Posts made by barliman2001

@ssmith1226 I would recommend reading Isaac Asimov's Robot novels, and especially his formulating the "Three Laws of Robotics" and their practical application.

@bigdub It was John XXIII. A source of a great many anecdotes, some of which he himself set into the world. Such as, "What is the difference between Martin Luther and Pope John XXIII? - Luther said, "Here I am, I can't do anything different, so help me God." And Pope John XXIII said, "Here I am, I can do even much more, and may God help you."

When asked whether the good Lord was unaware of something, John XXIII replied: "The Lord does not know three things. 1 - how much money the Franciscans have, 2 - what a Jesuit is really thinking, 3 - how many nun's orders there are."

I can produce a very good mashup, but the musical qualities of potatoes with crispy fried onions, gravy and a sprinkle of nutmeg escape me...

Just found this on the "Bored Bandsmen" FB page...

The orchestra was having a great rehearsal. The oboe player was keeping the double reed nice and moist between the lips when possible, but all of a sudden sucked a bit too hard and swallowed the reed which became stuck in the windpipe. The conductor spotted this straight away and dialled 999. Explaining that the oboe player had a double reed stuck in the windpipe the conductor asked what could be the best thing to do. The call handler without delay said "try a muted trumpet"....

Chad, after telling his wife he's bought another trumpet...

I've been on many mouthpiece safaris in my life, and in consequence, I've assembled a heap of mouthpieces... many of them now obsolete for me. This thread brought me to think over my collection; and I've found that there are only a few things that I have learnt that are really of help to anyone:

1. If you are a beginner or a re-starter, don't start off with the expensive mouthpieces. Try out sizes and shapes with Arnold & Sons (aka Stoelzel). They are exact and durable Bach clones, at less than a quarter of the cost.
2. Have at least one plastic (or rather non-metal) mouthpiece of your size - invaluable for those mid-winter outdoor gigs that pay well because conditions are so poor.
3. If you are trying out different cups while staying with the same kind of rim, think of the Stomvi Combination System: One rim, two stems, eight cups... somewhat like the Warburton or Breslmaier screw-rim systems, but less expensive.

And if there are mouthpieces around your home that you will definitely never use again, donate them to deserving causes. I sent a box of 20 assorted mouthpieces (and a few instruments) to a friend of mine who was starting a school band in Bulgaria to keep kids off the streets. The band is going strong, juvenile crime in the area has halved, and the band are now regularly invited to play at civic events.

By the way, this is my wife's principal pianist as member of comic opera group THE CAST... enjoy!

@georgeb You are very welcome. Currently, there is not much on youtube; but amazon has several of her recordings.

Twenty years later, in a preview for a new Vienna musical...

and in between...

Currently to be heard and seen in Kurt Weill's A Touch of Venus in Opera Graz

@rowuk I can only second that opinion.

At the moment, I'm listening to a continuous stream of a number of arias and lieder, every day, live... my wife is having a solo recital on 9 February...

A Scottish husband and wife had an aerobatics pilot friend who never took any passengers with him because he absolutely hated talk during flight.
One day, it was the wife's birthday, and the husband persuaded the pilot to take them on a flight as a birthday present. Grudgingly, the pilot consented, and said, "You can have the flight for free if neither of you make a sound. But if you start talking, I'll charge you 500 pounds for the flight." - "Och aye, we'll be silent."
They take off, and the pilot did his best to impress his passengers. Loopings, barrel rolls - he performed his whole programme. In total silence. After landing, the pilot casually remarked, "That was grand, wasn't it? And you kept your silence. Were you never tempted to say something?" - "Och aye, only once." - "When?" - "When Maggie fell out!"

@curlydoc ergobrass, then.

@curlydoc In my experience, the best training for the low notes is just brabbling away on your lips, like you would when relaxing your embouchure. And I've found that some fun with a much bigger instrument and mouthpiece is good for the low range, too. Why not get a Peuphonium?
https://www.thomann.de/gb/startone_pep_20_bb_euphonium_blue.htm?shp=eyJjb3VudHJ5IjoiZ2IiLCJjdXJyZW5jeSI6NCwibGFuZ3VhZ2UiOjJ9&reload=1

Nice! But it's bad that the flag prevented the page-turner from being in her proper place, totally obliterating the pianist...

@administrator You are very welcome. Info on www.meisterklassen-gutenstein.com (very soon).

Why do viola players sleep rough so often?
They lose the key and don't know where to come in.

@rowuk Rowuk, Ivan will be teaching a master class in Austria, near Vienna, in summer - perhaps you might like to attend?

As ROWUK had the right stuff at hand, the matter is now resolved. Thank you for all the offers of help - it shows that TB is the best trumpet forum ever!

And that means that I will be turning the key in the lock...

@rowuk That is absolutely brilliant. Just what I needed. Thank you.