The Brass Junkies

Find everything Natalie Colegrove has done with The Brass Junkies: https://www.brassjunkies.com/natalie-colegrove Get something interesting from the world of brass every week in The Brass Junkies Newsletter: https://www.brassjunkies.com/newsletter

Please note: This episode includes a brief mention of suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US).

On This Episode of The Brass Junkies:

• Andrew and guest co-host Mike Roylance, Principal Tuba of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, speak with euphonium player, social media manager and baker Natalie Colegrove
• How many Brass Junkies episodes Natalie listened to during the pandemic, and the one she went back to again and again
• The audition prep schedule she learned from Mike's episode and used years later for military band auditions
• The weekly Zoom hang that brought together tuba and euphonium players from 20 countries, and how Mike got to know Roger Bobo through it
• Moving from California to Texas for her senior year of high school, and why the first band rehearsal back made her cry
• The Artist Solo Competition at ITEC in Valencia that went so badly she was ready to quit the euphonium
• The phone call from Chris Buckley that came the very same evening
• Why she stopped taking beta blockers, and what has changed in her playing since
• Choosing Paul Reade's Suite from The Victorian Kitchen Garden for her solo with the Army, and why the tuba and euphonium world needs more beautiful music
• The 1987 British gardening show the piece comes from, now her favorite TV show (and the kittens)
• The five-month search for a dress that represented both her and the piece
• How her interpretation kept maturing over 10 months, with major musical decisions still being made a month before the performance
• Natalie's synesthesia, and how she uses color to notate where the music breathes in and breathes out
• Why seeing every note as a color is both a blessing and a curse (G major is a problem)
• The fifth-grade math class where she found out nobody else saw the colors
• Mike on Marcel Tabuteau's numbering system, and Andrew on learning it from Ray Still
• How she spent the day of the performance, and the sandwich she eats whenever she travels
• Her micro bakery, 40 loaves of sourdough a week, and the most perfectly timed prop in Brass Junkies history
• Her first sourdough starter, which did not end well
• What baking bread has in common with getting better at the euphonium
• Why she used to call herself "an underbaked brownie"
• Mike's audition prep book and the math behind four minutes of glory
• Why she sets a theme for each year instead of making a New Year's resolution, and what this year's theme has changed in her
• How her faith shapes everything from her preparation to her priorities
• Running social media for about eight organizations and artists, including ITEA and Mind&Melody
• Why she stepped away from posting her own playing, and what has to happen before she posts again
• The biggest mistake she sees people making on social media right now
• Why she's biased against AI, and what she's watched it do to a colleague's creativity
• Mike's advice for learning a new piece in the YouTube era
• Her life goal, which has nothing to do with music
• Touring with Brassology, and how they found her
• The lo-fi tracks she recorded during the pandemic, and the email she sent Lance about them
• How the euphonium gave her a voice as a kid, and the very Cupertino reasoning behind picking it in middle school
• The bonus episode: life on the other side of the microphone, a from-scratch kitchen that goes well beyond bread, the "G lesson," Mike's crusade against vented valves, airplane window shades, Minecraft vs. Monopoly and what all three are trying to get better at

Links:

• Natalie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misseuphonium/
• International Tuba Euphonium Association: https://www.iteaonline.org
• Mind&Melody: https://www.mindandmelody.org
• TBJ146: Mike Roylance: https://youtu.be/S3NGuxtaNGw
• TBJ Euphonium Page: https://www.brassjunkies.com/euphonium
• TBJ Tuba Page: https://www.brassjunkies.com/tuba

Find everything Denise Tryon has done with The Brass Junkies: https://www.brassjunkies.com/denise-tryon

Get something interesting from the world of brass every week in The Brass Junkies Newsletter: https://www.brassjunkies.com/newsletter

Horn interviews, masterclasses, and resources: https://www.brassjunkies.com/horn

Trumpet interviews, masterclasses, and resources: https://www.brassjunkies.com/trumpet

On This Episode of The Brass Junkies:

