The Brass Junkies

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The Brass Junkies An occasionally entertaining podcast featuring former Boston Brass tuba player Andrew Hitz
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The Brass Junkies is hosted by the founders of Pedal Note Media, Andrew Hitz and Lance LaDuke. Episodes feature interviews with influential brass players from around the world. It is a sometimes serious and sometimes lighthearted look into the lives and careers of some of the best players in the world. Previous guests have included:

Joe Alessi (New York Philharmonic)
Carol Jantsch (Philadelphia O

rchestra)
Marty Hackleman (Canadian Brass, Empire Brass, National Symphony Orchestra)
Weston Sprott (Metropolitan Opera)
Ryan Anthony (Dallas Symphony and Canadian Brass)
David Childs (International Euphonium Soloist)
Denise Tryon (formerly of the Philadelphia Orchestra)
Rex Richardson (International Trumpet Soloist)
Sam Pilafian (tuba Yoda)
Mark Jenkins (President's Own Marine Band)

03/11/2023

Good stuff from here from Scott Sutherland Music on playing in the high register!

This was a fun one!Trombonist for The United States Navy Band Myles Blakemore joined Andrew and guest co-host Dr. Michae...
03/11/2023

This was a fun one!

Trombonist for The United States Navy Band Myles Blakemore joined Andrew and guest co-host Dr. Michael W. Nickens for TBJ220.

Myles just released a brand new album, Bach-ish, that is now available on all streaming platforms. He talked about how the album was inspired by the legendary Nina Simone and about the moment he "got" Bach while listening to the Bach Cello Suites.

He also shared about the recording session he had that ended up being entirely unusable, what he learned from that experience, and how he dealt with that setback on a human level.

Finally, he spoke about how special it is to him that he gets to teach at Howard University.

You can find TBJ220 on The Brass Junkies YouTube Channel (where we are soooo close to 1,000 subscribers!) and wherever you listen to podcasts.

16/09/2023

A behind the scenes look at rehearsal with John Williams and "The President's Own" Marine Band at the Kennedy Center by Ryan McGeorge from TBJ218.

TBJ218 features a conversation with Ryan McGeorge, euphonium player with "The President's Own" Marine Band.The list of b...
15/09/2023

TBJ218 features a conversation with Ryan McGeorge, euphonium player with "The President's Own" Marine Band.

The list of brass players in the world who have a main gig of the caliber that Ryan does who are simultaneously pushing creative boundaries on their instrument is incredibly small. He covers both in this conversation!

Ryan takes us behind the scenes of the very special concerts that the Marine Band just had with John Williams at the Kennedy Center, including sharing some very cool moments from rehearsal.

He also talks about his newfound interest in conducting as well as the creative process behind the making of his upcoming jazz fusion quintet album of all original compositions.

He is one of the best classical euphonium players in the world yet he is still acquiring new creative skills all of the time which is a great example for all of us.

You can find TBJ218 on the brand new Brass Junkies website (https://www.brassjunkies.com/episodes/tbj218) or on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts.

12/09/2023

Zero fun was had with Marcus Grant and Michael Nickens in TBJ217. None whatsoever.

Hey all! I need your help.The Brass Junkies came out every other week for 8 straight years - with only one episode being...
29/07/2023

Hey all! I need your help.

The Brass Junkies came out every other week for 8 straight years - with only one episode being one day late in that entire time!

But since my dad passed in May I have only put out one episode. Life just hasn't allowed for more than that.

I am about to record my first episode in a while and this one is a Listener's Choice, where listener's of TBJ write in with questions.

In all of my travels, the single thing I get asked about the most is what it was like getting to learn from Sam Pilafian. So I thought that would be the perfect subject for this episode.

Please comment below with any questions you have for me about growing up with Sam. It could be about what lessons were like, watching Empire Brass rehearse and how they operated, chamber coachings with him, taking brass pedagogy from him, recital prep, audition prep, listening to music with him, warm-up class at ASU, anything at all.

I already have some questions and may not be able to get to all of them but if you have a question, please leave a comment or message me and I'll do what I can. I am recording this tomorrow (Sunday) so ask away.

It will be fun reminiscing about my time with him while I still process the loss of my father.

Side Note: I am looking forward to getting back to the every other schedule for The Brass Junkies in the fall. So for those of you who have been enjoying the silence, consider this a preemptive apology!

