skills-and-bones' podcast

Mike Lake shares some nice stories about his journey and how the alto trombone suits him as a musician. Make sure  to check out all of his products such as method books, originial compositions and many talks with some of the jazz greats.  https://musicsavvy.com/  

This episode Christopher Bassett, the bass trombonist of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, talks about being a musician first. He gives great advice about being the best version of yourself while being a musician and playing whatever instrument you play. As always if you have something to share here on this platform please contact us at skillsbones9@gmail.com   Check out all of the great things Mr. Bassett is doing: https://www.cbtrombone.com/ Host: Matthew Driscoll Cohost: Bruce Faske  

Happy Holidays everyone!  During the pandemic musicians were able to meet more online and it made for a challenging time, but also fruitful time to make connections that otherwise may not have happened if we were all in our everyday lives of working or being students. Our guest today falls in this category. I was looking personally for works by women composers for a recital I was working on and found Samanthan Hogan's work, Mill Creek Trombone Concerto. There are clever, meaningful, and quirky melodies that stand out and I thought to myself I am going to do this one. So I let her know and met on zoom. I learned then that my now co-host Bruce Faske premiered the piece and I was the 2nd or 3rd person to play it. Since -  the piece has been fully orchestrated and premiered by the trombonist Gavin Carney in Minnesota the fall of 2024 and has become a composer in demand. On this episode Sam talks about how she caught the composing bug at an early age and how she equally loves to play and teach trombone. Please Enjoy!  

This episode features trombonist Hillary Simms. She has accomplished a lot in a short time and I personally look up to her. She has so many pedagogical ideas that she shares with us and on her social media platforms. A side note; I was feeling cheeky when introducing her because I had been teaching a young euphonium student that likes to play the Canada National anthem, so forgive me for not being absolutely 100 percent correct with my geography. Either way take a listen and before you do I have a few things I am thankful for in 2024. New friendship and partnership Bruce Faske Friends and new connections sharing their stories, experiences, and knowledge with me on this platform. So much support from the music and trombone community through career struggles this year! I cannot thank you enough! For my family especially my girls (wife and daughters) who support all of my ideas and practice routines. AND to all of you who listen and support this show. Enjoy this episode with Hillary Simms. https://www.hillarysimmstrombone.com/about  

I went back to my roots on this one - going solo and talking one on one with a trombone friend. Meet Dr. Anthony Williams as he speaks about some of his major influences as a musician. He shares some pedagogical views about trombone, being a musician, and takes us into what it might be like studying in his studio at the University of Northern Iowa. He is passionate about commissioning and playing new and different works with a fusion of styles for trombone. Williams can be seen playing in a big band, jazz combo or symphony orchestra throughout the calendar year. https://www.anthonywilliamstrombone.com/  

This episode has been in the works for a little over 3 years now. My original intention was to meet the members of Brass Against and talk to the brass players about the band and all kinds of other topics. I followed up on the message about 2-3 months ago and I received a response. (I was one happy camper) They said, “Frank will do it!” So then I began researching Frank Cohen. After falling into that rabbit hole I discovered, Frank has done a lot! He's a member of Brass Against and he currently is lead trombone/soloist with Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, with Willie Colon, and is a member of the High and Mighty Brass Band. Mr. Cohen has great life experiences as a musician that we can all learn from, maybe some can relate to, but most of all we have found another trombone treasure! https://rathtrombones.com/robert-kaip-loves-his-rath-2/ https://www.highandmightybrassband.com/  

Do you ever come across an artist or person not in your field and just think very highly of them? For me there are some athletes, motivational speakers, teachers, maybe a few actors, and for this particular episode is Hailey Brinnel. When I first listened to her albums, I was extremely impressed with her trombone playing, singing, and songwriting. I was instantly a fan. It is these types of interviews I get to do where I feel like a fan and am so gracious they give up some of their time to share their story and knowledge in music and trombone. Visit Hailey's website: https://www.haileybrinnel.com/  

This is the first episode with a co-host. Bruce Faske from episode one of this season has agreed to join me on the search for trombone treasures during season 5. Here is our first collaboration interviewing trombonist, educator, and entreprenuer, Nikki Abissi. We learn about Nikki growing up with tips she's learned along the way about trombone, teaching, and life in general. I hope you enjoy! Nikki's website: https://www.nikkiabissi.com/  

Season 5 is here. Enjoy the first episode with Dr. Bruce Faske, the new trombone professor at the University of Alabama. Plus you just might be hearing more from with on this podcast as the season unfolds. His life experiences early on brings a unique prospective to his teaching strategies. Take a listen!