• Andrew speaks with hornist Denise Tryon, Professor of Horn at Indiana University and former Fourth Horn of The Philadelphia Orchestra, back on the show nine years after her first appearance • In the premiere of Career Corner, presented by Hitz Academy, Andrew speaks with Dr. Julia Bell, Assistant Professor of Trumpet at Texas Tech University and founder of the Magnolia Brass Quintet • Andrew's thoughts on the Phoenix Symphony suspending its season and laying off its musicians, and why your support should go directly to the musicians • On a scale of nine to 10, exactly how much Denise missed Andrew • Her brand new album, Borrowed Bach, featuring Bach Cello Suites 1 through 5 on horn, and the companion book • The first movement of the album that made Andrew stop working and say "wow" out loud • The childhood piano lessons where she only wanted to play Bach, much to her teacher's chagrin • Chuck Kavalovski introducing her to the Wendell Hoss transcription in college • The decision she made at 19 or 20 that became a lifelong, "somewhat nagging" project • The suggestion that led her to create her own transcription, and how she chose the key for each suite • Gail Williams's request that changed how the book is laid out • Why Suite No. 6 didn't make the cut • How the book is designed to encourage players to make their own choices instead of copying hers • Andrew's first lesson at Northwestern with Rex Martin and the two very different Glenn Gould recordings of the Goldberg Variations • The dance between technique and musicianship over a career, and the Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau recordings she has her students compare • The recording sessions that COVID and a series of setbacks postponed for years, and why she's glad she waited • Her approach to the repeats: first time as written, then adding ornamentation the second time • The Gavotte from Suite No. 5 that had her wondering what life decisions led her to that moment • The advice Sam Pilafian gave Andrew before he produced his first recording session • Working with engineer and producer Paul Eachus, a bass trombonist formerly of the Honolulu Symphony, and his rare gift for saying anything without her getting defensive • Why her best takes came when she let go, and the instinct to drive with your foot hovering over the brake • What she did 15 minutes into that Gavotte to get herself to the finish line • The pizza place discovery she credits as her secret sauce for keeping her face fresh • Recording in a church in Nashville, Indiana, its tree of life stained glass window, and why they ended up using the microphones closest to her • Why Borrowed Bach is the recording she's most proud of • The post-project slump her husband sees coming every single time • Why all of her students now play out of Bach, and the composer she begged not to write in her every nuance • Teaching creative problem solvers instead of teaching to the test • Why your job in an audition is to sell people on you, and Andrew's first date analogy • The advice from a colleague in her 30s that changed how she thought about her career • Being comfortable being different, and making a slower tempo convincing • The difference between an earned slowdown to breathe and a convenient one • Her train analogy for breathing in fast Bach movements (and the one train stop not to emulate) • Breathing as a low horn specialist, and Andrew's recommendation that everyone be 6'4" • The next recording project she might already be planning for this summer • What Andrew loves most about Denise's approach to music and to life • Career Corner: the simple theme that runs through everything Julia has done in her career so far • How her goal of an orchestral career evolved during her master's degree • What she did once she figured out what a trumpet professor's job actually requires • How she started a brass quintet with four women she had never met • Why you should apply even when you're sure you won't get the job • Andrew's seventh-grade audition for the Junior Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble, and why you should never say no for other people • Why seasoned players can tell right away when someone is driven and asking the right questions • All seven of Andrew's conversations with Julia are coming to The Brass Junkies YouTube channel

Links:

• Phoenix Symphony Musicians on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phoenixsymphonymusicians
• Musicians of the Phoenix Symphony: https://musiciansofthephoenixsymphony.org/
• Borrowed Bach on Navona Records: https://www.navonarecords.com/catalog/nv6901/
• Borrowed Bach on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mj5h5taGDvS7Gp1BND9ZaGO82tkrFb30o
• Bach Cello Suites I-V for Horn, Transcribed by Denise Tryon: https://denisetryon.com/product/bach-cello-suites-i-v-for-horn-transcribed-by-denise-tryon/
• Denise Tryon: https://denisetryon.com/
• TBJ67, Denise's first appearance: https://www.brassjunkies.com/episodes/episode67
• TEM174: Sam Pilafian on Producing: https://www.tem.fm/blog/tem174
• Dr. Julia Bell at Texas Tech University: https://www.depts.ttu.edu/music/aboutus/faculty/julia-bell.php
• Gail Williams on The Brass Junkies: https://www.brassjunkies.com/gail-williams
• Parker Mouthpieces: https://parkermouthpieces.com