:: insert care emoji ::

For TBJ212 horn player extraordinaire Kelly Langenberg joins Andrew and special guest co-host Jeff Nelsen to talk about ...
05/04/2023

For TBJ212 horn player extraordinaire Kelly Langenberg joins Andrew and special guest co-host Jeff Nelsen to talk about her musical journey.

Kelly touched on a lot of things during our conversation:

➡️ The horrifying and violating experience Kelly had in graduate school and what it was like to not have any female teachers at school to be able to turn to for support

➡️ Kelly’s exploration into why more music written for horn by women didn’t exist

➡️ Why representation is so vitally important

➡️ Kelly's horn quartet, Alloy Horn Quartet, and their mission

➡️ The parallels between the experience of women in brass and women in business

➡️ The courage it takes to stand for something

➡️ How the pandemic made her reevaluate what she wanted in life and the impact that had on her career

➡️ The precise moment she realized she couldn’t teach horn lessons for the rest of her life

➡️ Kelly’s work in the nonprofit sector as the Executive Director of the Bay Education Foundation

➡️ Always remaining a student

➡️ The importance of always being willing to receive feedback

You can find this episode on The Brass Junkies YouTube channel or wherever you listen to podcasts.

18/03/2023

Trombonist Dr. Zenas Kim-Banther shares a strategy for dealing with frustration in the practice room and generously shares that it took her a long time to get good at this strategy - even though you'd think it would be easy!

This week on The Brass Junkies we take a look back at the best moments from every episode in 2022! From practice and aud...
21/01/2023

This week on The Brass Junkies we take a look back at the best moments from every episode in 2022! From practice and audition tips to developing artistry, it's all covered here.

You can find the list of guests and topics, as well as timestamps, on our website and YouTube page. There is something for everyone in this episode!

You can watch it on YouTube, listen on our website, or get it wherever you get podcasts!

https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj207

08/01/2023

Check out this clip from TBJ206 with Rex Richardson!

Too often we're focusing on the physical parts of brass playing! The main improvements that are happening when you practice are neurological, meaning that if you're practicing in front of TV you're not getting the most out of your practice!

You can watch the full episode on our YouTube channel, listen on our website, or get it wherever you get podcasts!

https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj206

This week on The Brass Junkies we welcome back Rex Richardson to talk about his new book "100 Days of Trumpet Practice."...
06/01/2023

This week on The Brass Junkies we welcome back Rex Richardson to talk about his new book "100 Days of Trumpet Practice."

Rex talks about the inspiration and process of writing the book, as well as some of the practice strategies that he employs. This episode is filled with absolute gems to level up your practicing in the new year!

You can listen to the full episode on our website or wherever you get podcasts!

https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj206

24/12/2022

Check out this clip from TBJ205!

Kevin Harrison shares the story of his favorite recording of Floyd Cooley, an unreleased recording of Floyd playing the sarabande from the fifth cello suite in his living room.

It's such a great story and the rest of the episode is filled with so many great memories to celebrate Floyd and his impact on the world.

You can watch the episod on our YouTube, listen on our website, or get it wherever you get podcasts!

https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj205

This week on The Brass Junkies, Andrew is joined by special guest co-host Jim Nova to talk with Peter Sullivan, Principa...
09/12/2022

This week on The Brass Junkies, Andrew is joined by special guest co-host Jim Nova to talk with Peter Sullivan, Principal Trombone of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra!

Pete talks about why musicians need to have outlets other than music in their lives, what it was like playing in the Montreal Symphony under Charles Dutoit, and the psychological warfare that Pete experienced when he first got the job in Montreal.

You can listen to the episode on our website or get it wherever you get podcasts!

28/11/2022

Check out this clip from TBJ203!

Jack Burt shares his gratitude and a story from his doctoral mentor Ray Crisara. It's a funny story with a message that all musicians can benefit from during the busy holiday season!

You can watch the full episode on YouTube, listen on our website, or get it wherever you get podcasts!

https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj203

12/11/2022

Check out this clip from TBJ202!

Andrew had so many great preperation tips that it was hard to choose just one! We know that slow practice is beneficial but Andrew answers the question "Why?"

This episode is a must listen for anyone on the audition circuit! You can listen on our website or get it wherever you get podcasts!

https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj202

This week on The Brass Junkies we feature a "Winning the Audition" episode with US Army Band Pershing's Own tubist Andr...
12/11/2022

This week on The Brass Junkies we feature a "Winning the Audition" episode with US Army Band Pershing's Own tubist Andrew Dougherty!

