"If it please your neighbor to break the sacred calm of night with the
snorting of an unholy trombone, it is your duty to put up with his wretched
music and your privilege to pity him for the unhappy instinct that moves him
to delight in such discordant sounds."
-Mark Twain (as quoted by Dr. Tom Gibson - http://trombonelessons.com/GeneralArea.html)
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
New name...
Ok, so I changed the name of the blog. I think "The Tao of Trombone" is a much nicer name, and lends itself to a much higher caliber of writing from me. Here's to hoping that works out.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Advertising
So after I spent time wondering about how to reach out to students, I ran across a flyer for a flute teacher. Posted on the mailboxes outside my townhouse. And I thought "Hmmm, that's a thought...." and dismissed it. A few days later, I saw the same flyer on a bulletin board at the entrance of a nearby neighborhood. And I decided it was time to do what all great teachers do - steal the idea.
After downloading a template from Word, I set about tweaking it for my own use. I will admit that the biggest obstacle was figuring out how to make the tear-off tabs at the bottom oriented vertically. I do believe that the secret to doing this is to create several individual text boxes, which can be oriented however you need them. I'm so glad that I had to download a template to figure this out.
Anyway, I figured that the internet might benefit from my efforts, so I am attaching a link to my flyer. Notice that it has my email address on it, but not my phone number. If someone from Southern Maryland were to come across it and want lessons, they can get in touch with me through email (which is the best way regardless) but hopefully it will minimize any phone troubles.
http://natebone.webs.com/Flyer2.pdf
You may also notice that this link takes you to my website, which is still very much a work in progress. Take a look if you'd like. Feedback is always welcome.
After downloading a template from Word, I set about tweaking it for my own use. I will admit that the biggest obstacle was figuring out how to make the tear-off tabs at the bottom oriented vertically. I do believe that the secret to doing this is to create several individual text boxes, which can be oriented however you need them. I'm so glad that I had to download a template to figure this out.
Anyway, I figured that the internet might benefit from my efforts, so I am attaching a link to my flyer. Notice that it has my email address on it, but not my phone number. If someone from Southern Maryland were to come across it and want lessons, they can get in touch with me through email (which is the best way regardless) but hopefully it will minimize any phone troubles.
http://natebone.webs.com/Flyer2.pdf
You may also notice that this link takes you to my website, which is still very much a work in progress. Take a look if you'd like. Feedback is always welcome.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Trombone Shopping... Or, How to Deal With a Salesman Who Thinks He Is Hot Stuff.
So I went trombone shopping with one of my students yesterday. The picture I had posted was at Baltimore Brass in Catonsville. We played a lot of instruments, and I wished I had brought my tuba mouthpiece. The guy helping us was great, and it was a very good experience. In the end, she chose a Conn 88HO, which played very well. Just to be sure we had tried all the options, we decided to also go to Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center in Wheaton. I've heard many wonderful things about it and how great everything is there and what a fantastic store it is for musicians.
What a load of crap.
I have never been so immediately irritated by a salesman in my life. He was snarky, somewhat rude, and oh so superior. I almost walked out after about 30 seconds, when he told me that he didn't have anything we hadn't tried (in a much more glib manner). He then proceeded to have my student try several horns, all were out of her price range, and tell her all the things that the shiny Getzen she was holding would do for her that the Conn would not. Which is beyond not true. "Well, yes, there are some professional symphony musicians still playing Conn trombones..." Yeah, guys like the London Symphony are so old school and refuse to play newer, more modern, more expensive trombones, right? Wrong! Buying the right trombone is about choice, and going for the sound and feel that is right for you. Yes, I play a very nice Shires. No, it's not because I just wanted to have the most expensive horn I could get my hands on, it just happened to be the one that felt and sounded right after 2 years of playing all kinds of instruments.
Good for my student, she actually stuck with the Conn she had picked, and I think it was a very good choice for her.
The interesting thing to me was that the salesman was much less snarky after I played a couple of the horns and he realized I might know what I was doing. Jerk.
So the bottom line is that Baltimore Brass and Dillon Music (where I got my Shires) will be getting my business, and Washington Music Center will not. And I plan to stand by that.
What a load of crap.