Find everything Gail Williams has done with The Brass Junkies: https://brassjunkies.com/gail-williams Get something interesting from the world of brass every week in The Brass Junkies Newsletter: https://www.brassjunkies.com/newsletter

On This Episode of The Brass Junkies:

• Andrew and guest co-host Nicole Cash are joined by horn legend Gail Williams, retired Associate Principal Horn of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Professor Emerita at Northwestern University
• Why Gail will never write a memoir
• Her post-retirement obsession with photography and the promise she made to her late teacher, John Covert, that has her flying halfway around the world
• Doug Hill's line "don't be a should-er" and how it lands for Andrew in the practice room too
• The lessons she learned from John Covert (her very first teacher) and why they stick with her to this day
• Why she believes handing young players orchestral excerpts too early does real damage
• Growing up on a dairy farm, playing horn for the cows, and the discovery she and her brother made about echo inside a 70-foot silo
• How her mother, a K-12 vocal music teacher, shaped a teaching philosophy Gail still uses today, one Nicole remembers learning from her firsthand
• Her go-to trick for teaching embouchure to students who insist they "can't"
• The interaction that Gail had with Andrew's 11-year-old son at the International Horn Symposium that sums up her kindness and thoughtfulness
• Attending her very first horn workshop at 18, her jaw on the floor meeting legends like Barry Tuckwell, and why she misses the format those workshops used to have
• Why she left the CSO after 20 years: the tension between touring life and raising two teenagers, with her husband still playing Principal Clarinet in the orchestra
• The Phil Farkas line that stuck with her for decades and altered the course of her career
• What she actually misses about orchestral life, and what she very much doesn't
• Playing in the Lyric Opera pit for Pavarotti and Domingo, which she calls her real "post-grad degree"
• Posting her CSO resignation letter the same week she was set to solo with the orchestra, and how unkindly some colleagues responded
• Being the one who leaves the orchestra and not her husband, and the "peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the car" reality of motherhood in a male-dominated field
• Borrowing a concept from photography to teach horn students about balance
• Why "change is healthy" is her guiding phrase, and how it connects to Seth Godin's idea of "tension"
• Her Northwestern send-off: an 80-person horn choir spanning every class she ever taught, and two straight nights of backyard bonfires
• Asking her own former student and successor at Northwestern, Adam Unsworth, what he didn't get from her as a teacher
• Studying with Arnold Jacobs, and how his teaching gradually boiled down to one simple instruction
• Applying to college as a phys ed major to avoid the family business of music, and why she still coaches horn playing like an athletic skill
• A phrase of the late Sam Pilafian's that comes up more than once in this conversation
• Why two different mentors, Covert and Farkas, independently pointed her toward Chicago
• Nicole's second act as a decorated audiobook narrator, and the phone call from an old Dallas Symphony colleague that got her started
• Andrew's take on why AI could never replicate what happens in the moment for musicians
• Gail's blunt take on AI in the classroom, and the picture book about butterflies her granddaughter chose over a graphic novel
• The scales question her old teacher used to ask her, and the twist she still applies to her own practice
• The story of Gail "fixing" an emergency before Mallory Thompson's wedding (when Tim Higgins got COVID), and the surprise Empire Brass connection it turned up for Andrew

The Brass Junkies is back for Season Three.

After 222 episodes and a long pause following the loss of my co-host and dear friend Lance LaDuke, the show returns with a new weekly format. Each week brings conversations with some of the finest brass players in the world, plus short Mini-Conversations you can watch any time.

In this preview I share why the show went quiet, what's changing, and what's coming this season, starting with Gail Williams.

And sign up for The Brass Junkies Newsletter for Five Questions with brass players you know and some you should, plus practicing tips and more: https://www.brassjunkies.com/newsletter

The Brass Junkies is coming back!