Andrew talks about the strategies he employed to help him win his positions in the Army bands and York Symphony.

You can listen to the episode on our website or wherever you get podcasts!

https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj202

28/10/2022

Check out this gem from Joe Burgstaller on improvisation!

We are all capable of improvisation and improvisation is a great way to exercise creating musical ideas. Joe goes on to talk about "large ensemble trance" and how musicians become dependant on a conductor for musical ideas. This episode was filled with so many great moments that we didn't even miss Lance!

You can watch the full episode on YouTube, listen on our website, or get it wherever you get podcasts!

https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj201

Season two of The Brass Junkies is here!Andrew and special co-host Chris Martin talk all things trumpet with Joe Burgsta...
27/10/2022

Season two of The Brass Junkies is here!

Andrew and special co-host Chris Martin talk all things trumpet with Joe Burgstaller!

This episode was filled with many great moments including Joe's experience with Canadian Brass, why he doesn't believe in perfect pitch, and the importance of being able to drop into any ensemble and sound like you've been there for years.

Joe was such a great guest to kick off season two of the podcast! You can watch the episode on YouTube, listen on our website, or get it wherever you get podcasts!

https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj201

14/10/2022

This week on The Brass Junkies, we're joined by friends to say goodbye to our favorite co-host!

Listen to the infamous Jim "bubble butt" Nova tell the story of how he met Lance.

You can watch the episode on YouTube, listen on our website, or get it wherever you get podcasts!

https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj200

This week on The Brass Junkies we say farewell to our beloved Lance LaDuke!We're joined by Rex Richardson, Jeff Conner, ...
13/10/2022

This week on The Brass Junkies we say farewell to our beloved Lance LaDuke!

We're joined by Rex Richardson, Jeff Conner, Gail Robertson, Jim Nova, and Clark Rigsby to say goodbye to Lance after 200 episodes!

You can watch the shenanigans on YouTube, listen on our website, or wherever you get podcasts!

https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj200

30/09/2022

Check out Lance's answer to the question "What would you do differently if you had to go back and attend music school for the first time again?"

Listen or watch the full episode to get the rest of our thoughts on this great question from Peter in San Jose, California.

You can watch the episode on YouTube, listen on our website, or get it wherever you get podcasts!

https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj199

This week on The Brass Junkies, we answer your questions!Find out what we think is the most common thing that is mis-tau...
28/09/2022

This week on The Brass Junkies, we answer your questions!

Find out what we think is the most common thing that is mis-taught about brass playing, what would we do differently if we had to go back and attend music school for the first time again, and if we could make any musician perform in a genre they’ve never played before, who and what it would be.

You can watch the episode on our YouTube channel, listen on our website, or get it wherever you get podcasts!

15/09/2022

Check out this clip from TBJ198 with Terry Bingham!

Terry talks about how a chop problem during college led him to develop one of the skills that has directly led to his success. Go listen to other instruments and other styles of music! We want to be musicians not just trumpet players.

You can watch the whole episode on YouTube, listen to it on our website, or get it wherever you get podcasts.

https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj198

This week we were joined by Terry Bingham!Terry talked about his recent retirement from the Army Band Quintet, how he ma...
15/09/2022

This week we were joined by Terry Bingham!

Terry talked about his recent retirement from the Army Band Quintet, how he managed focal dystonia while continuing to play with elite groups, and some great tips on how to improve musicianship!

You can watch the episode on our YouTube channel, listen on our website, or get it wherever you get podcasts!

https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj198

02/09/2022

Check out this clip from TBJ197 with Jonathan Fowler!

Jonathan shares a great tip for practicing that is applicable to anyone! Jonathan had so many great things to share in this episode from dealing with dental issues to what baseball and music have in common.

You can watch the episode on our YouTube channel, listen on our website, or get it wherever you get podcasts.

https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj197

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Videos

A behind the scenes look at rehearsal with John Williams and "The President's Own" Marine Band at the Kennedy Center by Ryan McGeorge from TBJ218.

Zero fun was had with Marcus Grant and Michael Nickens in TBJ217. None whatsoever.

Horn player Kelly Langenberg on the moment she knew she needed to make a change in her life and career.

Professor of Trombone at UNT Natalie Mannix talks about using a Pomodoro Timer when practicing and how it helps her when she doesn't feel motivated. #brassjunkies #trombone #practicing

Trombonist Dr. Zenas Kim-Banther shares a strategy for dealing with frustration in the practice room and generously shares that it took her a long time to get good at this strategy - even though you'd think it would be easy!

