Roland Szentpali and Craig Knox

[bud]

I am incredibly grateful for the Army Workshop bringing in Roland Szentpali and Craig Knox.

I was totally blown away by Roland's compositions and his beautiful performances. I immediately got better at playing the tuba when I heard him doing things that I hadn't ever given myself the chance to do since I hadn't considered them possible before hearing him. What a performer and musician! And he was doing it all on a 6/4 Baer CC. YES! That can't be what Alan had in mind when he was helping Meinl Weston develop and modify his tuba for use in the NY Philharmonic. AND I wouldn't have Roland play any other tuba if it was up to me. And thank you again, Alan, for the great mods you keep contributing to tubas.

Equally impressive, Roland gladly and freely had unlimited time to talk with anyone who wanted to chat. He would share, unreserved, with anyone about anything. He was talking with people up to the last minute before, during, and after performances. He was instantly an old friend with anyone. WOW. I hope professors and colleges, orchestras, bands, anyone with a budget for guest artists will have him stateside often.

Craig Knox masterfully shared much of the wisdom that I gathered from him in two years of study in a little over an hour. Thank goodness I had two years to work on that stuff with him at Carnegie Mellon. I couldn't believe how organized and thorough his very wise presentation on practicing and auditioning was. His mental and practical approaches not only lead to good tuba playing but to a good life. And his playing is one of a kind with countless lessons for listeners. I'm grateful to continue keeping up on his very generous website, craigknoxtuba.com

Great workshop. I hope it continues every year.

[Mojo workin']

You make me wish that I had gone.

Roland is absolutely the Franz Liszt of the tuba. When he appeared at TUSABTEC several years ago, he had control over the tuba that I had never heard any brass player have to that point.