These posts are written by: Bruce Chidester

Here are 10 reasons most of our bands are playing out of tune- #2

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Stop relying on your electronic tuner! Too many directors have continued to rely on the little tuning box and have forgotten or possibly never learned to used their ears. That statement reminded me of a Faculty Brass Quintet clinic we were giving in a small town in Iowa. One of…

Here are 10 reasons most of our bands are playing out of tune- #1

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1. You can’t tune your band to a tuba! Read…….. http://www.thetrumpetblog.com/why-are-we-still-tuning-our-bands-to-a-tuba/ http://www.thetrumpetblog.com/scientific-proof-tuning-to-a-tuba-can-be-hazardous-to-your-bands-intonation-2/ http://www.thetrumpetblog.com/continued-discussion-on-tuning-a-band-to-a-tuba/ http://www.thetrumpetblog.com/recent-comments-on-the-topic-why-do-bands-still-tune-to-the-tuba/ http://www.thetrumpetblog.com/continuing-discussion-on-why-do-the-bands-still-tune-to-the-tuba/

The Westerlies- Revisited “REQUIRED READING FOR ALL MY READERS”

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Earlier, I posted an article describing a fantastic brass quartet which I introduced as “Possibly The Best Quartet- Period”. Photo taken by Sasha Arutyunova After posting my material, I was lucky enough to get in contact with this ensemble and they agreed to answer a few questions I had about…

Band Directors! Learn to Tune Your #%@&*%$# Bands!

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“I have had it with out-of-tune bands”! The more I listen to concert bands, the more I get upset and wonder where we have gone wrong in instrumental music. As my readers have learned, I am a very patient yet sometimes out spoken person. I try to understand other opinions…

The Perfect Practice, Rehearsal, Recording Studio- Part 2

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Now that we have the basic room and have found it to be sound (pun intended), we will need to fill it with equipment. If you were expecting a long list of the ultimate recording equipment in both hardware/software, let me remind you that I am a retired professor of…

The Perfect Practice, Rehearsal, Recording Studio- Part 1

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If you hear of one, please let me know. Until then, let me show you the best I have ever designed and built. To construct the best of all worlds in these areas is imposable for each requires its own elements. The best recording studio may not have the correct…

Finally! An MRI of a player!

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To read more about this breakthrough, check out Here is what happens inside your body when you play a brass instrument.

Preparing for a Show Chapter 5 (concentration issues)

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Some shows are physically taxing. Some have endurance problems and some, as in this case, have concentration issues. Due to the constant mute changes, tempo changes and vocal cues, I have found this show to be challenging for my ability to concentrate. Through the years I have discovered helpful tricks…

Preparing for a Show Chapter 4 (preparing your work area)

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I must admit, I am much more deliberate in my preparations for a show than the average musician. The reason for this is two-fold; 1. I detest making mistakes 2. I am not the quickest learner in the section Because of these shortcomings, I tend to do much more preparation…