John Fedchock in TBJ210 talking about digging deep into the jazz catalog to find the people who inspire you to find your own personality as a musician.

Check out this clip from TBJ206 with Rex Richardson! Too often we're focusing on the physical parts of brass playing! The main improvements that are happening when you practice are neurological, meaning that if you're practicing in front of TV you're not getting the most out of your practice! You can watch the full episode on our YouTube channel, listen on our website, or get it wherever you get podcasts! https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj206

Check out this clip from TBJ205! Kevin Harrison shares the story of his favorite recording of Floyd Cooley, an unreleased recording of Floyd playing the sarabande from the fifth cello suite in his living room. It's such a great story and the rest of the episode is filled with so many great memories to celebrate Floyd and his impact on the world. You can watch the episod on our YouTube, listen on our website, or get it wherever you get podcasts! https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj205

Check out this clip from TBJ203! Jack Burt shares his gratitude and a story from his doctoral mentor Ray Crisara. It's a funny story with a message that all musicians can benefit from during the busy holiday season! You can watch the full episode on YouTube, listen on our website, or get it wherever you get podcasts! https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj203

Check out this clip from TBJ202! Andrew had so many great preperation tips that it was hard to choose just one! We know that slow practice is beneficial but Andrew answers the question "Why?" This episode is a must listen for anyone on the audition circuit! You can listen on our website or get it wherever you get podcasts! https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj202

Check out this gem from Joe Burgstaller on improvisation! We are all capable of improvisation and improvisation is a great way to exercise creating musical ideas. Joe goes on to talk about "large ensemble trance" and how musicians become dependant on a conductor for musical ideas. This episode was filled with so many great moments that we didn't even miss Lance! You can watch the full episode on YouTube, listen on our website, or get it wherever you get podcasts! https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj201

This week on The Brass Junkies, we're joined by friends to say goodbye to our favorite co-host! Listen to the infamous Jim "bubble butt" Nova tell the story of how he met Lance. You can watch the episode on YouTube, listen on our website, or get it wherever you get podcasts! https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj200

Check out Lance's answer to the question "What would you do differently if you had to go back and attend music school for the first time again?" Listen or watch the full episode to get the rest of our thoughts on this great question from Peter in San Jose, California. You can watch the episode on YouTube, listen on our website, or get it wherever you get podcasts! https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj199

Check out this quote from TBJ196 with Christopher Davis! Christopher talks about his secrets for success while subbing for an orchestra and it might not be what you think! This episode is filled with many great tidbits, epsecially for those looking to do more orchestra playing! You can watch the full episode on our YouTube channel, listen on our website, or get it wherever you get podcasts! https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj196

Check out this quote from TBJ195! "How do I combine my representation stuff with my performing life?" Within classical music education, it is easy to feel like our interests and passions are not welcome at table with our instrumental skill set. Jasmine sucessfully combined these in her EP "Revolution" which is available on streaming platforms and bandcamp! There are many more great moments from the episode and it is not one to miss! You can watch the full episode on our YouTube channel, listen on or website, or get it wherever you get podcasts! https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj195

Check out this clip from TBJ194 with Natalie Mannix! Natalie talked about how she was asked by a student in her early years of teaching if she knew any compositions for trombone by women. She was embarrased that she didn't know any and hadn't thought about it before. Since then she has created a database of over 650 pieces for trombone by women composers! Natalie's episode is not to be missed! She talks about her chamber career with The Stiletto Brass Quintet and Lantana Trio, hosting The International Women's Brass Conference, and what it's like teaching at UNT! You can watch the full episode on our YouTube channel, listen on our website, or get it wherever you get podcasts! https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj194 Catalog of trombone compositions by women composers: http://www.nataliemannix.com/pedagogy.html

Check out this quote from TBJ193 with Billy Hunter! Billy talks about how he stays focused while under pressure by focusing on the now. The rest of the episode is filled with so many great moments! You can watch it on our YouTube channel, listen to it on our website, or get it wherever you get podcasts! https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj193

Check out this quote from TBJ192! William talks about the technical and social sides of music. The technical being playing the tuba, or whatever instrument, at a really high level and the social side being getting out there shaking hands, meeting people, and why it's so important! This was a great episode! You can watch it on our YouTube channel, listen to it on our website, or get it wherever you get podcasts! https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/the-brass-junkies-podcast/tbj192

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