On this episode of Skills and Bones we get to know Dr. Jonathan Allen and discuss injury comebacks. The first injury was an old shoulder injury and has some tips about what he did during his time off the horn. Allen also opens up about his struggles with focal dysonia and the steps and therapies to get back to playing shape. https://iowatrombones.com/ https://www.fariastechnique.com/

Meet Dr. Jessica Butler, Associate Professor of Practice, Low Brass & Music History at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. You will learn about Littin Trombones and the Littin Trombone Quartet Competition. There are so many neat things happening in the world of trombone from performing and teaching to superb craftsmanship. Maybe you are a student looking for a great place to start your undergraduate degree, well take a listen and get to know Dr. Butler, she is a great teacher and trombonist and definitely will lead you on the right path through your degree. If you are in the market for a new horn, try out one of these trombones next week at the International Trombone Festival and if you have a trombone quartet formed compete in the competition. The final round and festival will be held in Germany in early fall with first round applications due in the summer. Websites: Littin - https://www.littin-musik.de/trombones/?lang=en Jessica Butler - https://www.jessicatrombone.com/bioandcontact

Recorded live at East Carolina University on March 23, 2024. This was the third year in a row for the event and second with a podcast episode recorded in front of a live audience. The interview is based on the questions the students asked for trombonist - Myles Blakemore and composer - Pete Strohm. We discussed careers in the Navy, composing, to a life and career in music.  I thorouhgly enjoyed the opportunity to conduct this interview with so many insightful comments from both Blakemore and Strohm. Make sure to look at both of their webpages: Myles Blakemore: https://www.mylesblakemore.com/ Pete Strohm: https://petestrohm.com/  

Learn the story behind Trombone 101 and the great trombone teacher and musician, Sean Reusch. Make sure to check out his webpage: https://www.trombone101.com/ with many resources for students and teachers alike.

Meet the Vox Cor Trio! Listen and learn about their mission and music they perform. Follow them on Instagram to keep up with the latest.

Jose Leon talks about his new book, life experiences and more. Listen and get to know this amazing person, trombonist, and now author. 

The brass and trombone community are quite amazing with all the resources we have to offer from pedagogical minds all over the world. Just to name a few of the great trombone pedagogical minds with great resources for you to devour for your own practice or studios are Joseph Alessi and the Alessi Music Studios. Brad Edwards has a plethora of resources and texts about the trombone written, created, and composed by him. David Vining and his hive of pedagogues through Mountain Peak Music. Another great resource that popped up over the lockdown of Covid is Slide-School, with the creators Nathan Zgonc and Brian Hecht. If you have not had a chance to join slide-school in any capacity, you should check it out. They bring in the best of the best in the world of trombone to talk about their careers, pick their minds about trombone topics, and the members always have a chance to submit a recording to be critiqued by their guest artist. Please take a listen to this episode and listen to the end to make sure you can take full advantage of your first month's membership with a discount, just in time for the holiday season.

Two great trombonists and friends team up for a power duo of trombone music and micro-brews. Meet the Brews Brothers, Jemmie Robertson and Bill Mann. We discuss the duo's name, commission projects, and future performances. 

There are many trombone treasures to discover in this interview! Get to know Dr. Joseph Jefferson a bit in this episode. We learn about his musical influences from growing up going to church to his trombone professors instilling a great work ethic and the eagerness to continue to grow as a person and musician. 

Meet the bass trombonist and composer William Pagan-Perez. It's an exciting discussion about growing up in Puerto Rico playing trombone and finding his voice as a composer through writing his first composition for his recital in graduate school at the University of Utah. (If you hear a dog barking you're not going crazy, my dog lost her mind during the recording.)

Listen to this episode with Katy Jones, Principal Trombone of the Hallé Orchestra. We chat some about her life and background through becoming a pharmacist to principal trombone of major symphony orchestras in the UK. We go into great detail about the breathing technique, Buteyko. If you want to learn more about this take a listen and also visit her website with many details and resources about Buteyko Breathing and courses she has to offer on the topic. https://katyjonestrombone.co.uk/ 

On one HOT day in July in Salt Lake City at the International Trombone Festival I had the pleasure to catch up and meet Mark Davidson, We chatted about his latest album and he shares some new information hot off the press. Very exciting to sit down and learn a thing or two about his life and trombone - the best combination. 

On this episode of Skills and Bones you will hear from Dr. Tony Baker, Professor of Trombone at the University of North Texas. We discuss his journey to success on both sides of the horn, classical and jazz, with a few other tidbits you may not get from some of his other interviews. 

This episode was recorded live at ECU School of Music, Skills and Bones II, trombone event on March 25, 2023. Matthew J Neff and Bradley Palmer were our guest performing artists and clinicians. Chuck Capps was gracious enough to make the drive from Myrtle Beach to Greenville to join us for this panel. These three trombonists have three distinct careers in music. Matthew Neff primarily a performing artist playing full-time, Dr. Palmer a professor of music, and Mr. Capps a very successfull band director. These three perspectives are good to hear as a student trying to figure it all out. Personally I loved listening to their stories and perspectives on the various topics presented.

