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Summer classes and clinics!

This summer I am excited to be offering two different clinics for brass players through West Bank School of Music. Find a full list of classes and information on registration at this link.

Balanced Brass Performance

Learn a natural approach to playing a brass instrument through healthy, holistic methods. Session 1 – “Sound”: How air makes all the difference.

Session 2 – “Music”: Brass playing is as easy as singing.

Session 3 – “Focus”: Practice techniques that create solid foundations for learning.

Prerequisites: Intermediate to Advanced

Age requirements: None

Instruments: Intermediate to Advanced trumpet, horn, trombone, baritone/euphonium, and tuba

Dates: Saturdays, 7/30 – 8/13, 10:30am – 12:00pm

Sessions: 3 sessions

 

Beginner Brass Camp

Is your child starting a brass instrument at school in the fall and want a head start? Get them ready for fall band through sessions that will introduce them to their instruments, show them how to make a good sound and read music, foster proper technique, and get them going with playing songs!

Prerequisites: Elementary

Age requirements: None

Instruments: Elementary trumpet, horn, trombone, baritone/euphonium, and tuba

Dates: Trumpets/Horns: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8/9 – 8/25, 3:15pm – 4:00pm; Low Brass: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8/9 – 8/25, 4:15pm – 5:00pm

Sessions: 6 sessions, 2x/week

 

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Weekly Round-up 3/7/16

 

Performances: Easter Services at Bethlehem Lutheran in S Mpls on March 27th are the next thing up for now!

Rehearsals: nothing this week.

Practicing: Starting to make a plan for how I want to be best prepared for doctoral work in the fall. Collaborating with my future professor on the best course to take!

Listening: Blackstar, David Bowie.

Teaching: Healthy practice habits- this includes posture!

Studying: Flow. Plus, looking deeper into our physiology to find how our body moves and works and how we can let it learn naturally.

Relaxing: Doing crossword puzzles, having tea with friends.

 

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Weekly Round-up 2/29/16

Happy Leap Day!

Performances: As always I keep a calendar updated on this site.

This weekend I’ll be performing with Exultate Choir and Orchestra on their series “Emmanuel”- a performance of the best of the best oratorios we know and love. Check out their website or my calendar for dates and locations.

Rehearsals: A dress rehearsal for ECC is the only thing planned, although I am beginning my stint as player-coach for Hamline U’s Wind Ensemble brass this afternoon!

Practicing: I’m getting back into the groove of tunes by adding a few new simple ones to my roster: He’s a Jolly Good Fellow, Camptown Races, Zipadeedoodah.

Listening: Elliot Smith took up my Sunday.

Teaching: Accessing the music- how do we hear each phrase? Are we directing it or waiting for the phrase to guide itself (spoiler alert: we steer this ship)

Studying: Flow. And, I’ll make this official in this section, because I’ll have to start studying some theory and history soon- I was accept to UMN’s music doctoral program! I begin my program in September on track to receive a Doctorate of Music Arts in trombone performance. Ee!

Relaxing: Enjoyed the lovely weather Saturday on a bike ride. Yesterday I took a short class on working live sound and understanding sound boards. It was amazing and I’d love to try it in the field someday soon.

 

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“Lunch With…Lauren Husting!”

You can now watch two of the pieces from my 2/8/2016 “Lunch with…” recital in Sundin Hall on Hamline University campus in convenient YouTube format!

David, Concertino (all)

Mills, Red Dragonfly (1st mvt)

My pianist is the lovely and talented Rebecca Hass.

Enjoy!

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Weekly Round-up 2/22/16

Performances: As always I keep a calendar updated on this site.

Nothing happening for the rest of February- phew- but first weekend of March I’ll be performing with Exultate Choir and Orchestra on their series “Emmanuel”- a performance of the best of the best oratorios we know and love. Check out their website or my calendar for dates and locations.

Rehearsals: As noted above, Exultate rehearsals start this week.

Practicing: I took a nice little weekend off- a bit of self-care after a busy and somewhat stressful start to the music year. It always takes a little bit to get back to fighting weight, but the perspective gained is worth it.

Listening: Nick Drake, Bruckner 4, Hamilton OCR.

Teaching: Practical theory and ear training high on my list today.

Studying: Flow is here! Can’t wait to dive into it.

