Expanding Our
Experience
The world of music,
the brass world and, of course, our comparably small world of trumpet, horn,
trombone, euphonium and tuba, is passing through an enormous change. We have
passed the place in our musical environments, where city, or country can
dictate the “Right” way to play. No teacher today possesses the complete
knowledge of the myriad styles and techniques that an aware student needs in
the huge world of music. It’s the student’s responsibility to explore beyond the
teachings, probably superb teaching, of a single teacher and seek as full as
possible of a world view.
Of course, this is
abundantly available and visible now online. However, expanding our musical
perceptions and thoughts on line is only a small step in the right direction.
It has been my
pleasure in the last years to be affiliated a festival of music performance and
masterclasses it the highest level called Italian
Brass Week. This year, 2015, IBW has a faculty that certainly represents an
extraordinary list of both masterteachers and performers.
Trumpets: Pacho
Flores from Venezuela, Barbara Butler, Charlie Geyer, USA, Otto Sauter, Germany
and Andrea Dell’Ira, Italy.
Horns: Dale Clevenger, USA Luca Benucci, Italy and Han Xiaoming, China.
Admittedly, I did not know Pacho Flores. I just visited his website and
heard him play and speak. This is a world-class artist and powerful pedagogue.
Similarly, I had not heard of Han Xiaoming. I listened to samples of
his Mozart Concertos and was hugely impressed.
Trombones: Alain Trudel, Canada and Jörgen Van Rijen, Netherlands.
Tubas: Anne Jelle Visser, Netherlands/Switzerland, Steven Rosse,
USA/Australia and me, Roger Bobo, USA/Netherlands/Italy/Switzerland/Japan/Mexico.
This year Italian Brass Week is proud to open a course for euphonium
with Fletcher Mitchell from Australia.
This is a brass faculty of the highest level that is guaranteed to open
your ideas not only of brass playing but to expand your styles and musicality.
I’m sure most of the names on this impressive list are already known to you but
if there are names you don’t know please go online and look at them.
But there is much more about Italian Brass Week:
This year IBW will take place in Firenze, which is known as one of the
most beautiful and historically significant cities in the world. The cuisine is
delicious, the people are friendly but most importantly, the students at IBW
will be from all over the world and the friendships you make will probably last
your lifetime.
Please come and experience this extraordinary event, it’s a chance of a
lifetime, You will be very welcome.
February 15, 2015, Oaxaca, Mexico