I have never been so immediately irritated by a salesman in my life. He was snarky, somewhat rude, and oh so superior. I almost walked out after about 30 seconds, when he told me that he didn't have anything we hadn't tried (in a much more glib manner). He then proceeded to have my student try several horns, all were out of her price range, and tell her all the things that the shiny Getzen she was holding would do for her that the Conn would not. Which is beyond not true. "Well, yes, there are some professional symphony musicians still playing Conn trombones..." Yeah, guys like the London Symphony are so old school and refuse to play newer, more modern, more expensive trombones, right? Wrong! Buying the right trombone is about choice, and going for the sound and feel that is right for you. Yes, I play a very nice Shires. No, it's not because I just wanted to have the most expensive horn I could get my hands on, it just happened to be the one that felt and sounded right after 2 years of playing all kinds of instruments.
Good for my student, she actually stuck with the Conn she had picked, and I think it was a very good choice for her.
The interesting thing to me was that the salesman was much less snarky after I played a couple of the horns and he realized I might know what I was doing. Jerk.
So the bottom line is that Baltimore Brass and Dillon Music (where I got my Shires) will be getting my business, and Washington Music Center will not. And I plan to stand by that.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Just finished a gig...
And it got me thinking. How is it that potential students get in touch with private teachers? I know in some cases it's a classified ad, in some cases it's word of mouth, and sometimes it's just being in the right place at the right time. But I suppose what I'd really like to know is how we private teachers can best make ourselves available to potential students.
Case in point: Tonight at the gig I was playing, a family was listening to the music, and between songs, mother and daughter came over and were very excited to get to talk to the trombone player. Unfortunately, this was in the middle of a set, and I couldn't just stop and chat with them (as much as I would have liked to). I told them that I would be thrilled to talk to them once the set was over, and they went back to where they had been standing. To my dismay, they ran out of patience three songs from the end of the set. I got a distinct sense that if I had the chance to talk to them I could have gained a student. Unfortunately, it looks like I will never know.
I seem to have this problem continually. I meet students who would be good candidates for lessons, but cannot seem to get beyond that initial meeting. Or I know that there are students out there, but cannot seem to connect with them. I would love to see potential students connected with teachers so that they could benefit from such a relationship.
I feel that too many students are missing out on their potential (or at least are greatly delayed in realizing it) due to not having a private teacher or mentor. Personally, I was a senior in high school before I started taking lessons. From the very first lesson I felt like I was discovering just how little I truly knew and how far I could go. My first teacher was very good at not only helping me figure out how to play something but also in seeing where it could go from there. Once I got into college and studied with several more teachers, I found that of all the classes I took I looked forward to lessons the most. I have always wondered where I could have gone if I had started taking lessons earlier. Perhaps I would have gotten frustrated or bored, but I think it far more likely that I would be an exponentially better musician than I am now (despite two degrees).
But again, I think that the issue is truly finding ways to connect students with private teachers. And I am open to any suggestions on how to make that happen.
Case in point: Tonight at the gig I was playing, a family was listening to the music, and between songs, mother and daughter came over and were very excited to get to talk to the trombone player. Unfortunately, this was in the middle of a set, and I couldn't just stop and chat with them (as much as I would have liked to). I told them that I would be thrilled to talk to them once the set was over, and they went back to where they had been standing. To my dismay, they ran out of patience three songs from the end of the set. I got a distinct sense that if I had the chance to talk to them I could have gained a student. Unfortunately, it looks like I will never know.
I seem to have this problem continually. I meet students who would be good candidates for lessons, but cannot seem to get beyond that initial meeting. Or I know that there are students out there, but cannot seem to connect with them. I would love to see potential students connected with teachers so that they could benefit from such a relationship.
I feel that too many students are missing out on their potential (or at least are greatly delayed in realizing it) due to not having a private teacher or mentor. Personally, I was a senior in high school before I started taking lessons. From the very first lesson I felt like I was discovering just how little I truly knew and how far I could go. My first teacher was very good at not only helping me figure out how to play something but also in seeing where it could go from there. Once I got into college and studied with several more teachers, I found that of all the classes I took I looked forward to lessons the most. I have always wondered where I could have gone if I had started taking lessons earlier. Perhaps I would have gotten frustrated or bored, but I think it far more likely that I would be an exponentially better musician than I am now (despite two degrees).
But again, I think that the issue is truly finding ways to connect students with private teachers. And I am open to any suggestions on how to make that happen.
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