Calling all Muso's

[Cul]

Another passion I have when away from the landy is my interests in music. I have been performing since I was a wee little lad, and still am today.
My main instrument is the Bass Trombone, which I started to learn to play in 1991 during Grade 5 at primary school. I have been playing ever since in a variety of brass bands, orchestras, stage bands, ensembles and solo performance. At the moment I'm the resident Bass Trombonist of the Bundaberg Municipal Brass Band No. 1. (Been with them since 1995)

Over the years I have also learnt piano, electric bass guitar and upright acoustic bass.

I own a Bach Stradivarius 50B30 Bass Trombone (those of you who know what I am talking about) which was purchased second hand for $3,500. New - they are pushing up towards $9,000.
So a new one is out of the question for just a bit longer. One thing at a time I keep hearing....

Anyways.... a completely different subject to anything else, so I thought it was my job to start it off.

Cul

[Cul]

Looks like I'm the only musician here.... unless no one wants to own up to it??? How embarassing!

Argh well... I love it.

Cul

[one_iota]

Acoustic guitar for me.

Learned classical guitar and still play on the odd occasion mostly for my own amusement (I have a low embarrasment threshold but am easily amused).

My classical guitar I bought 30 years ago and is a delight to play and look at...a lovely bit of wood:




I also have a Guild 12 String that was bought at an obscenely low price and is worth much more than I could earn performing on a street corner.

[one_iota]

Originally posted by Cul
Looks like I'm the only musician here.... unless no one wants to own up to it??? How embarassing!

Argh well... I love it.

Cul

My favourite trombonist is Raul de Souza who has played with Flora Purim and Airto Moreira (Brazilian Jazz).

The trombone is not a common instrument let alone the bass version so I am interested in what it is that "grabs you" with that instrument? What music do you play?

[Cul]

Yeah trombones are a more common instrument than you probably realise. I belong to another forum called the Online Trombone Journal (OTJ) which consists of thousands of trombonists from all over the world which we communicate with and discuss technical issues, music, and the instruments themselves.
I started off playing trombone in the state primary school instrumental music program, in which I aced my initial musical tests and I didn't write down a prefered instrument. I wasn't interested in flutes or saxes or all the other instruments that other people were talking about learning to play. The brass teacher found me one day at the front of the school and asked what instrument I wanted to learn to play because I had the top score on the music test, which was the highest score in at least 10 years.
I had no idea. He said something about a trombone and invited me to come and have a blow of this thing. I didn't know what a trombone was and had never seen one. He gave me this long silver thing and said hold it like this and blow in there, and before you know it.... I was a trombonist.
That was back in 1991.

I've been playing in all different musical groups and in 1993 I was invited to join a local brass band, in which I stayed with them for two years. I was given a Bass trombone by the conductor, in which I think they didn't have anything else in stock so thats what I got. To my school music teachers apparent disappointment that they had given me such a hard instrument to play for my existing experience, he noticed that I was handling it fine and left me with it.
There were two other trombonists that I was learning with and they joined the opposition brass band and progressed faster than me and became very profficient 1st and 2nd Trombonists within their band.

I changed over to their brass band (The Bundaberg Municipal Brass Band) in 1995, and decided to focus my attention on becoming a profficient bass trombonist and by 1996 I was their resident Bass Trombonist.

If you don't know what a Bass Trombone is, its a specially created trombone with extra 'trigger' sections that allow the instrument to reach lower pitches compared to the other two trombones who play in the upper registers. It is a very important position as there is only one Bass Trombonist in any band, and they provide the lower power to the trombone section and give the edge to the tubas and lower brass.
If you listen to most brass bands, the two people that stand out the most are the soprano cornet player and the Bass Trombonist. This is just because their dynamics are increased to provide a certain function within the band.

I have also done a lot of stage band, orchestral, ensemble and solo work with my bass trombone.

Bass Trombones like mine start off at a new price of about $8000 and the one I am looking at buying has a RRP of $11,000 plus, but I'm going to try and find it cheaper obviously!
I got my current bass trom for $3500 second hand about 8 years ago.

I will post a pic on here to show you what my bass looks like.

Cul

[Redback]

OK i'll own up :roll: play the drums and a little guitar and when i say a little guitar i mean i'm only a cord strummer with a little appegio when i don't get my fingers in a knot ops:

Haven't played for a long time so i've probably lost most of my co-ordination, but pick up the guitar every now and then.

Baz.

[DEFENDERZOOK]

<span style="color:blue">i can just picture the next campfire at aces......


the mexicans singing karaoke (after a few slabs each)

to a live band......


and the rest joining in on the choruses....... </span> 8O

[Cul]

Well I hope more people own up to playing something, as its going to be a dull REMLR gathering if we don't form our REMLR Big Band!! 8)

I can just see it....

"Any requests??"
"No we can't play that one..."
"No sorry we don't play any Celine Dion.."

"Where's the drummer gone???"

Cul

[hiline]

[quote=DEFENDERZOOK]<span style="color:blue">i can just picture the next campfire at aces......


the mexicans singing karaoke (after a few slabs each)

to a live band......


and the rest joining in on the choruses....... </span>

8O 8O 8O 8O 8O now that would be a sight for sore eye's [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img] :wink:

[broonski]

G'day guys,

i know i'm a bit late, but i only just found this thread!!!

i'm mainly a trumpet player, i've been playing since 1992 when i joined my primary school band and got to lead trumpet a year before i left primary school, from there i went to a performing arts high school playing in various ensemles ie. concert bands, orchestras, big bands, jazz bands, dixi bands, sca bands, and a marching band. i started playing in orchestras for musicals about 5 years ago and have played in 10 so far with 3 more on the cards for next year. i also played for about a month with the army reserve band in newcastle and done numerous solo performances. along the way i've picked up guitar and a bit of bass guitar as well as a tiny bit of trombone.

i own a trumpet and a semi-acoustic guitar.

i absolutely LOVE all kinds of music!!!

Cul, one of my best mates is a bass trombonist! he's played all over the place with all types of bands, most recently he just spent 3 months playing with the melbourne symphony orchestra!

cheers,
bryce