Andrew announces Season 3 (launching spring 2026) with a new format, then reads a heartfelt tribute to Lance LaDuke covering his legendary work ethic, courage, teaching philosophy, impact on the brass world, and more.

Also: An exclusive presale offer for the brand new course from Hitz Academy, Practice Room Mastery: The Four M's Method, plus updates on moving on from Patreon and what's next for the show.

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The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media.

Andrew is joined by seven brass players who share thoughts about a musician they were thankful for in 2023. Become a Patron ► https://www.patreon.com/thebrassjunkies/ Show Notes ► http://www.brassjunkies.com

Guests Giving Thanks:

• Sasha Romero (Principal Trombone of the Metropolitan Opera) is thankful for Claudio Sanchez (8:10)
• Rodney Marsalis (Lead Trumpet + Founder of The Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass) is thankful for Terry Everson (19:04)
• Dr. Danielle VanTuinen (Professor of Tuba + Euphonium at The University of Florida) is thankful for Deanna Swoboda (27:51)
• Jeffrey Scott (Professor of Horn at Oberlin Conservatory and Former Horn Player and Founder of Imani Winds) is thankful for Carolyn Clark (36:34)
• Dr. Steph Frye-Clark (Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at East Tennessee State and Tuba Player of Mirari Brass Quintet) is thankful for Sarah Paradis (46:08)
• Ryan Little (Principal Horn of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra) is thankful for Gail Williams (52:05)
• Hakeem Bilal (Professor of Trombone at West Virginia University and Bass Trombonist for C Street Brass) is thankful for Omar Lateef (58:13)

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The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media

https://www.brassjunkies.com/

Andrew and guest co-host Dr. Michael W. Nickens are joined by trombonist Myles Blakemore of The United States Navy Band Become a Patron ► https://www.patreon.com/thebrassjunkies/ Show Notes ► http://www.brassjunkies.com

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The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media

https://www.brassjunkies.com/

Andrew and guest co-host Buddy Deshler are joined by trumpeter, coronetist, and flugelhornist Jen Oliverio Become a Patron ► https://www.patreon.com/thebrassjunkies/ Show Notes ► http://www.brassjunkies.com

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The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media

https://www.brassjunkies.com/

Andrew is joined by Ryan McGeorge, euphonium player for "The President's Own" Marine Band Become a Patron ► https://www.patreon.com/thebrassjunkies/ Show Notes ► http://www.brassjunkies.com

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The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media

https://www.brassjunkies.com/

Andrew and guest co-host Michael Nickens are joined by trumpeter and composer Marcus Grant. Become a Patron ► https://www.patreon.com/thebrassjunkies/ Show Notes ► http://www.brassjunkies.com

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The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media

https://www.brassjunkies.com/

This Listener's Choice is all questions about the late, great Sam Pilafian. Become a Patron ► https://www.patreon.com/thebrassjunkies/ Show Notes ► http://www.brassjunkies.com

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The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media

https://www.brassjunkies.com/

Andrew is joined by trumpet player Dr. Luke Spence, fresh off playing in a dream team trumpet section for the first ever performances of the International Pride Orchestra.Become a Patron ► https://www.patreon.com/thebrassjunkies/ Show Notes ► http://www.brassjunkies.com

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The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media

https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/

Andrew is joined by three phenomenal euphonium players, Jamie Lipton, John Caputo and Betsy Hones, to talk all NABBA and the British-style brass band scene in the US. Become a Patron ► https://www.patreon.com/thebrassjunkies/ Show Notes ► http://www.brassjunkies.com

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The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media

https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/

Trumpet player Jeff Conner of Boston Brass joined Andrew for a session on building a world-class chamber ensemble at the Brass Career Intensive. Become a Patron ► https://www.patreon.com/thebrassjunkies/ Show Notes ► http://www.brassjunkies.com

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The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media

https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/

Horn player and very-soon-to-be Doctor Kelly Langenberg joins Andrew and special guest co-host Jeff Nelsen of Canadian Brass to talk about horn and the challenges of being a female brass player. Become a Patron ► https://www.patreon.com/thebrassjunkies/ Show Notes ► http://www.brassjunkies.com

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The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media

https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/

Phenomenal trombonist Zenas Kim-Banther joins Andrew and special guest co-host Jim Nova to talk about trombone and horses. Become a Patron ► https://www.patreon.com/thebrassjunkies/ Show Notes ► http://www.brassjunkies.com

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The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media

https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/

Jazz trombone legend John Fedchock joins Andrew and guest co-host, former Brass Junkies guest, and John's wife Jennifer Wharton to talk about his amazing career that spans over four decades.

