The In-depth view

This weekend I have a brass quintet rehearsal, sadly we will be missing our second trumpet, so it will be a quartet for the day. Which just isn't as much fun. I do plan to try out the new flugelhorn though. I want to hear how it blends in a brass section. I have to adjust to its not as aggressive playing style, like cornet. I have been playing on my trumpet for so long, I'm not used to a horn that works best when you back off. For those wondering (none, I know) my roster of horns now is:
B flat Stomvi Elite (their old elite, which is now called the Master), large bore
B flat Ryton (Bach Strad knock off, medium bore)
A/B flat Amati 4 valve piccolo (Czech piece of junk, waste of money, sounds like its plastic and probably is, all I know is that its neither a long bell or short bell picc) I have never performed on this horn, thankfully
B flat Besson 700 Cornet (I love this horn, its so much fun to play, such a velvelt tone and free blowing. Besson only made a few hundred as a prototype to demonstrate at a show, Baltimore Brass got ahold of them, sold them for $400 each. Was a steal)
C Bach Stradivarius, reversed lead pipe, large bore, 29 gold/brass double walled bell. This horn is really great. I'm not in love with it, but I haven't played another bach, or C trumpet in fact, that felt as good as it does to blow on this thing in orchestra.
B Flat JZ Flugelhorn, the recent acquisition
B flat Flugelhorn, unknown brand, but autographed by Maynard Ferguson. It plays like crap, I should turn it into a lamp
B flat Bundy student model, its held together by wire ties. Real classy
Vintage 1960's Besson Euphonium (Made at the London factory)with 4th, noncompensating valvue. Satin silver finish, its gorgeous and in amazing shape, not bad for free...

So Thats the line up. I have recently lent out the Ryton to a coworker who is in high school and is thinking of upgrading. I told him this is an inexpensive way to obtain a professional quality horn and see how it feels, if he thinks its for him. I also offered him lessons. He seems more willing to learn than my current student. He hasn't figure dout you have to have good tone, the correct rhythm and pitch, all at the same time. It is so infuriating that he hasn't gotten any of those skills down to being natural.

I am currently going through an embouchure change. I have realized I curl my lips in when I play, especially when I get tired, which reduced the the vibrating area, killing sound and making me even more tired. I was able to get the adjustment to playing on more of the inside of my lip comfortable enough to use for the orchestra re-audition. I really had a bigger sound with this adjustment. It has resulted in the gap for air to pass through to be a little bigger, which should allow me to get more air out, improving range (I hope). I still ned to do a lot of work on it, but my work schedule isn't cooperating. Even though I am an insomniac, staying up til 2-3 every night, I live in a rowhome, so no practicing normally after 9.

I am wanting to arrange a song for me to use my flugel with the quintet, to get a little bit more unique sound for the group. So it would be a Flugel solo with a quartet accompaniment. It will be time to listen to the radio and the CD collections, and some mp3's for a song to write out. Some more late nights staring at Sibelius lie ahead. I think the quintet book is almost overflowing with my homebrew arrangements.

I still have "Nothin' But a Good Time" blasting in my head. Peace friend(s)