On this epidsode I speak with Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier from The Mind Over Finger Podcast. I came across all of her resources on her website and podcast episodes and I knew I had to have a conversation with her in hopes that the great things she is doing in her career will rub off on me (at least 1-2 %). Please listen to our talk and most definitely go and listen to her podcast, there are some fabulous episodes with a few trombone greats too. Make sure to check out all of her resources and coachings she has to offer on her webpage. https://www.mindoverfinger.com/  Thanks for listening!

Growing up with a parent who is a professional in their field doesn't mean that it is immediate success for their children. On this episode I'm chatting with Gabriel Dimartino about growing up and how his hard work has paid off in his career. We talk about brass topics and embouchures, but not a whole lot on the topic of coffee this time. Watch out for our follow up episode!

Do you ever get nervous before playing. I know I get nervous when taking tests, in a crowded room with many people I don't know. Sometimes nerves have been a killer to a performance, like a degree recital or just get me side-tracked for a few measures and then snap out of it. As I get older things become easier, but after the lock down and COVID, some of those old things returned and I had to work through them again on a small scale. Take a listen to this interview with Dr. Bruce Tychinski and get to know his story as he tells how he dealt and deals with performance anxiety. 

In this episode get to know Austin Pancner. Pancner has some great stories about how he found himself through failures. Along that path which helped mold him to what many followers know him as The Functional Musician.

Take a listen to this episode as we listen to Josh Bynum get in the driver's seat and takes us on a journey that is driven by trombone. 

This epidsode I had the pleasure to interview Dr. Bradley Palmer and discuss the beginning days to the Southeast Trombone Symposium and more. 

Take a listen to this inspirational story with Ganesh Om. This is an interview with Ganesh that discusses how he "got back in the saddle" to play trumpet and that the pandemic (lock down) helped to open those doors again. His passion to play the trumpet is contagious and makes me want to go and practice my trombone right now! 

An interview with the bass trombonist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, James (Jim) Markey. On this episode we discuss a few facts you may not know about Mr. Markey and how the Suzuki method has impacted his life.

On this epidsode of Skills and Bones I interview Kyra Sovronsky from Salt Lake City, Utah. She has a fabulous career on trumpet there and has also found her passion for Suzuki Brass. She discusses her career and the positive effects of Suzuki on brass students, the community, and how one can get certified to teach the Suzuki Method.

An interview with retired Pershing's Own trombonist Don Zegel. He shares stories about growing up being exposed to the greats and other tells about his time in the Pershing's Own and the Florida Gulf Coast Symphony. Listen all the way to the end for his words of wisdom. It is great to have him here in Greenville, NC!

This is an interview with Garrett Hope and Arthur Breur from The Ultimate Music Business Summit. We talk about their careers, what the summit has to offer for musicians from college aged to the peaking professional - while searching for a few trombone treasures. 

Dr. Dave Perkel was the lead trombonist of the Navy Commodores Big Band for 15 years, principal trombone of the Annapolis Symphony and former member of the Richmond Symphony and Air Force Ceremonial Brass. On this episode of Skills and Bones we discuss the importance of being a versatile musician, especially in the 21st century. Music is a melting pot of styles and one can find all genres on one program. At a symphony orchestra concert there might be Mahler and Gershwin on the same program. To playing in the pit of a musical theatre  where the trombone book will be symphonic to rock and jazz, all in the same production.

On this episode I talk to band directors and beginning trombone players. There are two key concepts you need to think of when starting out and really the rest of your playing career. Imagine a great sound. Listen to the professionals and take inventory on how they sound. Next use the wind to produce that beautiful sound. It's all about the air! 

In episode 4, I am on the search for a few trombone treasures in an interview with Justin Isenhour. Dr. Isenhour is trombone professor at Winthrop University in South Carolina. We discuss trombone tips, F3 Nation and how it has impacted our lives.

On this episode of Skills and Bones, I interview Denson Paul Pollard, bass trombone of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and trombone professor at Indiana University. Paul and I discuss pathways in careers and also touch on what is similar in our own paths and those that are different. With all of the unknowns in the future, sometimes you have to trust the process. Some of those experiences that you may not think will do anything for you in the present or immediate future, you might find they come in handy later in life. Perhaps the best thing from this interview are the 5 tips Dr. Pollard gives to young and inspiring trombonist. So, continue listening to the end.

In this episode I interview Scott Sweeney with Sweeney Brass in Raleigh, NC. Scott is quite the craftsman when it comes to taking care of your brass instruments. A lot of times the instrument you bring to the shop will come out just as good, if not better, as when it was brand new. Listen for some great tips on how to better care for your trombone and some silly stories I tell of personally learning how to better care for my own instrument. Mr. Sweeney also has patented modifications he offers to various brass instruments putting his own personal artistic stamp that looks absolutely beautiful. 

Music education panel that consists of: Dr. Cindy Wagoner, Dr. Mitchell Lutch, John Boyd, Aaron Noë, and Jennifer Hutson. We discuss challenges of teaching trombone to middle school through high school students and close on the topic of is trombone gender specific.