bore). Tenor and Bass Trombones are usually the culprits of having a dual bore horn. Especially the ones that are played by professionals in major symphony orchestras. Hope this clears it up.

When I aged out of Phantom Regiment in 1993 we marched 74 horns. I think this is the amount of horns we had in the line. Nick Pilato, correct me if I am wrong. 24 sopranos 12 mellos 10 baris 14 euphoniums (I remember we marched more Euphoniums than Baritones) 14 contras 74 horns total. The horns were all Dynastys with the exception of my personal horn which was a Kanstul soprano(which I had since 1991). We had two and three valved (large and small) contras in the line that year as well. The corps had purchased a set of three-valved instruments from Dynasty in 1992 to replace the two-valved horns we had since the early 80's, they were: 12 Baris, 12 Euphoniums, 12 Mellos, 24 Sopranos and 2 Contras. (from what I can remember). I also remember Regiment asking alumni to help the corps buy a horn and the corps would have the name of the donor engraved on the bell of the horn. It never happened while I was in the corps, but probably later on. It was in 1992 that we still marched French Horns that year. I believe the hornline make up was 24 sops, 5 mellos, 10 french horns, 12 baritones, 8 euphoniums, 12 contras. I think in 1997, the corps purchased its first set of Kanstul sorpanos (24 I think) and those went through a series of adjustments (braces moved, new one put on, etc.) over the years until they went B-flat this past season. I know in 2002, the hornline was still playing horns that I marched in 1992. Same mellos, baris, euphoniums and contras. Those horns took a beating, but gave Regiment its sound. Please correct me if I am wrong. Thanks

To add a comment on the overtone issue, When you play with a very focussed and projected sound you should be producing overtones in the sound. This will actually give the horn its characteristic sound. A trumpet will sound differently than a cornet or bugle or trombone, but there will be overtones in one individual sound. The tone quality you may hear from your own playing is created through a vibration of air through the brass causing a tone. If the sound is very ringing or "bright", then there is a balance of high and low overtones, thus producing a ringing tone. A dull, dead sound will be devoid of any high overtones in the sound. If you play on a heavy instrument, like a Monette (for example), the upper overtones on the horn may be harder to hear than on a Yamaha. Or the player may have an imbalance of lip, tongue, oral cavity space, and airflow through the instrument to make a quality sound (much like a beginner playing the trumpet for the first time without the airyness in the sound) A lighter instrument (Schilke or Yamaha) may have more upper overtones present than a heavier horn (Monette, Edwards, Bach, Conn). If the player is playing on one horn, but alters the mouthpiece (either in rim-size or cup-depth), then he may be able to alter his sound via the mouthpiece that has been selected. But the player can also alter the sound of his horn via jaw placement. If the jaw placement for a low C is a certain distance to gain optimal sound, then the player lowers the jaw slightly not to make the pitch go flat, but to take the brilliance out of the sound. The player can also do the opposite by lessening the distance of the jaw to make high overtones more present, bringing the teeth closer together. This is just talking about teeth placement, not tongue placement. The tongue is a similar story with similar results. High tongue placemnt for a Low C will be sharp and bright, low tongue placement will get a dull sound with less brilliance. Make sense? So to sum up, Tongue placement can alter the overtones of the horn, jaw position can alter the overtones of the horn, the horn can alter the overtones-and sound-ov the horn, bell-material and thickness can also alter the overtones of the horn as well. Take player A and have him play horn A and B both being of the same manufacturer-for example Bach Stardivarious. Horn A is light weight and free-blowing, Horn B is heavy and a little less free-blowing than horn A. Horn A will have more brilliance (upper overtones) than Horn B due to its construction and design. If the player has not altered the mouthpiece or his/her approach to the sound, then the sound will be altered somewhat. This is also provided that the player is playing at the same dynamic level during this test. So many things to consider in overtone presence, but yes, there are overtones present in ones tone quality. Does this clear up this discussion, or add more fuel to the fire? Something to think about.

Rose brass and red brass are the same thing. There is a higher copper content within the metal, but this actually makes the instrument sound brighter in character. The thicker the metal the darker the sound due to the mass of brass you are trying to vibrate with air. A Yamaha and a Monette trumpet will sound differently based just on metal thickness, design considerations aside. The darkest sounding metal that is available is yellow brass, then gold brass, then rose brass, then nickel, then sterling silver. (from darkest to lightest). So the darker the sound, the metal content would need to be yellow brass. You can also say, the darker the sound with rose brass you would need to have a thicker bell than on a yellow brass bell and that would make a considerable difference. But if you took the same bell thickness on both a rose brass and yellow brass bell and put them on your horn, you would find the yellow brass bell to have darker qualities. THe Conn 88H trombone featured a rose brass bell which gave the horn its characteristic sound, but the bell was considerably thicker than any other bell that was put on any other trombone at that time. Taking the design of the horn, the shape of the F-attachment, and the hand slide design, the bell really affects the overall sound of the horn. The plating actually will change the quality of sound, lacquer will make the horn sound darker, silver plating will brighten up the sound a bit, gold plating will weigh down the horn due to the process of glold plating and result in a warmer sound(it is silver plated, then gold plated on top of the silver plate, thus making it heavier). It would not be financially feasible to build a horn with an actual gold bell due to it being a very soft metal, it would not keep its shape and would bend from its own weight. I am an Edwards clinician for the Edwards Trumpet line and played on the same thickness of bells with different bell materials and had the same opinion of rose brass being darker than yellow until I actually played it. Now I know better. Hope this helps out.

