The Brass Junkies

Wes Funderburk and Tom Gibson join Andrew & Lance for one of the most chaotic and accidentally informative episode yet. We and Tom both live in Atlanta and write, gig, teach and conduct there (both play/conduct/arrange for the Atlanta Pops, the Joe Grandson Big Band and teach at Kennesaw State University. Additionally, Wes teaches at Georgia State and Tom teaches at the University of West Georgia)...

Phil Snedecor, Associate Professor of Trumpet at the Hartt School and co-founder and conductor of the Washington Symphonic Brass joins Andrew & Lance in a nearly step-by-step examination of how to succeed in music. Phil has extensive experience as a player, arranger, conductor, teacher, composer and booker and explains the importance of putting in an honest to goodness eight hour day. He explains...

Jeffrey Scott, composer and horn player with Imani Winds, joins Andrew & Lance to discuss how he and the group got started. Imani Winds has charted new ground in the medium for 19 years and Jeff explains how they found their mission. Jeff covers his development as a composer, the need for entrepreneurial skills, how they set up residencies, marketing and what it was like to replace a long-standing...

Joey Tartell, Associate Professor of Trumpet and Director of Undergraduate Studies at Indiana University joins Andrew & Lance to explain how he can be both a lead trumpet player and a decent person. Joey details the keys to his success including the insights he gained from his former teachers, explains the good news/bad news about the advent of YouTube and how he equips his students to succeed in...

Bruce Broughton, multi-award-winning composer of countless television and movie scores somehow got tricked into talking with Andrew & Lance about his amazing career. Bruce's music has been nominated for 24 Emmy's, he has won 10 (!!!) of them and was nominated for both an Oscar and a Grammy. Take that! From an early musical start at Salvation Army Band Camp and composer (at 5 years old) of "Go Up J...

Kristy Morrell, Chair of the Department of Winds and Percussion at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, and the principal French Horn instructor at the Colburn School of Performing Arts, joins Andrew & Lance against her better judgment. In an in-depth discussion, we learn how her performance of "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" as a child impacted her career (Spoiler A...

Dennis Askew, Director of the School of Music at UNC Greensboro, joins Andrew & Lance to explain how a lowly tuba player gets a gig like that. Dennis has been teaching at the college level for over 25 years and we explore how he went from a newbie faculty member (he was young and cheap) to a newly minted Director (he worked to become organized, consistent and trustworthy, no mean task for a tuba p...

  Leonhard Paul of Mnozil Brass joins Andrew & Lance for a spectacular conversation about the phenomenon that is Mnozil Brass. Over the last 24 years, Mnozil Brass has charted a path that is completely unique and continues to amaze audiences all over the globe. Leonhard explains how they plan and develop their shows, pieces and stage settings. He goes on to talk about the development of the YouTub...

Andrew & Lance have a new episode format in this installment. They tell some of their favorite Boston Brass stories including their first gigs, the time Lance almost died in Austria, and how Andrew once had to have his tuba repaired in three separate continents all within the same month. Let us know if you would like this new format and if you would like to hear more stories. We will always contin...

Andy Balio , Principal Trumpet of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra join Andrew & Lance in a fascinating and far reaching conversation. From his time with some of the greatest orchestra on the planet to the four years he spent at an ashram, Andy's story is endlessly fascinating. We also cover his role at the Future Symphony Institute and talk about many of the issues facing professional orchestras...

Composer, conductor and recovering trumpet player Brian Balmages sits down with Andrew and Lance despite his better judgment. Bran started on the piano, goes on to explain how he writes and orchestrates his pieces and talks about the disconnect which sometimes occurs between what he thinks will be popular and what ends up being so. He talks about why he likes working with groups and we learned tha...

Two of the members of C Street Brass/Beauty Slap, Hakeem Bilal and Gabriel Colby, sit down with Andrew & Lance in a fun conversation about these cool new interconnected groups. C Street and Beauty Slap are a sort of Jekyll and Hyde hybrid with C Street functioning as a brass quintet and Beauty Slap a brass quartet plus DJ, giving them the opportunity to play to a wide set of audiences. Most recent...

World-renowned tuba player Patrick Sheridan sits down with Andrew & Lance and the three of them foolishly try to have a normal conversation. From his early start as the renowned soloist on "Hey Mr. Banjo" in elementary school, to his time in The President's Own Marine Band and his MBA from the University of Michigan, Pat details his journey. He is currently the conductor of Salt River Brass in Ari...