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The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media

https://www.brassjunkies.com

International euphonium sensastion Glenn Van Looy joins Andrew and guest host Hiram Diaz from Switzerland to discuss his career as one of the most in-demand euphonium soloists in the world.

Become a Patron ► https://www.patreon.com/thebrassjunkies/ Show Notes ► http://www.brassjunkies.com

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The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media

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Horn legend Marty Hackleman takes us behind the scenes for the Empire Brass recording session for their album Class Brass.

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The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media

https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/

A clip from each Brass Junkies interview of 2022 along with some brief thoughts on each.

• TBJ180 Matt Neff of the North Carolina Symphony on getting incredibly nervous in auditions, even two decades into his professional career (2:51)
• TBJ181 Kevin Newton of Imani Winds on his mental approach to auditions (7:44)
• TBJ182 Jeff Curnow of The Philadelphia Orchestra on Rolf Smedvig setting the tone for Empire Brass concerts (9:45)
• TBJ184 International tuba phenom Sergio Carolino on staying away from negative people (11:24)
• TBJ185 Sylvia Alimena, formerly of the National Symphony Orchestra, on why it's never too early to talk about artistry with students (13:23)
• TBJ186 Beth Wiese of Appalachian State University on how musicians don't control much but do control how they approach a piece of music (14:40)
• TBJ187 Jack Burt of the University of Maine on the concept of any performance being just a snapshot (17:28)
• TBJ188 Joe Dollard, retired Navy Band, on making the case for strengthening the connection between your singing voice and your playing (19:36)
• TBJ190 Kevin Gebo of the U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" on the importance of listening (21:43)
• TBJ191 Steve Lange of the Boston Symphony Orchestra on the breakthrough he had after experiencing a real low point early on in his career (23:31)
• TBJ192 William Russell of Boston Brass on the intense moment in a lesson with Mike Roylance that really impacted him (27:01)
• TBJ193 Billy Hunter of the Metropolitan Opera on using his imagination to help him perform at his best (30:30)
• TBJ194 Natalie Mannix of the University of North Texas on the benefits of using a Pomodoro timer when practicing (32:32)
• TBJ195 Jasmine Pigott on overcoming a less than encouraging teacher early in her career and how she went about learning to improvise (35:41)
• TBJ196 Christopher Davis on the mindset he brings to subbing with orchestras around the world (38:31)
• TBJ197 Jonathan Fowler of West Chester University on the importance of regularly checking in with yourself to make sure your goals are still your goals (40:57)
• TBJ198 Terry Bingham, formerly of the U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own", on his ability to morph to match any style or any musician and credits listening to lots of different music (43:00)
• TBJ200 Lance LaDuke, formerly of a lot of things, on being too stupid to quit (45:11)
• TBJ201 Joe Burgstaller or Arizona State University on teaching students improvisation using a theater technique (48:02)
• TBJ202 Andrew Dougherty of the U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" on exactly how organized he has been for the three professional auditions he has won to date (52:13)
• TBJ203 Bruce Faske of Arkansas State University on losing his father and how all we have is today (52:23)
• TBJ204 Pete Sullivan of the Pittsburgh Symphony on the legendary Charles Dutoit messing with Pete's head in his first year with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (58:02)
• TBJ205 Kevin Harrison of Axiom Brass on his former teacher, Floyd Cooley, never quitting on him when he was at a difficult point in his life (1:05:10)

Become a Patron ► https://www.patreon.com/thebrassjunkies/ Show Notes ► http://www.brassjunkies.com

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The Brass Junkies is hosted and produced by Andrew Hitz for Pedal Note Media https://www.pedalnotemedia.com/