By the way I have worked for five years at the University of Minnesota-Duluth as the professor of trumpet and jazz studies there and taking a two year leave to finish up my Doctorate Degree from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in Trumpet Performance. I have performed with the University of North Texas One O'clock Lab Band when I was working on my Masters Degree and have performed with such names as Peter Erskine, Ernie Watts, Barry Manilow and the Minnesota Opera.

Hey "regularsopguy" Walt Johnson is one of the most repsected lead trumpet players in the Los Angeles scene for over 30 years. His book has some valuable material in it, it is really how you use the material and what you get from it. But I guess playing with the Basie Band and Lionel Hamptons Big Band and numerous film scores don't quantify as being reputable in your eyes. Did you ever happen to think that he chose to make cases and mutes as a way to substantiate his income in Los Angeles (have you ever lived in LA?)? But I guess his performance career really doesn't mean anything to you since you seem to know so much about his system of altissimo playing. By the way regularsopguy, what Big Bands have you played in, how long have you been playing, who have you played with that is of repute? As for Jerome Callets "Superchops" book, here is another master teacher who knows what to do and how to get that through to his students. His students are top call studio musicians in New York. Have you ever taken a lesson with Jerry? Read the book, be more open minded on the material that is presented. Who knows you may learn something. But that is your opinion. And opinions are quite different than fact, so think before you type. As for the topic at hand, try as many things as you can "torokokill" and be open minded. Yes, there are many books out in the market that deal with the altissimo register of the trumpet. Read them and absorb what they all have to offer. Each author has his own method for gaining fluency in the desired register. What has worked for one person may not work for you. As for mouthpieces, try something that you feel gives you the desired sound in that particular register and work on it. A Bach 1C will give you a specific sound, but not one that is of a lead trumpet quality. I have never heard of a lead trumpet player trying to have a rich dark orchestral sound on a G above high C or higher. You listen to Arturo Sandoval (who plays on a stock Bach 3C) and he has command all over the horn and gets the appropriate sound for the register he is playing in. Exercises to use are apreggiated studies, Clarke studies up an octave, scales (all keys all modes, major and minor) up an octave or two. Work on breath support. If you have an opportunity to take a lesson with Bobby Shew please do so. If you are marching in a corps this coming season, (or have already done so) remember the breathing exercises you probably used over the summer and continue to develop your capacity and strength that way. PM me if you would like any more information.

Yes, I have purchased the Kelly mouthpiece at DCI this year, and have found that the Kelly does not produce the same quality of tone that a metal mouthpiece does (which is obvious due it its composition). I have play tested this mouthpiece with the Warburton 3D and Benturfa 1C mouthpiece I use on a daily basis and found the sound to be brighter in all registers and feel is closer to that of the Benterfa due to it not being made of metal. Yes, the feel is desirable to that of a metal mouthpiece, but the cup depth is not a real C cup in comparison to the traditional Bach depths. I purchased a 1C model and both the rim and cup depth were nowhere close to that of a Bach. The rim feel more like a 1 1/2 C with a shallower cup (around a D). The bite of the rim is very close to that of a Bach, but the diameter and the depth needs attention in order for this mouthpiece to really take off. In my humble opinion. In speaking with the representative of Kelly Mouthpieces (possibly the owner) he was going to begin production on a :"Screamer" mouthpiece at some point, possibly a Schilke 6A4A. He was not certain on the size of the mouthpiece, but he does realize the need for a specialty mouthpiece. Just an observation.

This horn is in the key of G. I hope this information is helpful. RV.

Selling an early 1990's Kanstul 3-valve Euphonium for 750.00. Includes a newer case (with some signs of wear), silver plate in very good condition, some minor dents on the main tuning slide. All slides pull freely, horn has had been taken care of from its previous owners. Purchased the instrument with the hopes of someone using this season, but things didn't work out. This is a good horn and needs a good home. Price is negotiable within reason. Only serious inquires please. Ray Vasquez Brass Caption Head Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps

bump

If you want to march in a drum corps for the 2003 season, come and march with the Blue Stars. We currently have 4 soprano spots open, 3 mello spots, 3 baritone spots and one contra spot. If you are interested, fill out a membership request form off of the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle corps website (www.bluestars.org) Enough cheerleading, lets get some response!!! 4 soprano spots 3 mello spots 3 bari spots 1 contra spot www.bluestars.org Thank you

bump

Just found out through DCI that a member of a corps can play on his B-flat trumpet for I &E if he is a trumept player by nature. But using a concert French horn, Trombone, Euphonium or Tuba is not permissible. If you are curious about this please contact DCI and ask for the Individual and Ensemble judges coordinator. Thought I would let you know.