Some of the coolest titles I’ve seen are in the jazz lexicon. Whether you listen to an amateur or professional swing band practice its craft, there’s no shortage of original charts or arrangements with names that have been mashed together, rhymed, substituted, or otherwise cleverly manipulated to inspire your imagination before you even hear the […]
Couples Who Met in Community Bands
Love is able to find us literally anywhere, including in community music ensembles. If you celebrate Valentine’s Day and enjoy learning how various couples met, this blog’s for you. Musicians can love just as much as anyone else! (And to my singleton readers: I will not judge you for defying or ignoring the holiday. Been […]
Switching Musical Gears
I just left a concert band I’ve played with for 25 years. Naturally, I have mixed emotions. Stick with any group of people for that long and you’ll eventually get some life-long friends. I’ll miss seeing these friends on a weekly basis, but I’m also excited to (audition and, presumably) start rehearsing with a relatively […]
Discover Your Music Connections
I just had a very cool discussion about music with my relatively new boss. When I told him I play trumpet, he told me about a couple of his family members from earlier generations, one of whom performed with Louis Armstrong. My boss also played alto sax in his school jazz band, and his daughter […]