Relaxing: A friend visited me this weekend, hence my opportunity to take some time off and have a mini homebound vacation. We did touristy Minneapolis things and ate good food- it was wonderful! It’s tough to go back to work but I feel refreshed and happy.

 

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Weekly Round-up 2/15/16

Happy birthday, George Washington!

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Performances: As always I keep a calendar updated on this site.

Nothing happening for the rest of February- phew- but first weekend of March I’ll be performing with Exultate Choir and Orchestra on their series “Emmanuel”- a performance of the best of the best oratorios we know and love. Check out their website or my calendar for dates and locations.

Rehearsals: nothing on the books for a bit.

Practicing: Sight-reading and some basics, not over-extending myself too much for a week or two.

Listening: I pulled out my favorite Billy Joel album yesterday, Stormfront, in case you were wondering how cool I am.

Teaching: Hamline update: Spring semester has started and I have two students there this semester, which is double last! I’m also excited to get to work with the wind ensemble as a player-coach and meet some more of the school’s fantastic students.

Studying: Still waiting on a copy of Flow to come from the library. So not much.

Relaxing: I had a really low key weekend of comic books, video games, and chats with friends. I have a guest this weekend and I’m excited to do a little MSP sight-seeing!

 

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TODAY- LIVE- Sundin Hall “Lunch with…”

I am the featured artist on February’s “Lunch With…” concert at Sundin Hall on Hamline’s campus TODAY! February 8th, 2016, 12-1230 pm. My good friend Rebecca Hass will be joining me on piano.

You can watch live here: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/hamlineadmin/

and the concert will be available for streaming afterward as well.

Thanks for tuning in!

(Also, if you’re nearby and available, you are more than welcome to actually attend- it’s free and there are cookies!)

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Weekly Round-up 2/8/16

Performances: As always I keep a calendar updated on this site.

Monday, 2/8 12pm- Hamline University Lunch Recital. More info to come! These are short, informal half-hour recitals and I am happy to be the featured artist for February. I’ll be playing the David Concertino, selections from Bach Cello Suite No 2, and the first movement of Red Dragonfly by Amy Mills. TODAY! Tune in here to watch: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/hamlineadmin/

Rehearsals: Mill City Five meets this week!

Practicing: Auditions are done, after this afternoon my feature recital at Hamline will be done, and I’m looking at a long stretch in February with nothing very concrete to prepare. I think it may be time to dive back into some etudes, like the Slama or the Arban, perhaps.

Listening: Hit up some tunes reminiscent of things I loved in college yesterday, Ani Difranco’s Evolve being at the top of the list.

And, I watched Minnesota Youth Symphonies give a tremendous concert yesterday afternoon in Orchestra Hall. My student Bjorn performed 1st trombone on Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphoses with the top orchestra. It was phenomenal. That piece brings back some amazing memories from high school and makes me a little weepy.

Teaching: Not sure what will come up this week! Focused practice has been my main tool for taking students’ attention off technique and intonation- and solving those problems in the process.

Studying: Time to start researching grants for my studio scholarship expansion plans. And it’s MMEA weekend, which means I’ll get to learn how to be a contest judge!

Relaxing: I’m not sure what that is.

 

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Weekly Round-up 2/1/16

Performances: As always I keep a calendar updated on this site.

Monday, 2/8 12pm- Hamline University Lunch Recital. More info to come! These are short, informal half-hour recitals and I am happy to be the featured artist for February. I’ll be playing the David Concertino, selections from Bach Cello Suite No 2, and the first movement of Red Dragonfly by Amy Mills.

Rehearsals: Metro met last night for a solid rehearsal. I’m really excited to be playing a piece called Tientos y Danzas, by Gareth Wood. Here’s the first movement as performed by Superbness:

Practicing: It’s audition week! I’m focusing on small details, ‘nailing the changes’ as it were, and trying to iron out a few inconsistencies. On Wednesday I’ll do my last real day of prep- and Thursday and Friday I’ll run my pieces a few times throughout the day but in general taper my practice to make sure I feel fresh for Saturday.

Listening: Not much. Trying to keep my head clear.

Teaching: Air articulations and bopping- steadying the tone and hearing the heart of the note.

Studying: Scores for the David and Red Dragonfly.

Relaxing: Comic books!