Inspired Performance, Dedicated Instruction
Please join me and my brass colleagues at St Cloud State University for Brass Day, Saturday December 7th, 2019, from 9-3p!
We’ve got a full day of instrument clinics, masterclasses, and an informal large group performance scheduled, and we hope you can join us. This event is FREE and open to high school brass students, area community players and professionals, and band directors.
See you there!
Super excited to share with you the duet Scott Agster wrote for me as part of his Minneapolis Trombone Masterclass video series! It’s a trad-jazz inspired romp, complete with dogfight, that should get your toe tapping!
And stay tuned for my interview with Scott discussing the inspiration for the video, our history as colleagues, and my projects in the region.
Trite though it may be, I’ve been indulging in the annual ritual of looking back on a year of work, as well as thinking forward to what 2019 may bring. I’m not huge on resolutions, but I do like setting some intentions for the year and putting some of my needs out to the universe. And so, in the spirit of the season, here are my reflections on 2018 and my goals for 2019!
In 2018, a lot of amazing things happened for me, professionally. I had general goals of working on big projects, like my clinic package, and building my business in new ways. Here are some highlights:
It was sort of a rough personal year, with the loss of fur friend Gatsby, but it was also full of fun: trips to Costa Rica and Scotland, kayaking, hiking, and camping with good friends, a warm house, regular meals. I have much to be grateful for.
2019 promises to be something entirely different than 2018. I’m feeling less motivation to come up with big ideas and projects, but more motivation to practice and perform the things that I love. I want to take the work I’ve done in the last few years and leverage it to have more name recognition, more performance opportunities, and more financial security. Here are some of the things I’ve been starting to focus on this year:
And here are some of the exciting things that are already in the books for the year:
On a personal level, I hope for 2019 to be a year of joy, balance, and passion for what I do and experience. My word for the year is ‘fire’- I want to acknowledge the things that have burnt out for me and reignite what I still have value and love for. Fire can be destructive- but it can also be cleansing, life-saving, and necessary. I have been ‘water’ for a long time- flexible, adaptable, constant- this year I feel the need for change, for energy and warmth.
What are your 2019 goals and dreams? What happened in 2018 that motivates you still?
So things tend to come in threes, and this post full of exciting professional announcements is no exception!
~ONE~
My new clinic, “Ear on the Prize: A holistic approach to effective brass instruction” is now available for booking. Check out the link in the name for more information- I’m really excited to begin offering this clinic to schools in the region!
~TWO~
Brass Lassie’s album is DONE and ready to be released! We are having a party and concert to celebrate the new album for local folks on September 7th. Details here! The album will be available to purchase in physical form or digital download on our website September 7th as well.
~THREE~
I am extremely pleased to announce that I have accepted the adjunct trombone instructor position at St Cloud State University starting this fall. I am joining a faculty of incredibly talented musicians and educators, and I cannot wait to meet the students of this fine music department. Look for some great events, concerts, and opportunities coming from this direction throughout the academic year.
Hi all, It’s been a while since I’ve had an opportunity (or the inspiration) to write…I hope you haven’t missed me too much.
July was a month of travel and adventure, and lots of positive change. I spent two weeks exploring Scotland and London on vacation, taking in all the beautiful landscapes and culture. I took Brass Lassie with me, as you can see:
And someday I’ll come back with the whole band on tour.
Upon returning to Minnesota I got back to work teaching and performing, with some notable highlights:
-Brass Lassie performed at the Scottish Fair in Eagan on my birthday, July 21st, and it was a marvelous day of love and music all around.
-Subbing in for the TC Latin Jazz Orchestra at Jazz Central- truly a great group, great music, and a supportive crowd!
-Rebecca and I traveled up to St Cloud State to perform a few works (A Caged Bird and Loveletter, Postmark San Jose) and talk with the students at the Athena Band and Leadership Camp. I had so much fun answering the intelligent and insightful questions of these future musical leaders. I will have some more thoughts on what I learned from this day soon.
-I played in the live orchestra for MNKINO’s Film Score Fest on July 28th, joining a small orchestra in playing scores for about 20 short, independent local films.
Next up is a busy August: lots more Brass Lassie, a heavier teaching schedule, and trying to soak up all the remaining summer free time I can!
Here’s my two upcoming performances:
Brass Lassie at Crooners Lounge, Aug 2, 730-10pm
Brass Lassie at the Irish Fair of Minnesota, Aug 12, 12pm Main Stage
Hope to see you there!
I really fell off the wagon with these! I had a few really busy mornings and then I never got back into the habit. Anyway, here’s a request from Kate back when we had a spell of dreary days.
Daily Improvs from the last few days!
Inspired by the solo I take in the Brass Lassie tune Grianach, this is a little solo done over this backing track by Quist.
I occasionally make time to schedule a flotation tank visit, and I did so on Friday. It was an opportunity to meditate, heal sore muscles, and turn off my brain.
Bandmate Patrice gave me the prompt of this song by Trombone Shorty. I can’t quite funk that hard but I liked the tune so I built on it a bit.
Sometimes you need to work on your articulation, but articulation exercises are boring. Make up your own! Do it in dorian!
DI 6.15.18 “Melancholy in e”
DI 6.13.18 “The Raccoon That Scaled St Paul”
A mini suite for the little buddy we were all rooting for this week
(Sorry about all the wind noise in this one, I forgot to turn off my fan)
DI 6.14.18 “Variations in the key of Loon”
It’s time for me to find my space in the North Woods and soak up the mysterious loon call under the stars.
I have been keeping up my Daily Improv traditional! Just got away from posting them. Here’s a collection of what I’ve done since June 6.
(I missed 6.9 because of a stomach bug- no trombone playing was happening that day!)
Working on taking a small idea and making it bigger- in this case, adding in all the notes of an Eb major scale.
Thinking about the fabulous, intelligent, rough-edged and wonderful Anthony Boudain, and all the places travel has taken me too, as well. Let’s all go out and be bold, kind, curious travelers in his memory.
I was trying to record a straight take of “Scotland the Brave” but kept messing up. This is just a little bit of my frustration, vented.
The way my bass trombone’s valves are tuned, when I play straight down into the trigger register I get a sus4 chord instead of a major triad, like modern basses do. I like the sound and did a little funky improv on that.
To celebrate having a Brass Lassie gig this weekend (if you’re in the area we hope to see you there!), I learned the tune to my favorite song in our book, Fause Fause, and then turned on a live recording and soloed over the instrumental sections. It’s a little goofy on the timing- I’ll work on a different set up next time I want to do something similar.
Lauren Husting, trombone 