Trombonist and probable alien Harry Watters sits down with Andrew & Lance and hilarity ensues. Harry has had an amazing career, including a four year stint with the Dukes of Dixieland before detours to Las Vegas and his current position in Pershing's Own Army Band. Harry has played with just about everybody on the planet and give us some tips on learning improvisation. He may or may not also have...

Tage Larsen, 4th/utility trumpet with The Chicago Symphony sits down with Andrew & Lance for a fascinating look at his highly successful (and highly diverse) career. Tage spent time in The Marine Band, Dallas Brass and the St. Louis Symphony before his current position and he explores what he likes about playing 4th/utility. We also get into the role of classical music in society and the notion th...

Mike Colburn, former Commander and Conductor of The President's Own Marine Band in Washington, D.C., speaks with Andrew and Lance about his impressive career. Colonel Colburn (or "kernel" as Lance like to call him) recently retired from a long and distinguished career, which began as a euphoniumist (probably a word.) He is now the Director of Bands at Butler University and believes in living a for...

Matt Vaughn, Co-Principal Trombone with the Philadelphia Orchestra sits down with Andrew & Lance in a fun and wide-ranging conversation. Matt talks not only about his highly successful career, but about what it is like being a twin, what he listens for in auditions and what it was like to take on the role of Mother Teresa in Air Force Basic Training. Oh, and he once played a gig at Cedar Point wit...

Chad Winkler, fourth/utility trumpet with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra joins Andrew & Lance in person in front of an audience at Duquesne University. From an early start as an award-winning pianist, to studies with his father, Chad explains what it took to win the gig of his dreams. Chad explains what it was like to study with his father at West Virginia University and (of course) gets into a...

Chris Castellanos, horn player from Boston Brass joins Andrew & Lance from Flower Mound, Texas, and explains that he (unlike Andrew & Lance) is not a quitter! From growing up in Las Vegas, to playing in the pit of “Phantom” well over 1,000 times and witnessing a flying trombone, Chris unpacks his versatile career. He also details his time in three of the most popular brass quintets on the scene to...

Brass legend Dan Perantoni, Provost Professor of Tuba at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, joins Andrew & Lance to discuss how he initially dreamed of being a jazz pianist. Thankfully for all of us, he ended up participating in nearly every important milestone in the development of nearly every important milestone in tuba-dom in the last 50 years. Dan shares stories about Harvey Phill...

JD Shaw, Associate Professor of Horn at the University of South Carolina and former colleague (inmate) of Andrew & Lance in Boston Brass, becomes the first repeat guest. In March and April of 2016, JD, Andrew, Lance and pianist/composer/moonbat David Cutler will be joining forces for a series of concerts under the name "Cones and Tones." JD explains the genesis of the group, talks about the upcomi...

Colin Williams, newly tenured Associate Principal Trombone with the New York Philharmonic joins Andrew & Lance in a very frank and honest discussion about recovering from chop injury. Colin also sets Andrew's heart aflame, describing his experience playing w/Trey Anastasio from Phish, talks about what it is like working w/Joe Alessi (spoiler alert, it's pretty good), and his thoughts on what makes...

Multi-talented Brazilian Fernando Deddos joins Andrew & Lance to discuss how he manages to be annoyingly successful as a euphonium player, composer, pianist and (soon to be) college professor. Fernando explains how his dream to become the first person in Brazil with a doctorate in euphonium is about to come true and shares his hopes for fostering future generations of musicians in his home country...

Dan Gosling, creator of ChopSaver, joins Andrew & Lance to discuss how he created ChopSaver and brought it to market. From experimenting in his kitchen to arriving on the shelves of 7,000 CVS stores, Dan shares his fascinating story. He also talks about how to break into a freelance playing market, the importance of being a nice person and why ChopSaver was almost caller Pucker Upper.   Website: C...

Dave Zerkel, Professor of Tuba/Euphonium at the University of Georgia joins Andrew & Lance to discuss how he nearly became a meteorologist snake doctor. He recounts the path of his career, from standing very still in the Army Band, to teaching at Illinois State (after the retirement of his teacher, Ed Livingston) and on to his current position at the University of Georgia. He also talks about how...